The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1906-08-15

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mon place reply.
Great heavens, had Nina taken
it seriously? Had she waited for
him all these strenuous years and
remembered her pledges and his.
"And you have not written for
ever so long," she went on, with
the most charming air of reproach.
"Years and years, Paul"
He mentioned some conven-
tional excuse. Write-why, he
even had forgotten the old hill
side home these many years, and
as for writing, did any busy OPP
orator ever write anything longer
than a telegram? But the alarm.
ing thing was the coy attitude of
the girl and the sidelong glances
she shot from her expressive
brown eyes-he never had noticed
in the old days that she had such
fetching eyes, But the situation
was becoming embarrassing
especially when he remembered
MadOnna-like Pauline in his great
castle on the avenue. OF course
Pauline never could send the blood
coursing through his veins as this
woman was dOing-but then
Pauline graced his establishment
with the aristOcratic flavor of her
blue blood. Sometimes ne wished
it were trife more red even at
the expense of her regal dignity.
Now if Nina was there with her
glowing cheeks and sparkling
eyes and 1.-the figure to share-but
pshaw, what nonsense is this?
"We have missed you so much,"
Nina was saying. Then looking
up with a happy ingenious smile
she went on: "But it's all right
now, that you have come back"
Great heavens, was she snug
Cling close to him. Yes, there was
no mistake about it. And what
could a man do but snuggle a lit.
tie himself. BY this time he had
got to the point of plying her.
''YOu will come right up to the
house with me, won't you, Paul."
she whispered. "There really is
nowhere else to stop. You know
Aunt Hannah is dead"
Aunt Hannah dead and he never
had heard oft? That was a shock
indeed. But to 60 home with her
that surely would lead to con-
sequences. No, it evidently was
time to stop this nonsense.
His heart was full of pity as
he said:
my dear Nina, l have been a
brute, but out in the world men
lose themselves and-and forget
the old home ties and the old days.
have been in the thick of the fight
and-and-I have been so long
away-that-yOu see | built up
new life in a new place-and you
see l didn't think you remembered
or took it seriOusly-and all
that sort of thing-and-and-
Nina, the fact is l am a married
man and just came back to get a
Whit of the old air"
He paused lamely and she lifted
her handkerchief to her face so he
could not see it; but he could feel
her tremble and he felt the guilty
wretch he was.
"Smithville," yelled the brake
man just then and the train slowed
down. Poor Grayson would have
given ten thousand not to have
had to get off with the girl who
still held her handkerchief to her
face. But he was in for it and re-
solved TO take his punishment.
He picked up her baggage and his
and laboriously waddled off the !
car after her.
On the platform she put her
handkerchief in her pocket and |
Grayson noticed that there were |
no traces of tears in her eyes. Be
fore he had time to wonder about |
it a tall-bearded fellow with
bronzed skin and CHEEKY voice
strobe forward and gathered Nina
into his arms with fervOr which
threatened the integrity of her
ribs. Presently when she had ex-
tricated herself from the embrace,
which was before GraysOn recov-
covered his senses, she turned to
him with that cOyness which al
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