Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-01-30

nodded. mo, he isn't good man. he
said, mot even according to his lights,
but l doubt If he could have managed
to get away with anything of conse-
quence after he became the admins
TRAITOR He wouldn't have tried 1t prob
ably unless he was more desperately
pushed than | think he has been. 1t
would have been too dangerous. Sup
pose you wait week or so and think
it over"
"But there's something want you to
do for me Immediately, joe"
whats that?'
II want the old house put in order.
I'm going to live there"
s.Alone?"
I'm almost twenty-seven, and that's
being enough of an old maid for me to
risk Canaan's thinking me eccentric,
isn't it?"
1T will think anything you do is all
right"
"And once" she cried, sit thought
everything did wrongr'
Yes. That's the difference"
"You mean it will commend me be-
cause I'm thought rich?'
mo, no. he said meditatively, sit
isn't that It's because everybody will
be in love with you"
"Quite everybody" she asked.
Certainly" he replied. Anybody
who didn't would be absurd"
"Ah. Joel" she laughed You al
ways were the incest boy in the world,
my dearr
At that he turned toward her with
a sudden movement, and his lips part
ed, but not to speak. She had rested
one arm upon the desk and her cheek
upon her hand; the pen she had pick
ed up, still absently held in her fin
gers, touching her lips, and it was
given to him to know that he would
always keep that pen, though he would
never write with it again The soft
| lamplight fell across the lower part
of her face leaving her eyes, which
were lowered thoughtfully. in the
shadow of her hat. The room was
| blotted out in darkness behind her.
Like the background of an antique
| portrait the office. with it's dusty cor
ners and shelves and hideous safe,
had vanished, leaving the charming
! and thoughtful face revealed against
| an even, spacious BROWNIES. Only
! Ariel and the roses and the lamp were
| clear, and a strange, small pain NOV
| ed from Joe's heart to his throat as he
| thought that this ugly Office, always
before so harsh and grim and lonely
| loneliest for him when it had been
most crowded-was now TRANSPORTED
| into something very, very different
| from an office; that this place where
| he sat- with lamp and flowers on
desk between him and woman who
called him my dear" must be like
| like something that people called
home
And then he leaned across the desk
| toward her as he said again what he
had said little while before, and his
voice trembled:
"Ariel, it is your
She looked at him and smiled.
You'll be here always, won't you:
You're not going away from Canaan
againY'
| For a moment it seemed that she
| had not heard him Then her bright
glance at him wayered and fell. She
| rose. turning slightly away from him,
but not so far that he could not see
| the sudden agitation in her face.
"Ah," he cried, rising, too, Il don't
| want you to think I don't understand
| or that meant / should ever ask you
| to stay here! I couldn't mean that.
| You know l couldn't don't you? You
know l understand that it's all just
your beautiful friendliness. don't your
at isn't beautiful; it's just me, joe
she said. TT couldn't be any other
way"
tits enough that you should be here
now" he went on bravely. his voice
steady, though his hand shook. Moth
ing so wonderful as your staying could
ever actually happen. It's Just light
coming into dark room and out again.
One day long ago, never forgot 1t,
some apple blossoms blew by me as
passed an orchard, and it's like that
too But, oh, my dear, when you go
you'll leave fragrance in my heart
that win lastr'
She turned toward him, her face suf-
fused with rosy light. You'd rather
have died than have said that to me
once, she cried I'm glad you're
weak enough now to confess iti''
He sank down again into his chair,
and his arms fell heavily on the desk.
Confess itF' he cried despairingly.
s'And you don't deny that you're going
away again so it's true! | wish
hadn't realized it SO soon. think I'd
rather have tried to fool myself about
it little longerr'
F0ontinuea next week