Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-02-09
Canaan
ByBOOTH TARKING TON,
Author Of "cherry,' Monsieur Beaucare,' ETC.
COPYRIGHT 1905, HARPER BROTHERS.
Bv BOOTH TARKING TON,
Author of CHERRY" Monsieur eeaucaire,"

Her laughter did not cease. 1t be-
came louder and shriller 1t had been
until now mere fabrication Of the
conversation, helping to make her
easier in Miss Tabor's presence, but as
it increased in shrlllness she seemed
to be losing control of herself. as If
her laughter were getting away with
her. She was not far from hysteria
when she stopped with gasp, ana
she sat up straight in her chair, white
and rigid
"Therew she said listening intently.
"Ain't that him?" Steps sounded upon
the pavement below, paused for sec
ond at the foot of the stairs; there was
snap of match, then the steps
sounded again, retreating She sank
back In her chair Imply. 1T was only
some one stoppin' to light his cigar in
the entry. 1t wasn't Joe Loudens
step anyway"
"You know his step?" Ariel's eyes
were bent upon the woman wonder
ingly.
I'D know it tonight" was the an
swer, delivered with sharp and pain
full glggle. II got plenty reason to-"
Ariel did not respond. She leaned a
little closer to the roses upon the desk.
letting them touch her face and breath
ing deeply of their fragrance to neu-
tralize perfume which pervaded the
room, an odor us heavy and cheap
sweet as the face Of the woman who
had saturated her handkerchief with
it, scent which went with her per
fectly and made her unhapply def
mite; suited to her clumslly dyed hair,
to her solled white shoes, to the hot
red hat smothered In plumage, to the
restless stub fingered hands, to the fat.
plated rings, of which she wore a
great quantity, though, surprisingly
enough, the large diamonds in her ears
were pure and of very clear water.
1t was she who broke the silence
once more. "Well." she drawled,
coughing genteelly at the same time.
"better late than never. as the saying
is wonder who 1t Is gifts up oil them
comlcal sayings?" Apparently she had
no genuine desire for light upon this
mystery as she continued Immediately:
II have a gentleman friend that's al
ways gittln' 'em off. WE'LL he says.
the best Of friends must part and
Thou strikest me to the heart'-all
kinds OF cracks like that He's real
comical. And yet" she went on In an
altered voice, II don't like him much.
I'd be glad II I'd never seen him."
The change Of tone was so marked
that Ariel looked at her keenly. to find
herself surprised into plying this
strange client Of Joe's, for tears had
sprung to the woman's eyes and slid
along the lids, where she tried vainly
to restrain them. Her face had altered,
too, like her voice, haggard lines sud-
denly appearing about the eyes and
mouth as If they had just been pen
ciled there-the truth issuing from be-
meath her pinchbeck simulations like a
tragic mask revealed by the displace-
ment of a tawdry covering.
II expect you think I'm real foolish"
she said, "but ben waitin' so awful
long, and l got a good deal Of worry
on my mind till see Mr. Louden."
II am sorry" Ariel turned from the
roses and faced her and the heavy per-
fume. II hope he will come soon.'
II hope So" said the other. "It's
something to do with me that keeps
him away, and the longer he is the
more it scares me-" She shivered and
set her teeth together. "It's kind Of
hard waitin'. 1 cert'nly got my share
of troubles
Don't you think that Mr.. Louden
will be able to take care Of them for
you"
"Oh. hope so, Miss Tabor! If he
can't, nobody can" She was crying
openly now. wiping her eyes with her
musk soaked handkerchief. eve had
to send fer him yesterday afternoon
ITO come to Beaver Beach, do you
mean" asked Ariel, leaning forward.
Yes, ma'am. 1t all begun out there
leastways it begun before that with
me. 1t was all my fault. deserve all
that's comm to me. guess. done
wrong! done wrong! I'd oughtn't
never to of went out there yesterday"
She checked herself sharply. but
after moments pause continued. en-
couraged by the grave kindness of
the delicate face in the shadow Of the
wide white hat. II oughtn't to Of
went" she repeated. ooh, reckon
I'll never, never learn enough to keep
out O. trouble, even when l see it
commit But that gentleman friend OF
mine-Mr. Nashville Cory's his name
he kind o. coaxed me into it, and he's
right comical when he's with ladies',
and he's good company, and he says,
'Claudine, we'll dance the light fan
tastic,' he says, and / kind o wanted
something cheerful. I'd ben workin'
steady quite spell, and 1t looked like
he wanted to show me good time, so
went, and that's what started II"
Now that she had begun she babbled
on with her story, at times incoherent-
ly, full of excuses made to herself
more than to Ariel, pitifully endeavor-
ing to convince herself that the re-
sponsibility for the muddle she had
made was not hers. "Mr. Cory told
me my husband was drinkin' and
wouldn't know about it, and, BESIDES,
he says, what's the odds" OF course
L knowed there was trouble between
him and Mr.. Fear-that's my husband
"a good while ago, when Mr.. Fear up