Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-03-30

1oilu Oc4tbs tU6 AuBuG6k OI C0lluCoQ IN
the street and the gay arias of mock
ing bird swinging in the open window
Of the next house. 90 they sat together
through the long, still afternoon of the
last day.
No one in Rouen found that after
noon particularly enlivening. Even
Mrs. Tanberry gave way to the COM
mon depression, and, once more her
doctrine Of cheerfulness relegated to
the ghostly ranks Of the purely theo-
retical, she bowed under the burden
of her woe so far as to sing "Methought
I Met Damsel Fair" Cher Of the burst
ing sighs) at the piano. Whenever sad
ness lay upon her soul she had acquir-
ed the habit of resorting to this I'M
happy ballad; today she sang it four
times. Mr.. Carewe was not at home
and had announced that, though he in.
tended to honor the evening meal by
his attendance, he should be away for
the evening itself, as comment upon
which statement Mrs. Tanberry had
offered ambiguously the one word.
amen" He was stung to no reply,
and she mad noted the circumstance as
unusual and also that he had appeared
to labor with the suppression of keen
excitement which made him anxious
to escape from her sharp little eyes;
an agitation for which she easily &C.
counted when she recalled that he had
seen Vanrevel on the previous evening.
Mr.. Carewe had kept his promise to
preserve the peace, as he always kept
1t when the two met on neutral ground,
but she had observed that his face
showed q kind Of hard leashed vio-
lence whenever he had been forced to
breathe the air Of the same room with
bis enemy, and that the thing grew on
him.
Miss Betty exhibited not precisely q
burning interest In the adventure Of
the damsel fair, wandering out Of The
room during tho second rendition, wan
lering back again and once more away.
She had moved about the house in
this fashion since early morning, wear
Ing what Mamie described as peak
ed look" White faced and restless,
with distressed eyes, to which no sleep
had come in the night, she could not
read. She could no more than touch
her harp. She could not sleep. She
could not remain quiet for three min
utes together Often she sank into a
chair with an air Of languor and weari-
ness, only to start Immediately out of
it and seek some other part Of the
house or to go and pace the garden.
Here in the air heavy with roses and
tremulous with June as she walked
rapidly up and down late In the after
noon, at the time when the faraway
farm bells We're calling men from the
fields to supper, the climax of her rest
lessness came. That anguish and des-
peration, SO old in her sex, the rebel
lion against the law that inaction must
be her part, had fallen upon her for
the first time. She came to an abrupt
stop and struck her hands together de-
spairlngly and spoke aloud.
what shall do? What shall do?"
"Ma'am?" asked surprised voice
Just behind her.
She wheeled quickly about to behold
q shock headed urchin Of ten In the
path near the little clearing He was
ragged, tanned, dusty. neither shoes nor
coat trammeling his independence, and
he had evidently entered the garden
through the gap in the hedge.
Il thought you spoke to me-" he said
inquiringly.
II didn't see you," she returned.
what is it?"
You Miss Carewef" he asked, but
before she could answer he said reas-
suringly: why, Of course you are!
remember you perfect, now 1 git the
light on you, SO to speak. Don't you
remember met"
mo, don't think do"
"Lordv he responded wonderingly.
Il was one of the boys with you on
them boxes the night Of you pas arew
Mingled with the surprise in his tone
was respectful JUNCTION which init.
mated how greatly he honored her ia
Their for having been the owner of so
satisfactory conflagraion.
Were you? Perhaps I'll remember
you if you give me time"
But at this point the youth recalled
the fact that he had an errand to Ills.
charge, and, assuming an expression of
businesslike haste too pressing to per-
nit further parley, sought In his pocket
and produced sealed envelope with
which he advanced upon her.
Here. There's an answer. He told
me not to tell anybody who sent it, and
not to give it to nobody on earth but
you, and how to slip in through the
hedge and try and find you in the gar
den when nobody was lookin', and he
give pencil for you to answer on the
back Of 1t, and dollar"
Miss Betty took the note, CHANGING
once over her shoulder at the house,
but Mrs. Tanberry was still occupied
with the maiden. and no one was in
sight. She read the message hastily:
I have obeyed you and shall always.
You have not sent for me. Perhaps that
was because there was no time when you
thought 1t safe. Perhaps you have still
felt there would be a loss Of dignity
Does that weigh with you against good
by? Tell me- If you can. that you have
1t In your heart to let me go without see
Ing you once more-without goodby-for
the last time. Or was 1t untrue that you
wrote me what you did? Was that dear
letter but little fairy dream of mine?
All, will you see me again, this once-this
once-let me look at you. let me talk with
you, hear your voice7 The last timel
There was no signature.