The Washington herald., 1907-10-20

at her with srl'o "a MS i;@rn eyes, sni
said. as II answering question:
Yes; / nave nothing 30 say against
your going, IF Roger March is living yDu
VIII lose every penny you have except
paltry thousand or so a year. then what
/ can offer you viii probably bring you
to my arms. Men who don't know me
think l am greedy for money. So ! am
only to buy with Il things more precious
than money. But I would be glad 10 see
you sacrifice all the money that Roger
March gave YOU If II would bring y5u 10
me with nothing but the clothes Oh your
back"
Alicia had listened to him at nrst with
a preOccupied air. but when his meaning
dawned upon her she turned toward him
with look which implied thai gratitude
and respect for man which every woman
feels when he is ready to sacrifice money
for love
so you see." he continued iE the same
cool unmoved voice. Il shan't stop you;
but 7 think, from what I hear. that you
won't find Roger March alive. Then re-
member I have claim on you, and it
sha'n't grow rusty for want OF urging
If you are ever my wife you needn't be
afraid of telling me your debts. as you
We're afraid to tell Roger March and
Gen. Talbot ! can live on five thousand
a year, and the rest of what I have is
for you to spend and when that is spent
I can make more. May I see you 10 your
CarriageT'
Alicia, like sleep-waIker, passed down
the stairs with him. The thought occur
red TO her that Colegrove's passion for
her was Ike her own early infatuation
for Sir Percy CarlyOn, a thing which
rightly directed might have reached the
sublimest height Of self-abnegation. But
In the unfamiliar mood which possessed
her. body and soul neither COlegrOve nor
Sir Percy CarlyOn seemed 10 matter Her
mind reverted 10 Roger March and re-
manned concentrated upon him. When
she was in the carriage COlegrove held
ouJ his hand and clasped Alica's. She
looked at him with strange and puzzled
eyes If only he had tried to keep her
hack; but, instead, he was rather urging
her on upon the new path she was now
treading. The footman asked where she
would be driven. and Alicia replied me-
chancally:
ITO the railway station"
In a little while. however. she remem-
bered that she had not even IN idea Of
Roger March's address, and changing the
I
/ her 10 Watson's Offices. On the way she
was saying to herself.
This is a dream: il Is not possible that
/ should really go TO my husband. I viii
/ turn back at the station or somewhere
upon the long journey This strange
spirit VIII cease 20 trouble me; 1 shall be
myself again and will return"
WatsOn's offices were in a building not
/ far from the railway station. When Ali
cia March alighted from her carriage and
went into his rooms, the clerk. a soft
spoken young man. informed her that
Mr. Watson was out. but was expected 20
return at any moment Alicia sat DOWN
I In the comfortable and well-furnished in
ner room. the walls covered with books,
and everything bespeaking the success
/ ful and methOdical man Of business. She
/ began 20 consider that Watson after all
might refuse 10 give her Roger March s
address. At that moment her eye fell
upon the table, where lay Watson's ad-
dress book; tn half a minute she had
/ found Roger MaTCh's address. She had
no need 70 copy it-she could not have
/ forgotten 1t if she had tried Then going
/ back into the ante-roOm. she said po-
litely 20 the clerk.
II think ] need not trouble M Watson
after all GOod-day.
When she was in her carriage she
/ looked at her watch There was "a train
for the west leaving within the hour.
She drove 10 the station, dismissed her
/ carriage, then, buying her ticket, sat
down 10 wait feeling that she had con-
summated the act OF madness She won
( dered what Gen. Talbot would think Of
/ her, whether she went or whether she
! stayed. No thought Of Sir Percy Carlyon
/ or ColegrOve entered her mind When
/ the train was called she found a porter
/ 90 carry her bag and walked through the
gate. Then the habit Of a lifetime made
/ one last desperate effort. she walked
back through another gate and called a
/ cab, firmly resolving 20 go home. She
got as far as the door Of the station.
and then. glanciuE at the clock. saw that
/ there was still one minute before the
4 train left She turned and ran the
/ length Of the station through the gate
( toward the train. which was just about
/ 70 move The conductor. seeing her run
ming toward it, caught her deftly by the
I arm and put her aboard, stepping after
/ her himself The porter found her a
seat, and Alicia sank into II breathless
and bewildered
i may yet turn back" she said TO
/ herself 1T IS impossible that this i'm
pulse win hold out long enough 10 reach
my husband
AT O'Clock that evening, as Gen Tai
/ bOtt was leaving his room for dinner.
/ the foOtman put Alicia's note into his
( hands He was an old man and things
shook him as they had not done in the
days when Sir Percy Carlyon thought
him the most resOlute Of men. Never
theless he maintained enough COmpOsure
1 70 say coolly TO the servant:
Your mistress has been suddenly
called out Of town, and may be absent a
week or two Then he went down TO
/ dinner
/ When it was over. he did what an
/ Engiishman regards as an act Of emerg-
/ enCy-went out for an evening visit He
rang the bell of the British Embassy,
! asked 10 see Sir Percy CarlyOn. and was
shown into the library When his card
was handed 20 Sir Percy. taking HIS
/ coffee with Lady Carlyon in the drawing
room, he said 70 her, growing a little
pale:
1T is Gen. Talbot: it would be best
! for me to see him alone"
They both thought that this meant an
{ other step in Alicia March's programme
/ to ruin Sir Percy Carlyon-
/ Sir Percy went into the library, and as
! soon as he had shaken hands Gen. Tai
/ bOtt silently handed him Alicias note
/ Sir Percy studied il attentively. +Ie
! knew Alicia quite as well as she knew
/ herself. and was rs much astounded as
she was at her action. Likewise he was
/ incredulous that she should carry il
! through.
1T is four or five days journey to the
region where Roger March is, said Sir
Percy to Gen. Talbot, "and Mrs. March
may change her mind in the meantime"
/ Yes replied Gen. Talbot but did
you ever notice the strange appeal which
/ bodily suffering makes to q woman? Any
thing on earth might have happened to
March, and my daughter perhaps would
have felt no inclination to rejoin him: but