The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-10-08
CHAPTER XVII.
Az ,rinp,o naNieiau

happier dlIeT the luleTFieW IMAM uS-
lore. 1t is true the shadow returned
again directly he had taken his de-
parture, but she no longer had any
m~isgiving respecting is motives, and
she was just a little in danger of max
ing a hero OF him.. Out In the far
West magnanimity was not a con
spicuous virtue. She had seen a good
deal of the other thing. The ugly
head of revenge was constantly show
ing itself. Men cherished hate as
though it were a precious thing. and
hunted down an enemy with the dog
ged patience of a sleuth hound.
Hence. considering her u~pbringing,
her fear of Clement was the most
natural thing in the world. "He must
hate me-" she said to herself again
and again. "As he cannot touch my
father he will wreak his vengeance on
me. Now that he knows who | am
his friendship will ne turned into
loathing."
But after his visit to Chingford
Terrace that fear vanished entirely.
No one came TO disturb them in the
drawing room, and time passed un-
needed. Clement was very careful not
TO scare his timid bird. He had been
o o ardent the previous day, and took
care not to fall into tn esame error
again. Fear made him cautious, and
love sharpened his eyes.
She encouraged him to talk about
himself and he was nothing loath.
She understood him better after that
conversation than ever before, and
she found hersel fadmiring him great
ly. He was very frank and honest.
Encouraged by her smile, he opened
his heart more fully than he knew.
She saw the clear signts of his ambi-
ton rising into the cloudless dome:
saw his character growing and
strengthening by virtue of the efforts
he was putting forth; saw vaguely
and far Off how the loss of the father
might prove the gain OF the son. One
thing he did not tell her: how love
of her had been the turning point of
his life. The time had not come for
that, and yet he was impatient to
speak the words that would seal his
fate.
She looked very sweet and winning
as she sat opposite him listening to
hfc faIIy No lnvn1;N, f,.n h, Gr,n,
ined, could be found in all London,
and her face was the index of her real
self. For a full hour the shadow new
er once came between them, and In
that hour their hearts came very
close TO each other. To her his mag
nanimity was wonderful. That he
should want to be her friend after all
that he and his had suffered through
her father touched her with a sense
almost of awe. IL was like a bene-
diction to find sucn a soul of good
ness in the world. Human nature
was a finer thing than she had been
taught to believe. The world here
and there seemed TO come very heal
TO heaven.
On the following afternoon, being
Saturday. they met accidentally in
the park. At least, that was Marion's
impression. Clement kne wbetter. At
any rate, IL they had not met he
would have felt sadly out in his cal
culations. She had told him uncon-
sciously the previous evening how her
Saturday afternoons were chiefly
cnont and he haI I.n-,, 1t 49,.
cordingly.
IL did his heart good to see her eyes
light up with pleasure when he made
his appearance. He was quite sure
now that she trusted him, and that
was a long step in the direction he
wanted to go. She was a little bit
shy and constrained at the first, but
he o put her at ease. A little
experience had made him tactful.
They talked generalities at first, but
gradually and unconsciously their
conversation became more personal.
Confidence begets confidence. She
told him more about her past life than
ever she had done before, and he won
dered greatly that so rough a soil
could produce so sweet a flower.
On the following evening they met
again, and he walked home with her
from church. Had she been alone she
would have taken a bus. for the dis
lance was very considerable. Being
Sunday, all the streets, except the
main ~thoroughfares. were quiet and
deserted. He kept very close to her,
which she did not resent, and she
showed no inclination to hurry.
He fell to talking about himself
again-his plans and hopes for the flu
ture. chen suddenly he let out all the
truth. Whether he was wise or fool
ish, who shall say? He told himself
afterwards that he could not help it,
that his heart was SO full that he could
no longer contain himself, and that,
since the truth was bound to come
cut sooner or later. nothing was to
be gained by delay. Anyhow. he let
out his secret in a few straight and
earnest words. At first she seemed
too astonished to speak. She contin-
ned to walk by his side. but she made
20 attempt to look at him.