The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-02-15


said. I've been So
so keea d worker In the last week 2
For r.olnent De felt relieved. Then.
As a fresh sllence fell his sense OF
aWkwardness returned He slipped bis
tea aud ate a biscuit. de found him
SELF wishing. Tor almost the frst 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 ayerted head and
laid his empty cup upon the table
Almost at once she turned. and their
eyes met
John" she said. do you guess at
All why I wanted to have tea with
your
He looked down at Der. No" he
said honestly and without embeIIish-
The curtness OF the answer might
have displeased another woman Eve
seemed to take no ofrense.
Il had talk with the FraIdes to
day." she said. "a long talk Mr..
Fraids said great things OF you, things
gwouIdn't have believed from anybody
but Mr.. Fraide." She altered her POSI-
tion and looked from LodeF's face back
into the fire. q q
He took a step forward "what
thinesr he said He was almost
ashamed Of the sudden, inordinate
satisfaction that welled up at her
words. fe'
'-Oh, mustn't tell your She laughed
q little. But you have surprised him.
She paused. slipped her tea, then looked
up again with change of expression.
John" she said more seriously,
''there is one point that sticks little.
VIII this great change last?" Her
voice was direct and even, wonder
fully direct for a woman, Loder
thought 1t came to him with a GER
tain force that beneath her remarkable
charm might possibly lie remarkable
character. 1t was not a possibility
that had occurred to him before. and
1t caused him to look at her second
time. In the new light he saw her
beauty differently, and II interested
him differently. Heretofore he had 4
been inclined to class women under
three heads-ldols, amusements and
membranes. Now II crossed his
mind that a woman might possibly I'll
another place-the place Of CON-
panion.
"You are very skeptical," he said,
still looking down at her.
She did not return his glance. II
think have been made skepticai," she
said.
AS she spoke the image of Chilcote
shot through his mind : Chilcote. IT. |
ritable. Vicious unstable-and a quick |
compassion for this woman 20 lnev. |
itably shackled to him followed 1t
Eve. unconscious OF what was pass
ing In his mind, went on with her sub /
ject.
When we were married." she said |
gently, II had such great interest in {
things. such great belief In life.
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
dent love- she smiled, but | think
| had forgotten about love. / wanted
nothing SO much as to be like Lady
to a great man" She
paused, then went on more hurriedly:
"For awhile things went right: then
slowly things went wrong. You got
your--your nerves" Ii
Loder changed his position with
Of abFuptness.
She nisconstrued the action.
PLEASE don't think l want to be
she said hastily. II
ion't. I'm only trying to make you ,
understand why-why lost heart"
Il think know" Loder's voice broke 1
n involuntarily. Things got worse, !
hen still worse. You found interior ,
,nce useless. At last you ceased 10 ,
ave husband" In
Until week ago." She glanced up
quickly Absorbed In her own feel
ngs, she had seen nothing extraor- \
Iinary in his words
But at hers Loder changed color.
"It's the most incredible thing In the /.
vorld," she said. It's quite incred Z
BILE, and yet l can't deny It. Against Il
II my reason, all my experience, all =
ny inclination, seem to feel in the /,
asst week something Of what ] felt at i
rst." She stopped with an embar- n
assed laugh. 1T seems that as liz by /,
magic, life-has been picked up where h
ropped II six years ago" Again she .,
topped and laughed.
Loder was keenly uncomfortable, but o.
9 could think of nothing to say. n,
1T seemed to begin that night dined
nth the Fraides," she went ON. "Mr. nj
raide talked so wisely and so kindly 9,
bout so many things. He recalled all m
e had hoped for In you, and-and he v,
famed me a little" She paused and n
i'd her cup aside. Tie said that when h,
eople have made what they call their n
st effort they should always make just b,
ne effort more. He promised that II m
'uld' oncs persuade you to take an In ds
rest In your work he would do the
st He said all that and a thousand n,
her hinder things. and 1 sat and us nd
ned. But all the time thought Of In