The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-07-04
Bv BOOTH HARRINGTON,
Author Of Sherry" .1onsieur beaueaire." Etc

| 1 aon'r, you see''
He gave her a thoughtful look and
nodded. mo, he isn't good man." he
said, mot even according to his lights.
but I doubt IL he could have managed
to get away with anything Of conse-
ouence after he became the admins
traitor. He wouldn't have tried it prob
ably unless he was more desperately
pushed than I think he has been. 1t
would have been too dangerous. Sup
pose you wait week or so and think
1t over
But there's something want you to
do for me Immediately, joe"
whats that?"
II want the old house put in order.
I'm going to live there"
"Alone?'
Pm almost twenty seven, and that's
being enough of an old maid for me to
\ risk Canaan's thinking me eccentric,
isn't itY'
1T will think anything you do is all
right"
"And once" she cried, lit thought
everything ulQ wrong!
Eyes. That's the difference"
"You mean it will commend me be-
cause I'm thought 'richY'
"No, no." he said meditatively, lit
| isn't that. It's because everybody will
| be in love with you" ...-. ...
"Quite everybody" she asked.
Certainly" he replied. Anybody
who didn't would be absurd"
"Ah, joel" she laughed. "You al
ways were the incest boy in the world.
my dear!'
At that he turned toward her with
a sudden movement, and his lips part
ed, but not to speak. She had rested
one arm upon the desk and her cheek
upon her hand; the pen she had pick
ed up, still absently held in her fin
gers, touching her lips, and it was
given to him to know that he would
always keep that pen, though he would
never write with it again. The soft
lamplight fell across the lower part
| of her face, leaving her eyes, which
were lowered thoughtfully, in the
shadow of her hat The room was
blotted out in darkness behind her.
Like the background of an antique
portrait, the Office. with it's dusty cor
ners and shelves and hideous safe.
had vanished, leaving the charming
and thoughtful face revealed against
| an even, spacious BROWNIES. Only
| Ariel and the roses and the lamp were
clear, and a strange, small pain NOV
ed from Joe's heart to his throat as he
thought that this ugly Office, always
before so harsh and grim and lonely
loneliest for him when it had been
most crowded-was now TRANSPORTED
into something very very different
from an Office; that this place where
he sat, with a lamp and flowers on a
desk between him and woman who
called him my dear" must be like
like something that people called
home
And then he leaned across the desk
| toward her as he said again what he
had said little while before, and his
voice trembled:
"Ariel, it is your
She looked at him and smiled.
You'll be here always, won't yOut
You're not going away from Canaan
again?'
For a moment it seemed that she
had not heard him. Then her blight
glance at him wavered and fell. She
rose, turning slightly away from him,
| but not so far that he could not see
the sudden agitation in her face.
"Ah," he cried, rising, too, II don't
want you to think I don't understand
] or that / meant I should ever ask You
isato stay here! 1 couldn't mean that.
You know couldn't, don't you3 You
= knew l understand that it's all just
! your beautiful friendliness, don't YOU n
t~u~ssft-isn't beautiful; it's just me, joe
rs she ssfd 1T couldn't be am other
way"
Its enough that you should be here
now" he went on brayelyt his voice
steady, though his hand shook. Moth
ing so wonderful as your staying could
ever actually happen. It's juf light
coming intd dirk room and ut again.
One day long ago, I never forgot it,
+ some dpplei blossoms blew by .Pae as
passed an orchard, and its Afie that
1 TOD. Butt Cd my dear, whenk ou 60
you'll leafe 2 fragrance in q " heart cart
| that YAH fasteai1
She turned toward him, her 4sae suf-
I fused with rosy light n@You3d ather
| have died than have Said that me
once" she cried. "I'm glad y,u're
weak enough now to confets Sixty'1
He sank down again into akfa Saalr,
lhis sTm gys,fegl heavily on thf fesk.
Confess IT." he cried despaiFiAgly.
b:rAqdyoq ,ae4't sdeny that you're spine
away agafnEso it's true! ] wish ]
shadA, 1realized, it SO soon. ! think I'd
rather have tried to fool myself about
1t little longer!" 4