The Yale expositor., 1906-10-05

lot ne IelI IndI he Hdu only DeBun W
live since his first meeting with her.
She had seemed like child that
night-she was ten years younger
than he--and not many months out
of college; but with all her girlish
grace and freshness, her pouting, baby
lips and clear, sweet voice, she had
the poise and intellect of a woman Of
30.
With him it had been a case of love
at first sight-love hot, tempestuous,
yet unselfish.
The introduction had come about ac-
cidentally. 1t was by the merest
chance that he had met Dick Darling
ton that evening at Altman's restau-
rant. Darlington seemed to be one
of supper party of half dozen men
and women who had dropped in after
the theater Darlington had put out
his hand and said:
Hello, Brinsley! You are just in
time to do me favor Special mes
senger here a minute ago with word
for me to go up and see the old man
tonight. You know | leave for Eu-
rope and a trip round the world for
my concern tomorrow. | want to
introduce you to my cousin, Miss NAL
colin, and to get you to see her
home"
moment later, and Darlington was
gone, leaving Brinsley with young
lady whom he Immediately declared
to himself was simply divine"
For the last year Brinsley had
been Miss Malcolm's shadow. His
first advance had been TO send her
magnificent bouquet. after he had
known her a week When he called
in the evening he found her wearing
one of his roses on her breast. She
had smiled that enthralling smile of
hers and thanked him prettily for the
flowers.
From presents OF flowers the way
had been easy to automobile rides,
opera boxes and suppers tete-a-tete. He
had contrived to learn the date of her
birthday, and when 1t came he had
ventured to send her a present of a
magnificent necklace.
She had met him that evening with
grave face and a constrained man.
ner. He thought she was going to
make him take his present back. She
gave him a chair and seated herself
In another near him.
Mr. Brinsley," she said, ut was
very kind of you to think of my birth
day; but you have no-you ought not
tA
She took up the leather case that
was lying on table at her elbow;
and he thought that she was going TO
hand 1t back to him. But she opened
it, and apparently succumbed to the
dazzling beauty of the gems.
"Oh, aren't they lovely!" she ex-
claimed. 1T must be nice to be
rich, Mr.. Brinsley-if only for the
pleasure that one can give to others.
And then, too, the rich man has so
many privileges. It's really terrible
to be poor. have only two thousand
a year. for everything"
She toyed with the necklace for a
moment, then closed the case with
sigh, and laid Brinsley's present back
on the table.
81 don't know what makes you so
good to me-" she said, after a mo-
ment's silence on both sides.
Brinsley had been waiting for some
such opening. He started to tell hei
that If he was good to her, ii was
simply because he loved her, but she
had jumped up. exclaiming:
"Oh! l must show you my other
presents-some of them very pretty.
but none so valued as yours"
Once-it was at Christmas-he had
kissed her. The impulse had been ir.
resistible; but though Mollie had not
made fuss, he had not done it again
piece of mistletoe hung in the
doorway between the two parlors;
and as she came from the inner room,
they met right under it, Suddenly
he had put his arm round her waist,
drawn her to him. stopped over and
kissed her lips. 1t was entirely un-
premeditated, but before their lips
had met he was wondering what
would be the consequence of his te-
merity. Then the contact had thrilled
him. He felt that no penalty would
be too great to pay for that moment
airy blisg. But instead of spring
ing away from him, Mollie had laid
her head on his shoulder. her breast
pressing heavily against his, and for
brief second she had looked up at
him under her long, dropping lashes,
with eyes that seemed to confess a
love long cherished, but studiously
dissimulated
Then she had disengaged herself
and taken a seat with the table be-
tween them. and for the rest of the
evening she had been the happy,
light-hearted, inconsequential girl he
had known for months back.
Once since that night he had tried
to kiss her, but she had repulsed him
gently, saying simply:
mo, please, Fred, you must not do
that"
But he had loaded her with pres
ents-presents of jewelry, of pictures,
books and bric-a-brac; and they had