Middletown transcript., 1906-03-24
:. 3. - .41ae-
Miss Beatrice GOIEOH WHICH 1UT

L
when the hum Of the upper city |
was imperceptibly lessened.
People had come home fro N
their drives. Delivery wagons
were fewer. Dressing for dinner
was the order Of the hour.
lii the back room, Beatrice's
younger sister was taking a
French lesson. aJayaistu avais
Ii await rose and fell monoto-
nously. Outside, boy, his voice
shrill and tense, was calling an
extra-All about the great inyes-
tigating committee. Read the
latest.
The butler came in to light the
) lights. Their soft, religious glow
warmed up the spacious hall and
the mirrored luxuriance of the
massive reception-room, reveal
ing everywhere rich colors,
cleaning statuettes, wonderful
tapestries, ancient carvings.
Miss Cotton put down Spen-
GERS "Data of Ethics, that she
had been glancing over for she
was already familiar with its con-
tents-and looked out along the
avenue now growing dim.
A man was walking up on the
other side. Opposite the house,
he turned and crossed the street.
He was tall and thin, almost as
cetic in his look. His clothes !
were trim but not recent. He
seemed very much like an ordi-
nary person.
She recognized him at once.
She knew he was coming, for he |
had telephoned half an hour be-
fore. She did not know why he
was coming at that hour, but she
gathered intuitively from his
voice that his visit was impor-
tant. She was fully prepared for
him. She went herself to the
door to let him in.
Good afternoon.
Good afternoon.
owe you an apology for COM
ing at this hour. l got away from
the Office early on the purpose to
do so. I wanted to see you
alone.
She drew the portieres to-
rgether. She led the way to an
alcove overlooking the street
They sat face to face.
What is it she asked.
Men sometimes take sudden
resolutions. That is what have
done. I had convinced myself,
it seemed finally, that I must
never tell you how much I loved
you. I had said to myself that |
would hereafter avoid you
never see you again. Now / have
changed my mind. And I have
come to ask you
He hesitated. He was watch
ing her face.
You wish me to marry you.
Yes.
What made you change your
mind so suddenly?
It was direct question. She
did not notice that instinctively
his hand was drawn TO his side
where a moment before he had ]
thrust an afternoon paper. j
Beatrice, he said earnestly, |
meeting her gazed fully and /
fairly, that, somehow, involves a
fuller explanation than it seems {
to warrant. have loved you for
long time, in silence, with a {
certain miserable sort of hope II
lessness. / was poor and you t
were rich. This sounds melo ,
dramatic, doesn't it? Bat I don't &
intend it in thai way. What / I
mean is, that if you were willing Z
to marry me you would still have
to keep on living in your present S
luxury, even if you did not care o
for it-this you could not help
and while LIDO not value money f
nor feel that it necessarily even f
ought to come between US, still it b
would be impossible to avoid this b
altogether. ] felt that l should b
have to accept it. might have Q
to live in your house, surrounded &
by your possessions any one of q
which might represent my yearly /
income. And so I would have o
quietly withdrawn from yourlife. b
But now l feel differently. If | Il
can make. you happy, as I firmly
believe, feel that can ask you J
to share with me what / have and b
that you may relinquish what you b
have. Beatrice, do you love ne U
any-just a little2 h
She looked away. d
OF course, she replied, sou y
know that I must lore you some, o
or shoulanst ha4n chfrpn II ~ u