The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-26

lisenes would readily lay hold upon si
 that was in the lines of the letter Rut
 what was between the lines she mfeh,
 overlook--not only the atmospnerit
 suggestion. but the subtle ones of \
 soul vibrant with another tuned to it.
 own key.
 Fate saved him from choosing. A.
 Allison came through the door a rufris
 of wind tore the sheets from his grasr
 and whisked them to her feet She picked them without looking at them but once they were in her hand he
 would not take them away unread
 When she had read, she looked down
 and shook her head gently, saying;
 What is the puzzle, Arthur? find
 nothing strange"
 'Why---don't you see---everythinR is
 strange" MalIibone cried, eagerly ''To think of a woman--cleariy gentlewo- man. as clearly poet by divine right sending me such a screed. You see. I
 signed my name. and gave references
 and said--oh. the sort of thing one
 would say to Rose-fioyaL You read
 her verses. of course--the dawn, and the dew are in theni--and heart break --and life--and--and lover
 l And she writes to you like mother,
 almost" Allison said, with smile of soft malice. Really, Mir. Arthur Malli- bone. approve her letter. She wrote 1t,
 am sure. feeling that the other wo-
 man was looking over her shoulder" | The other womanl How would she
 know?'' Mallibone began, helplessly. l Again Allison laughed. Do men who can do plenty of other things ever read verses except when they're in love: | And you couldn't be in love with her." she said demurely.
 But am in love with her At least
 would be if--"Mallibone protested,
 breains off short at the end. Allison raised her eyebrows signifi- cantly. If there were not others" she said. Poor. poor Arthur! It's dreadful to be so eligible. I'm awfuIly afraid you'll have to marry-as it were in self defence If I did. would you carer" Mallibonc demanded, suddenly laying hold of her hands.
 She smiled at him tranquilly as she answered: Certainly. There would be an end to our good times. no matter
 how much liked Mrs. Maliibone." "Whyfr Mallibone demanded, relent- lessly keeping her hands in his. Her eyes danced, but her lips were grave as she answered: 'toh, because as sure as you found yourself tied fast to somebody else, you would fall in
 love with me--if give you half chance"
 Mallibone sat down suddenly, nelp- less with laughter. I should have fall en in love with you long ago. if you had given me a quarter of a chance.
 he said. But you wouidn't--always you've been so ruthlessly unsentimen-
 Bother sentiment" Allison inter-
 rupted. Let's get back to the letter;
 of course you'll answer it?' T hardly know" Ma1libone said, un- truthfully. He knew he should answer it but was somehow loath to let Ali son know 1t too.
 Allison looked at him keenly. You will answer it, and the thing will go on and on. Suppose, after a while,
 when you are head over ears In love with the unknown--you should meet her, end find her hideous--say a lump of fat, or a Maypole, or a missionary figure-why, what then?'
 'I shall not ask to see her yet. If ever do. depend on it shall know In spite of typewriting and all she is worth seeing" Mallibone said. with his most superior smile.
 But how will you knowY' Allison persisted.
 Again Mallibone smiled. By being a man, and not wholly without penetra- tion." he answered. NO woman can write man three letters without show ing pretty clearly the sort of person he may expect her to be-"
 Maliibone might possibly have revis- ed that judgment had he been given the chance several months later. Let ters flew back and forth between him and Rose-Royal He hardly waited for the fateful third to beg an interview. Rose Royal demurred coyly--even hint ing that the meeting was forever out of the question. She said outright he must walk warily. and pledge himself against trying to find out her name and local habitation. You are a ca- price. do not know, that you will ever be more," ran one epistle, Until I am sure that you are worth the trouble, 1 why give myself the trouble of talking | to you face to face? Besides. 1t may | be kinder to remain only an ideal But | even In shaping the ideal, pray bear l in mind that a rhymer, like volcano. | Is not built of the matter srupted. | Heaven be praised for the fact. If | 1t were not a fact I should not relish | my dinner as I do, nor have fine feeling | for my clothes, which are often what | you are pleased to call my poems, In their last transformation. How can you expect me to waste sentiment in letters? It rhymes itself almost auto and Is so readily merchanta- ole."
 NOtWlthStdndlng, MaiIiDone persisted. The thing so Idly begun had become a deadly earnest He never let himself think in cold blood of what the end might be: he refused to take further counsel with AllisonI-indeed, he kept | ,ut of her way and left her short let ers unanswered until answering them was impossible. He refused blindly Q believe the letters of Rose-R Royal choosing rather to judge by the verse ilgned with her name. Always rhyth- nic, musical and delicate. 1t was by urns despairfng, or else filled with ricky joy in life and the good world. Vow and again. too, there was a rare lfin note, sweet and high as the sing ng of skylarks, that thrilled and made he heart beat faster Whenever he { eard this elfin note he had to tell the ! finger how much. how dearly he loved { er. For long she took no note of the | but one day toward the end f October she wrote: You say you oVe me Come and find out if you have { poken the truth" $
 That was all, except on separate a heet, prosaic details. She was coming T Ityward at such a date He must call Q [ street number and ask simply for 2 ose- Royal Mallibone dropped the pa CT there. his head suddenly giddy.
 After a little he noted joyously that e had only a day to wait. He spent le first hours of 1t curiously--in pour L Ig out to Allison what he felt and oped. Thus only. 1t seemed to him, n ould he hold fast to sanity. II Rose Royal had bewitched him. but ie had not put Allison, cheery Allison. W ho warmed like sunshine and braced 4I nF rf