Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-12-12

dancee. What was the matter with
them all. wondered Mrs. Rushwell.
Was Lassiter jealous? There could be
nothing serious in the Norris boys at
tentions.
1t was the last night Of their stay.
All day heavy clouds had been piling
up IN the west, threatening masses of
violet The sun had sunk below the
horizon in sullen blaze of dull red.
The stiffness and the heat were in
tense Margaret, restless and wea-
ried, had slipped outside, seeking ref
uge, breath among the stately pines.
Above her head they murmured in
endless cadence, musical and mysteri
0us. But to her troubled mind the tran
quilIity of the woods brought no peace.
I AS yet the pain was too fresh for ma
lures Arrangement. And twisted
through the tangle of her own per-
sistent thoughts ran teasing little
question of Belen's. Before dinner the
girl had come to her room. The ca
me1lia-Iike face was pale; the dusky
eyes had an odd look of suffering. She
had picked up Margaret's silver hand
glass and stood balancing it absently.
sMr. Townsend, he is very great
man. is he not?' She had put the
question wistfuIly. and Margaret had
answered yes.
"It-it is strange that he can care for
one-one so young, SO ignorant, so I'M
trained" faltered the young voice.
'Do you do you think he really does
realIy?" The big eyes had searched
Margarets face with an eager, almost
a supplicating intensity.
For moment Margaret's heart had
almost stopped its beating. What
could the child mean? Then she had
forced herself to calmness.
81 know he does" she had an
swered steadily ''He cares very
much
| But the question fingered in Marga-
ret's mind, touched to a poignant sig
nifcance by the memory of that small
white face. OF what was the child
| thinking? Whence came tEA hidden
feeling which prompted the query?
Margaret, despite the close atmos-
phere, shivered Why had Lassiter re-
turned and why, oh, why, had he come
| here to destroy, this time forever, the
peace of mind which Margaret had be-
lieved SO secure at last? And this poor
child who loved herl Involuntarily
| Margaret wrung her hands. How
| hard, how complicated, was lifel But.
| thank Heaven, tomorrow they would
all separate After tomorrow she need
see him no more.
There was a step behind her on the
| soft carpet of fallen needles-a quick,
firm tread coming hurriedly down the
path. Margaret turned. 1t was dusky
under the thick sheltering boughs, but
she recognized at once that it was Las
sitter. At sight of the white figure be-
| fore him the man started.
margaret he calculated sharply.
Margaret But he caught himself
at once. II beg your pardon" he
smiled s.You looked almost like a
| ghost there among the trees. am on
my way. to the boathouse," explaining
easily. 'sBelen and young Morris are
on the lake. and 1t looks so like a
storm"
Come she said quickly. 1t had
grown very dark The sultry air was
GREATNESS. Not sigh stirred the
branches above The slippery, over
grown path was difficult to find, but
Margaret sped unheedingly on. That
| little frail canoe out on the tumbling
waters Oh, why was the boathouse
so far? And then all at once a gnarled
old root thrust boldly out caught her
foot. She tripped, stumbled, and the
next instant she had fallen into Las
siter's arms.
1t was only for one brief fraction of
time, one half anguished moment, dur
| ing which the man, his stern self con-
troll shaken, had gathered her close.
Then Margaret broke from him.
"Belen!" she gasped. The lines
around Lassiter's mouth whitened.
Il know he said. 81 know" But
despite his effort at self mastery the
emotion reused was not to be so easily
Ieashed The bitterness of years surged
! to the surface.
"Margaretr' he cried. "Oh, Marga-
ret, why did you send me awayg"
IL didn't know" murmured the
woman unsteadily. I'll thought
didn't care, and then it was too late
you had gone. But-but you are happy
now" she urged. "Belen"
"Belen is a child said Lassiter
| quietly when she was left so alone
with only me for guardian there seem
ed nothing else to do. shall try to
make her good husband. But you,
| Margaret voice suddenly dropped
to an unconscious entreaty- Marga-
ret
Then out of the gloom voice echoed
clearly across the water.
mo, no." It sobbed, and both man
and woman, stopping suddenly, recog-