Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-02-08
THE MAN ON THE BOX By HAROLD MacGRATH Author of The Grey Cloak" The Puppst Crown"
Copyright. 1eo4, The Bobbs-Merrill Company.

this any longer, TOT my sake you
 must not. When everything is paid
 there will be little left, enough till I
 and my violin find something to do.
 After all, the worlds applause must
 be fine thing. can even now see
 the criticisms in the great newspapers.
 "A former young society woman, we'll
 known in the fashionable circles of
 Washington, made her debut as con-
 cert player last night. She is stun
 ming young person. "A young queen
 of the diplomatic circles, here and
 abroad, appeared in public as violin
 ist last night. She is member of the
 most exclusive sets, and society was
 out to do her homage One of Wash
 ington's brilliant young horsewomen, and so forth Away down at the bot
 tom of the column, somewhere, they
 will add that I tlay the violin rather
 we'll for an amateur In all her trial, this was the one bitter expression, and
 she was sorry for it the moment 1t
 escaped her. Vi
 Happily her father was not listening
 He Was wholly absorbed in the mystery
 of the cancelled note.
 I She had mounted Jane and was gath-
 ering up the reins, while James
 strapped on the saddle-hamper. This
 done, he climbed into the saddle and signifed by touching his cap that all was ready. So they rode forth in the sweet freshness of that November af-
 ternoon. A steady wind was blowing the compact white clouds sailed swift ly across the brilliant heavens. the
 leaves whispered and fluttered, hither and thither. wherever the wind listed:
 it was the day of days. It was the last ride, and fate owed them the compen- sation of beautiful afternoon.
 The last ride. Warburton's mouth dropped. Never again to ride with her! How the thought frightened his heart! What a tug it was going to be to give her up! But so it must be. He could never face her gratitude. He must disappear, like the good fairies in the story-books If he left now, and she i found out what he had done, she would always think kindly of him, even ten !derly. At twilight, when she took out her violin and played soft measures, perhaps thought or two would be given to him. After what had hap pened-this contemptible masquerad- ing and the crisis through which her father had just passed--it would be , impossible for her to love him. She would always regard him with sus- picion, as a witness of Fher innocent shame.
 He recalled the two wooden plates in the hamper. Whom was she going to meet? An, well, what mattered it: After to-day the abyss of eternity would yawn between them. How he loved her! How he adored the ex- ,quisite profile, the warm-tinted skin, the shining hair! . And he had lost her! An, that last ride!
 The girl was holding her head high because her heart was full. No more to ride on bright morning, with the wind rushing past her, bringing the odor of the grasses, of the flowers, of the earth to jingle her nostrils: nc more to follow the hounds on win ter's day. with the pack baying beyond the hedges, the gay, red-coated riders sweeping down the field; no more to wander through the halls of her moth CTS birthplace and her own, Like breath on mirror, all was gone. Why? What had she done to be flung down ruthlessly? She. who had been brought up in idleness and luxury. must turn her hands to a living! Without being worldly, she knew the world. Once she apeared upon the stage. she would lose caste among her kind. True. they would tolerate her. but no longer would her voice be heard or her word have weight
 the whirlpool and swallowed up. Then would come the haggling with mana gers, long and tiresome journeys gloomy hotels and indifferent fare. cu- rious people who desired to see the one-time fashionable belle: her DOT traits would be Autographed and hung up in shop-windows. in questionable resorts. and the privacy so loved by gentlewomen gone; and perhaps there would be insults And she was only on the threshold of the twenties. the radiant, blooming twenties.
 During the long ride flor they GOV cred something like seven milesD no5 a word was spoken. The girl was bid ing her time: the man had nothing to voice They were going through the woods. when they came upon a clear ing through which a narrow brook Ioi- tered or sallied down the incline. She refined in and raised her crop. He was puzzled. So far as he could see. he and the girl were alone. The third person. for whom he reasoned he had brought the second rlate. was no where in sight
 A fiat boulder lay al the side of the stream. and she nodded toward if WarburtOn emptied the hamper and spread the cloth on the stone. Then he laid out the salad. the sandwiches. fhe olives. the almonds and rVo sil- yer teIeseope-eups. All the time not a single word from either: Wsrbur- ton. busied with his task. did not lift his eyes to her
 The girl had laid her face against lanes nose, and two lonely tears