Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-10-13
THE BOND BETWEEN THEM.

a daring Lnln9, perhaps, 10 wear Wnlte
chiffon velvet But the color in her face
was still as pure as the color in a pale
pink rose, and the yellow hair was still
a crown of gold to the small, shapely
head. And after some moments of close
scrutiny she was quite satisfied that she
looked her best.
For twenty years she had ranked
among the notably beautiful women in
London. Her face had hardened trife
in that time, the exquisite profile had
lost the softness of girlhood and had be-
come a little more finely chiseled. Yet
her youth seemed eternal.
She gave a last glance at herself, and
was about to turn away from the mirror
when a sudden thought struck her. She
took from small, we'll worn jewel case
a glittering star of diamonds, and emer-
aids, of no great value, perhaps, yet pref
ty and distinctive in its design. With
little laugh that was half a sigh she
placed it in the meshes of the lace which
lay like cobweb in its fineness upon her
breast
She drew a tremulous breath; new
showed in the rounded cheeks.
1t was twenty years since she had last
seen him, and they were to meet again
wondered. She had heard men say that
he was altered and hard. He had become
rich, had left poverty far behind, and
held a foremost place among modern
fnanciers. Yes; such a career would
,Gcan a hardening process.
A few moments later she was greeting
he. hostess. who stood, an imperial fig
ure, at the top of the staircase.
She knew him at once, and knew that
her face had crimsoned and that her
words had become mere sound, chatter
without sense.
He had altered Yes; the dark hair
was gray, and the face was aged by
more than twenty years. He had been
little more than lad in those past days,
a passiC nate and daring as Romeo, a boy
who had loved with the strength of q
man. Merely to see him, to know that it
was he, this one man she had ever loved
moved her like an unexpected strain of
perfect music.
Presently her hand was in Edward Yer
mons, and they were greeting each other
in conventional voices that disguised
whatever memories were disturbed by
this meeting again with the gulf of
twenty years yawning between them.
"How little time has changed you'll"
he said to her quietly.
1T has changed you a great deal! !"
she answered, with a smile that con-
cealed a pang. His voice was deeper. but
it was cold as well. His eyes were steely,
the mouth was locked in firm lines.
"Will you lunch with me ?" she asked.
81 shall be charmed!!" he replied.
May | expect you the day after to-
morrow, then, at %"
81 shall be very pleased!"
His eyes rested on the ornament she
wore at her breast.
you recognize it?'' she asked. Tit
was the wedding present you sent met"
"Of course! | wrote to you at the
time, offering you my congratulations l
hope you received the letter?''
oh, yes. And | had also one other
letter from you-the only two you ever
wrote-a letter of coincidence upon my
husbands DEATH"
You have got over it, trust?"
She looked up quickly, suspecting
satire. But his face was quite impassive,
his tone quite casual.
YES" she replied. "My-my husband
and | were-eXcellent friends. We shared
a number of tastes in common. that is
ALT"
1hey We're once more interrupted, and
a stream of people parted them. Lady
Arlington turned away with an absurd
feeling of disappointment. However
alive in her the old tender feeling might
be, in him it was dead. She would have
taken up the melody at the point where
it was broken off. But to him it was
stale-hke the song of yesterday.
\ drift of conversation reached her
from two old dowagers.
Il suppose he will marry herr" one of
them remarked. But the other answered
that she did not think Edward Vernon
a marrying man.
/ Besides" she added, "who was the
girl? From where did she come? Why
/ was she living at hotel without So
ciety, in solitude? Brilliantly handsome
She might be; but it seemed doubtful
/ that so wise and sober a man as Vernon
would marry girl so young, who sug-
ge,ted Il beautiful rebel, a child of ma
/ turc."
/ Lady Arlington turned toward them.
is Mr. Vernon engaged ?" she inquired,
. lightly.
81 can't say, Lady Arlington" replied
gossip No. >. But there is wonder
fully handsome girl staying at the Savoy
whom he takes about with him a great
deal. None OF us know anything about
her She isn't III society But l seem to
rccollect someone selling me that she is
Nernon's ward. | dare say he win marry
her in the end"
Then he'll have to look sharp about
it, responded her companion. 4 saw
the girl with Wyndham Manners in the
park yesterday. And it means some
thing serious. l should judge. when a
man as blase as Manners sits by n girls
side IN the teeth of a biting east wind
and looks as if he liked it,"
But what right has Wyndham Man
fA l-a II