Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-02-06

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 awayw
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 gate!
she cried. "What do you mean by
coming here in that dress? What right
have you in my garden?
Gust 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 tncoherently, 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 an ordinarily unimpres-
sionable man who had fallen in love
TAT 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 1t quicklyp' said Miss
Betty.
"You We're singing while ago" he
answered somewhat huskily, land I
stopped on the street to listen; then I
came here to be nearer. The spell Of
your voice. He broke OF abruptly
to change the word. 1.-THE spell Of the
song came over melt 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.
dayP did not see you until you came
to the bench. You must believe me.
would not have frightened you for
anything in the world
"Why are you wearing that dressf'
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 had the costume made
from my recollection Of sketch Of
your great-uncle. saw it long time
ago in your library"
Miss Carewes accustomed poise was
| quite recovered-indeed, she was as
tonished to discover distinct trace Of
disappointment that the brilliant ap-
partition must offer so tame an expla-
nation. What he said was palpably
| the truth. There was q 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 incroyable was person of al
most magical perceptdveness. 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'll forgive
me?" he began in quickly impassion-
ed tone at was only after you sang
a dream possessed me, and"-
| Il cannot stay to talk with you,"
Miss Betty Intercepted unl udued with
a straightforwardness which made him
afraid she would prove lamentably di-
rect. Il 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 1t was
musical, and he took u few leaning
steps toward her, both hands out
stretched.
| Zone moment more!" he cried as she
turned again to him. 1T may be the
one chance of my life to speak with
you. Don't deny me this. All the rest
will meet you when the happy evening
comes, will dance with you, talk with
you, see you when they like, listen to
you sing. | alone must hover about
the gates or steal like thief into your
| garden to hear you from Il distance.
Listen to me just this once for mo-
ment.'
Il cannot listen" she said firmly, and
with whisk of her skirts and foot
fall on the gravel path she was gone.
He stood dumfounded, poor comedian,
having come to play the chief role, but
to find the scene taken out of his
hands.
Il (