The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-05-05

(eyan sob aud coming out Of church.
| An account Of her house In tho Ave
nue. Henri Martin and Of her portrait
IN tho hal0D- mysterious business 20
many and not lacking In grandeur for
! that--had occupied two columns ~
the Tocaln on day some months he.
fore when Joe had found himself In.
imlcally beadllned on The first page
and had dropped the paper without
reading further Aricfs name had
been III tho mouth OF Canaan for q
long time unfortunately for Joe, how
ever. not In the mouth Of that Canaan
which held converse With him.
Joe had not known her. Tho wonn-
on recognized her Infalllbiy Ut nrst
glance. even those who had quite for
gotten her. And the women told thcIr
men: hence the un.Bunday.lIkc de-
rneanor Of the procession, for few
towns hold II more nnsecfnly to stand
and stare At passersby, especially on
the Sabbath, But Ariel Tabor return.
ed-and walking witli-with Joe Lou
denl
Ariel flushed little when she per
ccived the extent OF their conspicuous
meas. but II was not the blush that Joe
remembered had rcddened the tanned
skin Of old. for her brownness had
gone long ngo. though II had not loft
her merely pink and white. This was
Q delicate rosIness rising from her
cheeks 10 her temples. as the earliest
dawn risea II there had been many
words left In Joe he would have called
II divine blush. II fascinated him,
and IL anything could have deepened
the glamour about her II would have
been this blush. He did not under
stand II, but when he saw II he stun
bicd.
Those who gaped and stared were
for him only blurs In the background.
Truly, he saw "men an trees walk-
Ing" and when II became necessary 10
step out to the cupb In passing some
cinmp of people II was 10 him an II
Ariel and he enchaniedly alone. we're
working their way through undcrbrush
in the woods,
He kept trying TO realize that this
lady OF wonder was Ariel Tabor, but
, he could not lie could not connect the
shabby Ariel. whom he had treated as
one 10y treats another. with this young
woman OF the world. He had always
been embarrassed himself and ashamed
of her when anything she did made
him remember that, after all. she was q
girl. as on the day he ran away when
she kissed a lock OF his hair escaping
from the bandage. With that recollec-
ton even his ears rev red. II did
not seem probable that II would ever
happen again. The next instant he
heard himself calling her Miss Ia
bor."
At this she seemed amused. you
ought to have called me that years
ago." she said, "for aiI you knew me-"
II did know her--you, mean," he
answered. Il used 10 know nearly
everything you were going to say be-
fore you said Il. II seems strange
now
"yes." she interrupted. ut does seem
strange now"
Somehow" he went ON, II doubt II
now I'd know"
Somehow" she echoed, with fine
gravity, II doubt II too"
Although he had so dim perception
OF the staring and whispering which
greeted and followed them, Ariel, OF
course. was thoroughly aware OF IT,
though the only sign she gave was the
slight blush, which very soon disap-
peared. That people turned to look at
her may have been not altogether q
novelty. A girl who had learned to
appear unconscious of the continental
stare, the following gaze of the boule'
wards. the frank glasses Of the costan-
za IN Rome, was not III equipped TO
face Main street, Canaan, even as II
was today.
Under tho sycamores before they
started they had not talked greFt
deal. There had been long sllences, al-
most oil her questions concerning the
period OF his runaway absence, she
appeared to know and to understand
everything which had happened since
his return to the town. He had not, In
his turn, reached the point where he
would begin to question her. He was
too breathless In his consciousness OF
the marvellous present hour. She had
told him of the death Of Roger Tabor,
the year before. Poor man" she said
gently. "He lived to see how the oth'
or fellows did It at last, and everybody
liked him. He was very happy over
there"
After little while she had said that
it was growing close upon lunch time;
she must be going back.
hen--goodby," he replied
tuefully,
"Whyp
"rm afraid you don't understand. II
wouldn't do for you to be seen with
me. Perhaps, though, you do undcr-
stand. Wasn't that why you asked me
to meet you out here beyond the