The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-10-02

Ihe Young 1dGG NAAlAElACuE
hurt look sprang Into his steady
brown eyes Then he Strengthened up
and SQUARED his shoulders and set his
strong chin firmly. When he spoke
there was a note of hardness in his
voice which the girl had never heard
from him before and from which she
shrank mentally
'.AIicia. do you realize what you are
doing? We were to be married In May.
Your trousseau is begun, know. And
you've given me every reason to be-
lleve you cared for me as much as do
for Won. And now, because I ask you
to do this one thing-for your sake as
wen as mine-you are going to give all
This upr'
The girl turned suddenly and went
to the window. where she stood look
ing out into the dripping garden She
felt her lips quivering, and she must
not let Bob see
Bob looked ut the crown of dark red
hair against the deep green of the
window draperies, and his voice sof-
tened.
This is all I've ever asked of you,
Alicia. I've been too confident of your
love for me after you confessed it;
I'VE believed in you too utterly ever to-
be Jealous OF your fiirtations, as many
another man would have been-and
rightly too. I've submitted cheerfully
to being .trallcd in public because It
was you who did the trailing"
Alicia turned and faced him again,
her foot tappng the floor impntiently-
SIS the list of your virtues Il long
one, sir2" she asked.
II shall not name item all" lie an
swcrcd calmly. '-Thc only thing I've
ever. insisted ul,on your doing IS this
one were talking about. Give up this
silly concert tour. I've never said
word when you've sung for sweet char
ity's sake or for any society affair'
even when the publicity of the events
has often made me wrlthe. This time
you haven't any real reason. You are
not in need Of money. and you're not
doing it for charity. 1t isn't even the
necessary ambition OF the professional
to win higher place for herself. You
will get fiattery from the critics who
do not think il worth the effort to
spend real criticism on society anna
teurs. II they should criticise you
honestIy-the way they do profession
nIs. to whom 1t means bread and but
ter-you'd see the point I'm trying to
make. l appreciate the charm OF you
and your voice as no one else VINO
looks and listens to you possibly can,
and, Alicia Fairall ! don't want to see
you damned with faint praise or hu-
inflated by any conscientious critic.
Can't you see That
when you are quite through inter-
rupted Alicia, you can doubtless find
your way out must ask you to eN-
cuse me" Aud she swept from the
room. pausing once In the curtHined
doorway as II TO speak.
Uuconsciously she assumed ths'It-
ricnI attitude. Her face wasturncd back
over her shoulder, and her lips We're
parted little With her glowing head
and her soft green dress between tie
heavier green of the curtains she look
cd like. tall. beautiful dnhlin. and Bob
invoIuntariIy started forward. But she
closed her lips to thin red lac and
went on dropping the curtains hHiinl
her Presently he heard the tapping OF
her slippers upon the stairs and then
the bang of door.
He did not leave the house nj once.
bur stood ut the Window where ~ -
had stood aud looked ont into the gray
twilight. It was carly spring. As he
looked yvcarlly Mt the sparrowS on the
soaked law. Bob felt his thrOnt tighten
and brushed his hand across his eyes,
..She couldn't mean H." he muttered
ne he turned and picked M the enier-
aId nm. aud slipped u into his vest
no-..-' eft Il tuo close "a Mas for lier
90 moan that" rhru l:s suush; Tor 'iAa-
per ANA pen nnd sat down at tie sab!e.
he wrote:
Dear n hsvc been too harsh for@Ne
NC hlvc sud too strongly, perhaps.
what I believe to be true. and All wnnt
Is To snare both OF US the pain any IaAure
~ YOURS would be sui-c to cause Think
II over vol. dear. before you decide
what came to tell you today " that
our house IS al done. Tho last workman
has left 1 am incoslng a key-there hre
only tvgo-and beg you Will go there
md think Il all over at least once beIore
you decide finally.
he inclosed the key and on his way
out handed the envelope to the butler
to abe taken up to Miss Alicia"
AS for Alicia, she had gone straight
to her desk and had written the follow
ing note:
Ny Dear Mr.. Courtcnay--I have decid- 4
Cd. as promised would By today. nbout /
the concert tour. You may depend upon /
mo ror your soprano And ash hnve been 1
the only ono TO object 10 the longer trip |
you planned withdraw my objections to /
that ulso. Under your management 1
feel sure We shall DO Giccsssful. 6in-
cereiy. ALICIA LEE F'A4FALl-.
When she had heard the closing of
the outer door shS gave the note to the |
butler ana took from him the envelope
Bob had left With It In her hnnd she
went slowly upstairs and sat down be-
fore her CRATE nra SHE felt her anger