The Princeton union., 1906-02-01

coolly selecting his best tone; and it be-
came only sWeeter when, even more
softly, in semiwhisper Of almost cru
cial pleading, he said, "Ah, don't go
away!"
In truth she could not CO. She had
been too vitality stirred. She began to
tremble excessively and sank back up
on the bench, motioning him away with
vague gestures Of her shaking hands.
This was more than the incroyable
had counted upon and far from his de-
sires. He started forward, with an ex-
clamation.
"Don't come nearv she gasped
"Who are you? Go awayv
"Give me one second to explain" he
began, but with the instant reassur-
ance Of this beginning she cut him off
short, her fears dispelled by his COM
monplace. Nay, indignation displaced
them so quickly that she fairly flashed
up before him to her full height.
'You did not come in by the gatev,
she cried. "What do you mean by
coming here in that dress? What right
have you in my garden?'
"Just one word," he begged quickly,
but very gently. you'd allow street
beggar that much!'
She stood before him painting and, as
he thought, glorious in her flush Of
youth and anger. Tom Vanrevel had
painted her incoherently, but richly
in spite of that, his whole heart being
in the portrait and Crailey Gray had
smiled at what he deemed the exag-
geration Of all ordinarily unimpres-
sionable man who had fallen in love
"at first sight," yet in the presence Of
the reality the incroyable decided that
Toms colors had been gray and hum
BILE.
IF you have anything to say for
yourself, say it quicklyv' said Miss
Betty.
"You We're singing a while ago." he
answered somewhat huskily, ':and I
stopped on the street to listen; then
came here to be nearer. The spell Of
your voice. He broke off abruptly
to change the word. ''The spell of the
song came over nett is my dearest
favorite-so that stood afterward in
sort Of trance, only hearing again in
the silence The stolen heart, like the
gathered rose, will bloom but for a
day! I did not see you until you came
to the bench. You must believe me.
I would not have frightened you for
anything in the world.'
'Why are you wearing that dress?'
He laughed and pointed to where,
behind him on the ground, lay a long
gray cloak, upon which had been toss
ed white mask. "I'm on my way to
the masquerade" he answered, with
an airy gesture. ''I'm an incroyable.
you see, and I had the costume made
from my recollection Of a sketch of
your great-uncle. I saw it a long time
ago In your library"
Miss CareWe's accustomed poise was
quite recovered-indeed, she was as
tomshed to discover a distinct trace Of
disappointment that the brilliant ap-
partition must offer so tame an expIa-
nation. What he said was palpably
the truth. There was a masquerade
that night, she knew, at the Madril-
Ions, little way up Carewe street,
and her father had gone an hour earli-
er, blue domino over his arm.
The 1ncroyable was a person Of al
most magical perceptiveness. he felt
the let-down Immediately and feared
a failure. This would not do. The at
titude of tension between them must
be renewed at once 'You'n forgive
me?" he began In quickly impassion-
ed tone. ut was only after you sang
dream possessed me, and'-
II cannot stay to talk with you"
Miss Betty interrupted and added with
strafghtforwardness which made him
afraid she would prove lamentably d.
rect, II do not know you.''
She turned toward the house, where
upon he gave little pathetic exclama-
ton of pleading in voice that was
mastery, being as sincere as it was