The Democratic advocate., 1908-01-31
Il am supposed to meet him tonight,

II am supposed to meet him tonight,
she said.
"And what will happen then?'' he
asked, with amusement in his eyes.
She shrugged her shoulders.
Father will keep an eye on me and
see that he takes me in to supper. He
will point us out to every one and make
me feel horribly uncomfortable. She
threw her head back in annoyance. ''The
sense of duty about it all is so odious, -
she added.
''I can quite understand it, he said
sympathetically, and then amusement crepl
into his eyes again as he remarked: "And
what will you do?''
She clasped her hands about her knees
and looked out between the curtains that
protected the alcove in which they were
sitting from the hall. Through them
she could see into the ballroom, where a
gay waltz was in riotous progress. Every
body seemed careless and happy there.
There was no one condemned as she had
been. IF there had been no binding in
the arrangement, it might all have been
so different, she might have felt even her
curiosity awakened to such pitch that it
would certainly have been interesting. But
to be compelled by circumstances-she
who, until the calamity had come to her
fathers financial affairs, had been accus-
toned to every wish being gratiied- be
compelled to marry man, whom she had
only heard of from vague and indefinite
sources, merely because it was family
understanding-it was quite a different
matter. Its advantages were those which,
at her age, she could not realize at their
full value. That she would be left PEN
niless. If she did not comply with the
agreement, was almost imcomprehensible
to her. The duty of supporting herself
had never fallen to her lot, and now when
it came to self f-interest-almost self-pre-
servation-she felt the irksomeness of its
being thrust upon her shoulders.
And lastly-to make it all harder still
Cyril Foster had been staying with them
for the Easter holidays, and for the ball,
which. for the last few days, she had
learned to look upon as a fatality. She
had never heard of him before as friend
of her fathers. 1t would have made very
little difference if she had, for he had al
ready won higher place in her estimation
than any man had ever occupied before.
In moment of regret, as she looked at
his face, she had told him all about the
doom that was hanging over her, and, un-
like other men, whose sympathies would
have Jared upon her, he had tried to
laugh it into forgetfulness.
cit hasn't come to the point yet" he
said, "and people are given moments like
these to enjoy themselves in
As she sat with her hands clasped over
her knees, she thought over his question.
What would she do? She scarcely knew.
1t was really unkind of him to ask her.
ooh, I should be fool if didn' t
marry him." she said. She may have
hoped to make him jealout, and he may have
seen the effort, for he leaned forward and
looked into her face.
"You will marry him if he comes p he
said.
II suppose so," she said, as indiffer-
emily as she could.
He took out his watch.
els he the only man who could make
he hesitated, fearing to hurt her feelings,
"who could make you happy and comfor-
table ?''
"Happy?' She laughed little in
disgust, at the word being applied to such
a case. "It's the old, old story of his
land being next to ours, and the combina-
ton would keep father we'll off for the rest
of his Efe," she said "Horribly sordid,
isn't it p she added.
He looked at his watch critically, but
said nothing.
"You don't help me in the least" she
said. "Why don't you suggest some
thing?'
'sI thought that you'd made up your
mind" he said, smiling.
She sighed petulantly, thinking hemight
have known that she did not mean it.
''What time is he supposed to come p
he asked after pause.
'sOh, no special time,'' she replied.
"Most men turn up late-and don't
suppose his anxiety is so very great. -
care you fond of making bargains p
he asked-it seemed little irrelevantly.
"Most women are.
''How do you mean?" she asked, look
ing at him in surprise.
He took up her program, where it was
hanging from her fan, and toyed with the
pencil attached to it. 'sWell,' he said,
''Pve got proposition to make to you. F."
She felt almost an exaggerated curiosity
about what he was going to say.
s'What is it p she asked.
He held his watch out in front of him,
so that both of them could see it.
"It's now quarter to IL" he said.
She nodded.
''The possibilities are that he will come
any time between this and IL; there's not
train after that, is there?"
mo, she replied.
''Now, | make this suggestion" he
SAID, still holding the Watcn IN IrOnt OF
him, Sin all earnestness. not tinking that
am helping you out of difficulty, and
probably only throwing you into another
one, but because he took her hand
''because 1 love you, Connie it is a
bargain. Now, the man who proposes
bargain is the one who is always going to
gain by it, and shall gain everything"
She was leaning back in the wicker
chair, and her breath was coming faster
with each word that he said.
''What do you propose p she asked,
almost in whisper.
sWhen the hand gets round to there,
he said, pointing with his finger to the face
of the watch, 'swhat hour will it be p
GA quarter to 12," she replied wonder
ing.
eJust an hour from now p