The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1908-12-17
THE PRINCETON UNION: THURSDAY, DECEMBER u ,.os

xas that ward Of whose coming he had
earned. Moreau was good friend to
lave warned him. Was she part of
plan of reprisal-her presence there a
tentative threat to him? Could his ia
ther mean to adopt her? Might that
great house. those grounds, the bulk of
his wealth, go to her, and he. the son,
be left in the cold? He shivered. Per-
haps he had stayed away too long!
AS he turned again, he heard a sound
in the hall. He listened. A light step
was approaching-the swish of a gown
With sudden impulse he stepped into
the embrasure Of the window, as the
figure of a girl paused at the door. He
felt his face flush. She had thrown
crimson kimono over her white night
gown, and the apparition seemed to
part the dusk of the doorway like the
| red breast of a robin. She held in her
hands bunch Of the pale Marechal
Mel roses, and his eye caught the long
rebellious sweep of her bronze hair
| and the rosy tint of bare feet through
the worsted meshes of her night Slip
perS.
10 his wonder the sight of the light
ed room seemed to cause her no sur
prise. For an instant she stood still as
though listening. then entered and
placed the roses in a vase on a reading
stand by the bedside.
Hugh gasped. To reach the stand
the girl had passed the spot where he
stood, but she had taken no note of
hlm. Her gaze had gone by him as if
be had been empty air. Then he real
| lied the truth; Jessica Holme was
blind! Moreau's letter had given him
| no inkling of that. So this was the
! girl with whom his father now threat
ened him! Was she counting on his
not coming back, waiting for the wind
fall? She was blind-but she was
beautiful! Suppose he were to turn
the tables on the old man, not only
! climb back into his good graces through
her, but even
The thin line on his brow sprang
suddenly scarlet. What supple,
graceful arm she had! How adroit her
fingers as they arranged the rose
stems! Was he already wholly black
ened IN her opinion? What did she
think of him? Why did she bring
those flowers to that empty room?
| Could it have been she who had kept
it clean and fresh and unaltered against
MS return? 4 confident, daring look
grew IN his eyes. He wished she could
see him in that purple tie and velvet
smoking Jacket. What an opportunity
for romantic self justification.
Should he speak: Suppose it should
| frighten her.
Chance answered him. His respira-
ton had conveyed to her the knowl-
edge OF a presence in the room. He
| heard her draw quick breath. Some
| one is here!' she whispered
He started forward. ''Wait, watt
he said in a loud whisper as she
sprang back. But the voice seemed to
| startle her the more, and before he
could reach her side she was gone. He
| heard her flying steps descend the stair
and the opening and closing of door.
The sudden fight Jared Hush's
pleasurable sense of novelty. He thrust
his hands deep into his pockets. Now
he was in for it. She would alarm the
house. rouse the servants. He should
have staring domestic audience for
the imminent reconciliation his sobered
sense told him was so necessary.
Struggling his shoulders. he went
quickly down the stair to the library.
He had known eIacfly what he
should see there-the vivid girl with
the hue of fright in her cheeks, the
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