The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-03-08

had bought her a bouquet, and she had
helped him to select another to send to
sick friend. How beautiful the flow
ers were and how happy he had made
the morning for her with his gayety,
his Hghtness and his odd wisdom! Was
it only yesterday? Her fathers COM
ing had made yesterday a fortnight
old.
But the continuously pattering rain
and the soft drip, drop from the roof,
though as mournful as she chose to
lind them, began after awhile to weave
their somnolent spells, and she slowly
drlfted from reveries Of unhappy sorts
into half dreams, in which she was
still aware she was awake, yet slum-
Der, heavy eyed, stirring from the cur
tains beside her with the small night
breeze, breathed strange distortions
upon familiar things, and drowsy i'm
possibilities moved upon the surface Of
her thoughts Her chin, resting upon
her hand, sank gently until her head
almost lay upon her relaxed arms.
@14dI Is mine, Crdlley Gray.
She sprang to her feet, UNNECESSARILY
startled, one hand clutching the back
OF her chair, the other TREMENDOUSLY
pressed to her cheek, convinced that
her father had stopped over her and
shouted the sentence in her ear. For
it was his voice, and the house rang
with the words All the rooms, halls,
and even the walls, still seemed muir
INJURIOUS with the sudden sound, like the
tinkling Of a bell after it has been
struck. And yet-everyth was quiet.
She pressed her fingers to her fore
head, trying to untangle the maze Of
dreams which had evolved this shock
for her, the sudden clamor in her ia
TIERS voice Of name she hated and
hoped never to hear again, a name she
was trying to forget, but as she was
unable to trace anything which had
led to it there remained only the con-
clusion that her nerves were not what
they should be. The vapors having be-
come obsolete for young ladies as an
explanation for all unpleasant sensa-
tons, they were instructed to have
nerves" This was Miss Betty's first
consciousness Of her own, and, desir-
ing no greater acquaintance with them,
she told herself it was unwholesome to
fall asleep in a chair by an open win
dow when the night was as sad as she
Turning to a chair in front of the
small oval mirror of her bureau, she
unclasped the brooch which held her
lace collar and, seating herself, began
to unfasten her hair. Suddenly she
paused, her uplifted arms falling me-
chemically to her sides.
Some one was coming through the
long hall with a soft, almost inaudible
step, step which was not her fathers.
She knew at once, with instructive Ger
tainty, that it was not be- Nor was it
Nelson who would have shufled; nor
could it be the vain Mamie, nor one Of
the other servants, for they did not
sleep in the house. It was step more
like woman's, though certainly it was
not Mrs. Tanberry's.
Betty rose, took a candle and stood
silent for moment, the heavy tresses
Of her hair, half Embossed, falling upon
her neck and left shoulder like the
folds Of 4 dark drapery.
At the slight rustic Of her rising the
steps ceased instantly. Her heart set
up 4 wild beating, and the candle
shook in her hand. But she was brave
and young, and, following an irresisti-
BILE impulse, she ran across the room,
flung open the door and threw the light
of the candle into the hall, holding it
at arms length before her.
She came almost face to face with
Crailey Gray
The blood went from his cheeks as
swallow flies down from roof He
started back against the opposite wall
with a stifled groan, while she stared
at him blankly and grew as deathly
pale as he.
He was Il man of great resource in
all emergencies which required a quick
tongue, but for the moment this was
beyond him. He felt himself lost, top
ping backward into an abyss, and the
uselessness Of his destruction made
him physically sick. For he need not
have been there; he had not wished to
come; he had well counted the danger
to himself, and this one time in his life
had gone to the cupola room out of
good nature. But Bareaud had been
obstinate, and Crailey had come away
alone, hoping that Jefferson might fol-
low. And here he was, poor trapped
rat, convicted and ruined because of a
good action. At last he knew consist
ency to be jewel and that a greedy
boy should never give crust; that a
fool should stick to his folly, villain
to his deviltry and each hold his own;
for the man who thrusts a good deed
into life Of lies is wound about with
perilous passes, and in his devious
ways thousand unexpected damna-
tons spring.
Beaten, stunned, hang-jawed with
despair, he returned her long, dunn
founded gaze hopelessly and told the
truth like an inspired Ounce.
L camel came-to bring another
no ,11,.