Gloucester County Democrat., 1907-01-17

nothing so much as to be like Lady
I Sarah married to great man." She
paused, then went on more hurriedly:
For awhile things went right; then
/ slowly things went wrong. You got
your your nerves.
Loder changed his position with
something of abruptness.
She misconstrued the action.
please don't think | want to be
disagreeable,'' she said hastily. II
don't. I'm only trying to make you
understand why-why lost heart
Il think know Loder's voice broke
| in involuntariiy. Things got worse,
then still worse. You found interfer-
ence useless. At last you ceased to
have husband"
Until week ago. She glanced up
quickly. Absorbed in her own feel
ings. she had seen nothing extraor-
binary in his words.
But at hers Loder changed color.
s.Its the most incredible thing in the
world, she said. "It's quite incred-
| ible, and yet / can't deny it. Against
all my reason, all my experience, all
my inclination, seem to feel In the
last week something of what / felt at
first She stopped with an embar-
rassed laugh. 1T seems that, as if by
magic. life has been picked up where ]
dropped it six years ago." Again she
stopped and laughed.
Loder was keenly uncomfortable, but
he could think of nothing to say.
1T seemed to begin that night dined
| with the Fraides," she went on. Mr..
Fraide talked so wisely and SO kindly
about so many things. He recalled all
we had hoped for in you, and-and he
| blamed me little' She paused and
laid her cup aside. He said that when
people have made what they call their
| last effort they should always make just
one effort more. He promised that if
could once persuade you to take an in
terest in your work he would do the
rest. He said all that and a thousand
other kinder things, and sat and lis
tened. But all the time thought OF
nothing but their uselessness. Before
| I left promised to do my best, but my
| thought was still the same. 1t was
| stronger than ever when l forced my
self to come up here" She paused
again and glanced at Loder's averted
head. But I came, and then, as if by
conquering myself had compelled a
reward, you seemed, you somehow
4 seemed different. 1t sounds ridiculous,
/ know Her voice was half amused,
half deprecating. 1T wasn't differ
ence in your face, though knew direct
| ly that you were free from nerves"
Again she hesitated over the word. It
was a difference in yourself, in the
things you said, more than in the way
you said them'' Once more she paused
and laughed little.
Loders discomfort grew.
"But it didn't affect me then" She
spoke more slowly. 81 wouldn't admit
| it then. And the next day when we
| talked on the terrace still refused to
admit it, though felt it more strongly
| than before. But I have watched you
since that day, and know there is
change. Mr.. Fraide feels the same,
and he is never mistaken. know it's
only nine or ten days, but I've hardly
seen you in the same mood for nine or
ten hours in the last three years." She
stopped, and the silence was impressive.
1t seemed to plead for confirmation of
! her instinct
| Still Loder could find no response.
After waiting for moment she lean
ed forward in her chair and looked up
at him.
John, she said, SIS it going to last?
| That's what l came to ask. | don't
want to believe till I'm sure. / don't
| want to risk new disappointment"
Loder felt the earnestness of her gaze,
though he avoided meeting it.
81 couldn't have said this to you a
week ago, but today can. don't
pretend to explain why. The feeling is
too inexplicable. I only know that
can say it now and that couldn't a
week ago. Will you Understandable
answer?''
Still Loder remained mute. His posi-
tion was horribly incongruous. What
could he say? What dared he say?
Confused by his silence, Eve rose.
"If it's only phase, don't try to hide
it." she said. sBut if it's going to last
If by any possibility it's going to
last She hesitated and looked up.
She was quite close to him. He would
have been less than man had he been
unconscious of the subtle contact of her
glance, the nearness of her presence,
and no one had ever limited that man
hood was lacking in him. 1t was mo-
ment of temptation. His own energy,
his own Intentions, seemed so near,
Chilcote and Chilcote's claims so dis
tant and unreal. After all, his life. his
ambitions, his determinations, were his
own. He lifted his eyes and looked at
her.
You want me to tell you that win
go on?" he said.
Her eyes frightened. She took a
sion forward ssYesv she said. II want