Gloucester County Democrat., 1907-01-17

N w
Why ON l so honored 2" he asked.
always want to begin with reasons.
Let's have tea first and explanations
after" She moved forward toward the
table, and he followed. AS he did so
it struck him that her dress seemed in
peculiar harmony with the day and the
room, though beyond that he could not
follow it's details As she paused be-
side the table he drew forward chair
with faint touch of awkwardness.
She thanked him and sat down.
He watched her in silence as she
poured out the tea, and the thought
crossed his mind that it was incred-
IDLY long since he had seen a woman
preside over meal. The deftness of
her fingers filed him with an unfamil-
lar, half inquisitive wonder. So inter-
esting was the sensation that when
she held his cup toward him he didn't
Immediately see it.
Don't you want any?" She smiled
a little.
He started, embarrassed by his own
tardiness. .'I'm afraid I'm dull" he
said i've been so''-
$50 keen worker in the last week 2"
For moment he felt relieved. Then,
as fresh silence fell, his sense Of
aw1wardness returned. He slipped his
tea and ate biscuit. He found him
self wishing, for almost the first time,
for some of the small society talk that
came SO pleasantly to other men. He
felt that the position was ridiculous.
He glanced at Ewes averted head and
laid his empty cup upon the table.
Almost at once she turned, and their
eyes met.
John, she said, 'sdo you guess at
all why / wanted to have tea with
your"
He looked down at her. NO" he
said honestly and without embellish-
ment.
The curtness Of the answer might
have displeased another woman. Eve
seemed to take no offense.
II had talk with the Fraides to-
day. she said, "a long talk. Mr..
Fraide said great things of you, things
I wouldn't have believed from anybody
but Mr. Fraide." She altered her posi-
ton and looked from Loder's face back
into the fire.
He took a step forward. "What
things?" he said. He was almost
ashamed of the sudden, inordinate
satisfaction that welled up at her
words.
ooh. mustn't tell your She laughed
little. 'sBut you have surprised him."
She paused, slipped her tea, then looked
up again with change of expression.
'sJohn," she said more seriously,
Nthere is one point that sticks little.
VIII this great change last?" Her
voice was direct and even, wonder
fully direct for woman, Loder
thought. 1t came to him with GER
tain force that beneath her remarkable
charm might possibly lie a remarkable
character 1t was not possibility
that had occurred to him before, and
1t caused him to look at her a second
time. In the new light he saw her
beauty differently, and it interested
him differently. Heretofore he had
been inclined to class women under
three heads idols, amusements and
membranes. Now 1t crossed his
mind that a woman might possibly fill
another place-th place of COM
panion.
"You are very skeptical," he said,
still looking down at her.
She did not return his glance. Il
think have been made skeptical," she
said
AS she spoke tEe image of Chilcote
shot through his mind = Chilcote, r.
ritabie, vicious, unstable and a quick
compassion for this woman so iney-
itably shackled to him followed it.
Eve, UNCONSCIOUS Of what was pass
ing in his mind, went on with her sub
ject
when we were married" she said
gently, u had such great interest in
things, such great belief in life. I
had lived in politics, and / was marry
ing one Of the coming men everybody
said you were one Of the coming men.
scarcely felt there was anything left
To ask FOR. You didn't make very ar