Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-12-14
Alicia S
Home
Coming
g
by
Cecilia A.
Loissaux
@
Copyright, ies. by RUBY DouEias

ut isn't even as II you needed to DC
this, Alicia" Bob Kendall held his
voice to cool, arsumentative tone
that made tho girl before him still
more indignant
who are you mat you should decide
whether I need to DO anything at allr'
she blaxed Indignantly. j.r>s
II am your nance. and he was be-
shining when she interrupted him.
''If that is your excuse for such I'M
just interference with my wishes.
can at least relieve you Of your duty"
And she placed her engagement ring
on the table between them. The young
man glanced at II without seeming to
See It. Then he looked sharply at the
angry girl who was drawn to her full
height.
Alicia" he safd sent1y. you arc too
angry to realize what you are doing.
Put tho ring on your finger again.
You don't mean this"
Pardon me, DO mean n" said the
GIRL icily.
The young manS faee whitensd. and
hurt look sprans into his steady
brown eyes. Then he straightsned up
and squared his shoulders and set his
strong chin nrmfy. When he spoke
there was note Of hardness in his
voice which the girl had never heard
from him before and from which she
shrank mentally.
"Alicia. do you reailEe what you are
doingf We were TO be married in May.
Your trousseau is begun, know. And
you've given me every reason to be-
llcve you cared for me as much as I do
for you. And now. because I ask you
to do this one thing-for your sake as
well as mine-you are going to give all
this up!'
The girl turned suddenly and went
to the window, where she stood look.
ing out into the dripping garden. She
felt her lips Quivering, and she must
not let Bob SEQ.
Bob looked at the crown Of dark red
hair against the deep green of the
window draperies, and his voice sof
tenod.
This Is all rve ever asked of you,
Alicia. I've been too confident of your
love for me after you confessed 1t;
I've believed in you too utterly ever to
be Jealous of your flirtations, as many
another man would have been-and
rightly too. I've submitted cheerfully
to being 'trailed' in public because It
was you who did the trailing" =
Alicia turned and faced him again,
her foot tapping the floor impatientiy.
''Is the list Of your virtues a long
one sir7" she asked. ......--
81 shall not name them ALL" he an
swered calmly. THE only thing I've
ever insisted upon your doing is this
one we're talking about Give up this
silly concert tour. I've never said
word when you've sung for sweet char
ity's sake or for any society affair:
even when the publicity Of the events
has often made me writhe. This time
you haven't any real reason. You are
not In need Of money. and you're not
doing 1t for charity. 1t isn't even the
necessary ambition of the professional
to win a higher place for herself. You
will get fattery from the critics who
DO not think 1t worth the effort TO
spend real criticism on society ama-
teurs. If they should criticise, you
honestly-the way they do profession
ais, to whom it means bread and but
ter-you'd see the point I'm trying to
make. l appreciate the charm Of you
and your voice as no one else who
looks and listens to you possibly can,
and, Alicia Fairall, l don't want to sec
you damned with faint praise or hui
inflated by any conscientious critic.
Can't you see that
"When you are quite through" inter-
rupted Alicia, you can doubtless hnd
your way out. / must ask you to ex-
cuse me-" And she swept from the
room, pausing once in the curtained
doorway as II to speak.
Unconsciously she assumed a theat-
rlcal attitude. Her face was turned back
over her shoulder, and her lips were
parted little. With her glowing head
and her soft green dress between the
s-~uviui ovn Va tur curtains size Iouk-
cd like n tall, beautiful dahlia, and Bob
tnvoluntarily started forward. But she
closed her lips to thin red line and
went on dropping the curtains behind
her. Presently he heard the tapping Of
her slippers upon the stairs and then
the bang Of a door. -s."H1i
He did not leave the house at once,
but stood at the window where Alicia
had stood and looked out into the gray
twilight. 1t was early spring. As he
booked wcar1ly at the sparrows on the
soaked lawn Bob felt his throat tighten
and brushed his hand across his eyes.
"She couldn't mean It," he muttered
as he turned and picked up the emer-
aid ring and slipped 1t into his vest
pocket. "It Is too close to May for her
to mean that" Then he sought for pa
per and pen and sat down at the table.
He wrote:
Dear. II have been too harsh forgive
me. l have said too strongly. perhaps.
what l believe to be true. and nll want
Is to spare both OF US the pain any failure.
of yours would be sure to cause. Think
II over well. dear. before you decide.
What came to toll you today is that
our house is all done The last workman
has left. / am inclosins a key-there are
1
and think It all over at least once before
you decide finally.
He inclosed the key and on his way
out handed the envelope to the butler
to "be taken up to Miss Alicia" I
As for Alicia. she had gone straight
to her desk and mad written the follow
Ing note:
My Dear Mr.. Courtenay-I have decid-
ed. as promised ! would by today. about
the concert tour. You may depend upon
me for your soprano. And as have besn
the only one TO object to the longer trip
you planned ] withdraw my objections to
that also. Under your management !
feel sure we shall be successful. Sin
cerely, ALICIA LEE FAIRALL.
When she had heard the closing of
the outer door she gave the note to the
butler and took from him the envelope