The Washington times., 1908-12-29

a gentle breeze blowing to stir
lightly the curtains at the win
doWs Of the living room
Helene had been Iounging in the win
/ doS seat, absorbed In a seemingly not
altogether pleasant meditation. and she
| rose 70 greet the visitor with an air
Of relief as though glad OF an inter
/ ruption 10 her thoughts
She frightened Up at once and, mo-
| tioning him to his usual seat hustled
sohcitou5ly about to secure his com
| fort asking him if he would not have
cup Of tea, providing him an ash
tray and placing the matches within
easy reach.
Studying her keenIy. and familiar
with her moods as ne was. Starr Spen-
Ger perceived that ne had struck what
was with her a psychological moment.
and he congratulated himself Starr
| Spencer knew how TO take advantage
Of psychological moments.
Ard he was right The girl was rest
4 les. vaguely disCuieted, out Of sorts.
without knowing the reason why-iu
| just the humor 20 listen to his suit.
II had been a harassing day at school
/ with heroine OF those days when
everything seems 70 20 wrong-and she
] had returned home in the evening tired
and worn out, both in body and mind.
10 find the fat turned upside down and
Aunt Margaret guiltily nervous at be-
/ ing caught scurrying wildly hither and
I thither, and momentarily adding 10 the
confusion in her efforts 10 set things
! straight.
II seemed that the old lady, taking ad-
vantage OF FloreIce's afternoon out. 20
! ha0 INDUCED in a little house-cleaninC
spree on her own hook. with the result
that every piece OF furniture they owned
was now helter-skelter, a pail OF soapy
water was overturned and deluging the
dining room floor. and the entire fat
Peryaded with the Odor Of burned boiled
cabbage, which had been put on the
kitchen stove FOR dinner and then left
forgotten.
At another time Helene might have
laughed at the chaos and Aunt Mar
garet's fruitless struggles; now Il vas
tragedy.
She felt that she could have cried
! but instead. she had 20 ron W her
sleeves, tuck her skirt around her waist
and wade in u restore order.
True, Florence came home before she
had been At j. .Jng, and assumed the
brunt OF the work; but this naturally
precluded the preparation OF dinner, and
hence they had been compelled TO regale
themselves with such a cold, cheerless
pickup NAL as thy were able 70 gather
from the pantry
That evening the clouds Of discomfort
lowered close about Helene. as she sat
beside the open window In the soft
spring twilight and listened to the
voices OF the children playing in the
street
She wished that school vas over. The
monotonoUs routine had begun 10 irk
her terribly; yet vacation stiu seemed
far away.
She was tired Of it. she declared petu-
Iently; tired or shaving away, day after
day, for a bare living. tired Of this
"clutte"ed UP pigeon hole Of fat and
fussy, TIC ublesome Aunt Margaret. She
wanted e Sc. and wealth, and luxury.
And then, as she leaned her head
against the easement, and listened to-
the playing Of the children in the street,
d deeper yeaning awoke within her.
1t was spring, the mating season
throughout all r.ature. and the primal
instinct OF womGnhoOd voiced its CRY
in her lonely heart She wanted home
and husband and baDfes Of her own.
Was she to he condemned to remain
forever a spinster, chHdIess, cHnging TO
a memory Of dead hsppiness2
She could never love again, Of course.
The best in life lay lost to her with
Jim HarrisOn's dead body under the
deep, blue waves, but was she wise 10
scOrn the second best-the care and ten
dernesS and protection which another
man might offer?
She knew she had but to stretch our
her hand to obtain it, that at the first
sign Of relentins On her part Starr
Spencer would be at her feet Riches
would be hers, power, homage.
She did not love him, II was true. but
she liked him, admired his genius. had
found him a true friend, aud-it would
be Geliverance from the grind Of work.
the sting of petty economics. the for
loTn loneliness OF spinsterhood.
Should she or should she not? While
she wavered Starr Spencer came. II
was, indeed, a psychological moment II.
more ways than one.
He was not overprecipitate. but
neither did he lose any time over his
wooing.
NO, he did not care for any tea, he
told her. nor did he wish to smoke. He
wanted to talk with her.
He spoke 10 her first o = the success
which was in his grasp. told her in
minute detail of the mighty organiza-
tion he had effected, the great trade
he had built, which tomorrow
would commence its triumphant opera !
ton.
And the best OF it is" he laughed. +
that it can never be taken away from 1
me 1 might lose control Of the dom /
pany-if the associates I have had 10 4
take in should turn treacherous, and |
try TO freeze me out: but they would /
still have to come 70 Starr Spencer. The
selling mechanism belongs to the con-
pany, but the sources Of supply. tfe |
real backbone of the scheme, are all
retained within my own hands. Every
is made with me personally
every concession is individually mine II
In short, am an old man OF the sea-. Il
they cannot shake me off,
Not unless they discover new sources
1f supply she admitted. But is nor
hat a very possible danger?''
"Pshaw," he seoaed. y gladly risk