Evening star., 1907-08-18
XXI.


happy cut into the sunshine. Spring comes
winter does not slip slowly and stiffly. with
Its frozen joints. into a gentle thaw and by
the usual gradations arrive at the stage Of
green turf and crocuses. 1t suddenly dis
appears: one day is snow. the next pansies
and vOlets abloom in the parks and
the maple buds are scarlet. 1t such
transition as this. from frozen slopes to
dandelions. that had come after the long
season of bad weather. The very atmos-
phere was radiant and the little flower
boys. their trays heaped with arbutus and
single violets, were grouped at the street
corners.
-.ary bought a bunch of violets as she
entered the park. The last few weeks had
been full OF trials and she had come out
Into the sunshine to seek relief and diver
sion She had been tried by Mrs Whit
inE's scorntul acquiesCence in. what She
considered Mary's coquetry with SCheliing,
for Mrs. Whiting never lost sight of tho
fact that the girl could not afford 10 refuse
him. and she chose 20 take his view Of II
and give her time. Then Frances Fennel
had. in many little ways. added TO her per-
IieN-y by limiting at the possibility of
talk. which vague and iusidious warning
stung Mary into sharp retort, though
she was almost Immediately conscious of
her mistake. for Frances, like the wasp,
though small, was a painful enemy. These
trivial sttngs and torments. too. were espe-
Cially hard TO bear in addition to the pain
she felt at the loss of Ryland's presence;
he had evidently accepted her refusal a
final break In their friendship and she had
seen nothing OF him for two weeks or
more. There We're times. too. when her
heart cried out at her own folly In losing
him and question arose in her mind as
to the wisdom OF her course. Had she con-
fessed. would he have forgiven her? Could
he have loved her still? 1t a tortur-
t1rr .l,Att for 1I,n 1.,,1 II
confess: ordinarily. brave and self-confi-
dent enough. she was a shvering coward
before the tribunal OF his Judgment. She
could not face the thought of his con-
demnation: she could not risk losing all.
his good opinion and his love. His declara-
tion had put her in possession of the latter.
his heart was hers, and like a miser with
his gold she treasured and boarded II IN
secret and would not risk the loss of 1t.
Sometimes in her half-waking and half
dreaming moments, she had fancied him
as listening TO her confession of all her de-
Ception. which had never appeared so
wicked until 1t was ilumined by his stern
sense of right and wrong. and forgiving it
for the sake OF his love for her. But when
she thought OF 1t in the broad glare of day
she was convinced that he would despse
her. In his soaring flights of eoQuence he
had driven her into the depths of self
abasement; he was already on the path to
fame. he had refused cabinet PORTFOLIO
but he was named To succeed his senior
senator, and IL was even whispered that his
party presidential possibilities in his
direction. And what she? poor
player in another's role and worse she re-
membered 1t with pang of pride a name
less child, The taunts that had been
flung at her by a heartiess schoolmate in a
quarrel the hints that had been dropped by
others, had all pointed in one direction. and
her mothers silence. which not even ap-
preaching death had broken. had all con-
firmed the accusation. No very suitable
record, as Mary reflected. with a bitter
q ~ IL M in,
age when the newspapers hunt for a cand!-
dates antecedents and his family relations
as eagerly as ferret pursues a rat, and
quite as effectually.
She saw clearly that she should close this
little drama and ring down the curtain on
her exit: the play was nearly played out
and flight safe but ignominious. was her
wtseSt course. Yet that was precisely the
course that she had not the courage to
pursue even II she had had the means:
she could not tear herself away from this
new habit of luxury. this new life of ease
ana briIiiancy, and. more than all, II she
could break these ties. she knew 1t meant,
too. the final break with Lawrence Ryland.
and the thought OF that was fraught with
exquisite pain
With these reflections. which kept revolv-
Ing around and around the same point like
wheel around its axle. Mary found little
comfort even in the sunshine, and after
walking TO and fro for a while in the devil
Gus gravel paths she was turning into the
main avenue OF the park when she came
face TO face with one OF her tormentors
Leonard Bishop. in n startlingly new spring
suit. a bunch OF cowslips in his buttonhole
and the hxity of purpose in his eye
What gigantic luck," he exclaimed;
I've been ringing your door bell for a week
TO no purpose: that butler of Mrs. Whit
lng's is the most egregious liar in town.
But now you can't excuse yourself"
II shall not even try Mary replied with
the gayety OF desperation; besides I'm not
quite accomplished as Davis-though,
perhaps. l should be by this time
by Jove. l should think you would be-"
be retorted with such sincerity that she
colored painfully: you've been playing
pretty sttff part for six months and l don't
believe Mary Hadding could convince the
crowd here that she was herselfi"
1T would be unique situation wouldn't
ftp observed Mary with bitter little
laugh do you suppose she would publish
@ card in the newspapers resort to
town crier? 1t seems to me that would be
almost her only resort against such ne
farious villain myself"
Bishop looked at her spirited. careless
face with genuine admiration. You're
dead game Mary" he remarked; you al
ways were-but you've got TO listen to
me"
Mary elevated her brows. 1T seems to
me that / have done little else. Leonard,
she replied: you are constantly calling
upon me to listen to you. For heavens