Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-15

little dreaming, she, how they enVled her the saucy tendrills of hair around her piquant face.
 MT. Austin's gray car was the last to leave the beach that night, and the , shadows were falling over the big city when it drewNup before the Orphanage. The tired superintendent came hurry. ing forward. .
 T was afraid something happened. The others got in an hour ago."
 Just little trouble with the spark CT, and I was afraid to push the ma. chine, but the kiddies all fell asleep and are finely rested"
 "Good night, good night! Thanks" shouted the children as they reluctant ly left the car. MT. Austin stood hat in hand.
 Aren't you going to say good night, too, Miss Annabel?" he asked and held out his hand cordially. She never knew whether her fingers touched his or not She only heard him say, May I see you again some time?" and then Sue SuOOh uCI anu luIhSu o"hIbJ toward the orphanage door.
 She understood now! He had mis taken her for one of the lady patron esses or a settlement worker He did not dream that all her childhood had been spent as one of these very or. phans and that she had been retained on small pay as governess.
 She had read in books about girls who had suddenly met twentieth cen tury Prince Charmings, and she had thought how wonderful such an ex- perience must be, but today it was anything but wonderful. She was sor- " she had not told him the truth. She was sorry--no, she was not sorry about the lunch nor the long, searching glances she had encountered across the table nor the sweet, slow trip home, with the sleeping children piled into the big seats behind them. But she must never, never see him again!
 The orphans from the Clarendon Home were enjoying their second and last big picnic of the season, this time at the city park. They had had May queen, though it was August, duly crowning her and showering her with small attentions They had much ice cream and lemonade, and now the long afternoon was drawing to a drowsy finish. Annabel had helped to clean up the lunch tables, had settled half a dozen childish disputes and was begin niag to feel a bit flushed and tired when around the curve of the graveled road flashed big, dull green car con- taining a sins.s figure clad in long gray coat. The car stopped; the figure leaned forward, then sprang to the ground.
 T just saw it-about the picnic-in the afternoon papers. Please come for little run, You look as if you had been working too hard"
 Annabel's lips set in firm lines. She answered quickly:
 "Yes; you see I must work for my living. I am one of the helpers at the home, and was an orphan there once, Maybe you thought
 II knew-at the beach. But that isn't what I came to tell you. Please come"
 Mechanically she stepped into the car and sat down beside him. Then he knew all the time.
 The car moved off slowly. The su- perintendent rose from the bench ,,,horo I,o I,a5 l,oan ractinor for tho firSt time since early morning and, shading his eyes with his hand, watched it out of sight: Then he smiled oddly and sat down again.
 The man in the car had something to say, and he drew his breath sharply before he spoke.
 You misunderstood. So did the su- perintendent. but told him the truth before I asked you to ride with me again. You thought I was Mir. Austin, but I'm only his chauffeur and have charge of his car while he is in Europe. take his mother out occasionally, but most of the time there is nothing to do. It's no disgrace to be a chauffeur, but uul obIAA Ipl tCAA gou NhN hASh day. want to make and sell automo- piles some day, and that is why start ed as Mir. Austin's chauffeur. When he comes back I'm going into the factory where this machine was made-and"- He stopped abruptly at sight of the girls radiant face.
 "Oh, I'm so glad-you-you are not Mir. Austin"'
 r Light came to the young man.
 'Well. I'm glad-that you are glad he said simply. May I bring my mother to call on you some evening""
 At the orphanage? she asked fal- feringly.
 At the orphanage." he answered firmly. Why. of course. told her all about you after that day at the beach.'
 The hand that was not on the steer ing wheel closed firmly over hers, and Annabel saw the woods and the lake through wonderful mist that was half tears, half golden sunshine.