The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-15

l lioHl lnS mdnLOnS TOT q illlle WHlie. You would regret such petty lar
 ceny," said Miss o'Connor. and there was much sadness mixed with the radi- l ance of her smile. q do not improve on acquaintance. I .think-I think
 might have been different if I had had
 a mother" and then stopping. with her 1 quick impulsiveness. she kissed Mrs.
 Kerwin's soft wrinkled cheek. Mrs. Manton's house party stretched l itself out with hospitable elasticity.
 and the Kerwins, with neighborly cor l diality, were asked to share in all
 the mid-winter merrymaking, so that l Eileen and Philip saw much of each l other. They were often alone together.
 and though they never referred to that i first confession of ilers in the library,
 it had established them on the ground l of confidential friendship which Philip | believed to be founded on his desire l to make amends for his past rudeness.
 while Eileen accepted his altered at 1 titude with a secret inexplicable feel l ing of gratitude which did not detract 1 from their mutual sense of comrade
 ship.
 "Why does he stay in Washington?"
 Eileen asked impatiently. Hasn't he any l ambition2'
 l She and Minnie were alone in the Man
 tons front guest chamber. This evening
 the Mantons were giving domino party. !
 concern.
 Your brother He told me he was go- l ing back te Washington tomorrow. Why
 does he keep that little government of- 1 fee? Why doesn't he do something with 1 his life? He fances he has such high
 ideals"
 i She spoke with certain bitterness
 which Minnie found incomprehensible. It 1 was so different from the usual gay good
 humor of her friend
 l Poor Phillip she said softly, dropping , her domino in loyal forgetfulness, "he is l doing it all for us-didn't he tell you that l he had accepted the office so that he
 might pay the mortgage on our home% | Miss O'Connor drew her white hood | further over her eyes.
 "He tells me nothing" she said. How l much is the mortgage?" she added in the | same icy tone her father used when he l wished to condense vapory facts into | form.
 l It was plain to be seen that the direct | ness of the question was shock to Minl l nie's sensitive reserve.
 1.-TWO thousand dollars' she said after a moments pause. Miss O'Connor saw at once the hurt expression in her eyes. "Oh, I have been curious to rudeness,' she said wrapping her arms In their vo- luminous sleeves. around her little friend. ''I did not mean to hurt you, Minnie dear. 1
 don't believe I knew what 1 was saying I'm worried tonight-Fm in bad humor put on your mask and let us go down stairs"
 - As the two girls came down the winding stairs Philip, who was standing in the hall dressed in black domino, recognized their contrasting figures at once. He hur- red forward to speak to them, but two tall black dominos forestalled him. Min
 nie was led into the drawing-room to
 dance. Eileen fingered for moment in the green festooned doorway. T want you to promise mo all your dances" said the domino by her side, and Philip recognized the voice as belonging to a man whom he had never liked, George Stafford, member of the Vir- ginia legislature
 How very unconventional! Miss O'Connor's laugh was mirthless. Don't you know that society demands that you
 pay some attention to your hostess?" "She can't distinguish one man from another in this ghostly crowd" he said Wont you promise me?"
 'Perh aps-tomorrow@"
 But I can't stay. I must be in Richmond tomorrow; there Is an im- portant bill"
 "Oh, hate politics." she interrupted him. "If you go you will prove that you do not care" Her voice grew softer.
 
 willing to play eavesdropper.
 He knew George Stafford well. Staff l ford was reputed to be man of some force and he was counted strong in the legis' 'ature, though 1t was believed by many that he was not overscrupulous in his methods. His private life did not bear examination. He had been recklessly dissipated, but his present platform was one of reform. His friends said he was earnestly sincere in his efforts to better the conditions of the working classes. His enemies declared that he was reaching for a | seat in the Senate over moral ground, which was the only road he had never been known to try.
 For the past week Stafford had been | devoted to Miss OConnor, but she l seemed strangely inert and silent In his 1 presence He tried to remember what important bill was before the legisla- ture that would demand Stafford's 1 presence-why did she desire him to remain? Then a suspicion that grew | into certitude rose up in his mind and ] haunted him all the evening, following l him with shadow like persistence In and out of the crowd of undistinguish- able ghostly figures that moved mys- teriously through the brightly lighted | house. It was not until late in the | evening, when the time came for un- l masking that he had an opportunity l to speak to Miss O'Connor alone. She l had gone to her room to pin up torn | flounce on her ball gown, and on her | return he met her at the foot of the | winding stairs.
 Pm not going to ask you to dance, l for I want to talk to you,'' he said with l unusual seriousness.
 What d strange desire! she ex- claimed mockingly. Shall we sit out 1 here in the hall? It Is quieter and I can | rest, I'm so tired-so tired" and she | added the last with that childlike crav- ing for sympathy which always seemed an inconsistency in one of her strong, l virie nature.
 She slipped her arm, in it's long, flow ing sleeve, through his and led him to