The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1906-12-26

tea ana ate biscuit. He round MN
self wishing, for almost the first time,
for some of the small society talk that
came so pleasantly TO otler men. He
felt that the position was ridiculous.
He glanced at Ewes averted head and
laid his empty cup upon the table
Almost at once she turned, and their
eyes met.
John she said, do you guess at
all why l wanted to have tea with
you?"
He looked down at her. NO" he
said honestly and without embellish-
ment
The curtness of the answer might
have displeased another woman. Eve
seemed to take no offense.
Il had q talk with the Fraides to-
day." she said, "a long talk. Mr..
Fraide said great things of you, things
l wouldn't have believed from anybody
but Mr. Fraide." She altered her posi-
ton and looked from Loder's face back
into the fire.
He took a step forward. what
things" he said. He was almost
ashamed of the sudden, inordinate
satisfaction that weIled up at her
words.
"Oh, mustn't tell your She laughed
little. But you have surprised him"
She paused, slipped her tea, then looked
up again with a change Of expression.
John" she said more seriously
there is one point that sticks little
VIII this great change lastY Her
voice was direct and even, wonder
| fully direct for a woman, Loder
| thought. It came to him with a GER
| tain force that beneath her remarkable
charm might possibly lie a remarkable
| character 1t was not a possibility
that had occurred to him before, and
| it caused him to look at her q second
time. In the new light he saw her
beauty differently, and 1t interested
him differently. Heretofore he had
been inclined to class women under
three heads-idols, amusements and
membranes. Now it crossed his
/ mind that q woman might possibly I'LL
another place-the place of a COM
panion.
you are very skeptical," he said,
still looking down at her.
She did not return his glance. 81
think I have been made skeptical," she
said
AS she spoke the image of Chilcote
shot through his mind - Chilcote, ir
ritable, vicious, unstable-and a quick
compassion for this woman so inev,
itably shackled to him followed It.
Eve, unconscious of what was pass
ing in his mind, went on with her sub
ject
when we were married" she saiC
gently, Il had such a great interest il
things, such a great belief in life.
had lived in politics, and was marry
ing one Of the coming men-everybody
said you were one of the coming men
l scarcely felt there was anything lef
to ask for You didn't make very ar
dent love-" she smiled, but l thinl
had forgotten about love I wanted
nothing so much as to be like Lady
Sarah-married to a great man" She
paused, then went on more hurriedly
For awhile things went right; ther
slowly things went wrong. You go
your-your nerves"
Loder changed his position will
something of abruptness.
She misconStrued the action.
please don't think 1 want to bt
disagreeabIe," she said hastily :"
don't I'm only trying to make Vol
understand why-why l lost heart"
Il think 1 know" Loder's voice brok'
in involuntarily Things got worse
then still worse You found interior
ence useless. At last you ceased t
have a husband"
Until week ago" She glanced u
quickly. Absorbed in her own feel
ings, she had seen nothing extraor
. binary in his words.
: But at hers Loder changed color.
Its the most incredible thing in tn
world" she said. Its quite incred
ible, and yet 1 can't deny it. Agains
: all my reason, all my experience al
my inclination, I seem to feel in th
| last week something of what I felt a
first" She stopped with an embaI
raised laugh. 1T seems that, as if b
magic. life has been picked up where
dropped it six years ago. Again sh
stopped and laughed
: Loder was keenly uncomfortable, blu
he could think Of nothing to say.
(To Be Continued).
.
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