The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-01-05
3ES Sc MER DEL A r T w E ~ T

, did not think of her even little bit.
Yes, l suppose she is beautiful" she
said to herself, moving a little-a very
little--in her bed so as not to awake
Violet "she is what they call beau
tiful. I suppose that is all men care
about. Mo- lat is a shame of me. She
Is good, too, 1 am sure" (here Ja-
net sighed long, as if she wished she
could con and set in a notebook all
the iniquities of Vida Bryan, and then
present the book for the perusal of
Ludovic Morris).
Janet Fowler was early awake. That
is she did not sleep at all. But never
theless she came down with her face
glowing with cold water, her hair neat
ly arranged, and her eyes as blue as
the tarn, which is bluer than the sky
in fact. as well as in Wordworth's
verse. Among her many virtues Janet
could not allow any one to leave her
fathers house-not even a"probation-
err" supplying for a Sunday, last and
least of the human species-Witho out a
good breakfast. She knew that there
was an express at ten minutes to SIX.
So that at ten minutes past five the
substantial breakfast aforesaid was
on the table. From the hall she had
heard Vic's final preparations mingling
with her fathers shores, but now there
She tapped timidly at the door; Vic,
as she had supposed, opend it, dressed
for a journey. He stared at Janet in
establishment.
Miss Fowler! he said. And without
meaning 1t he spoke under his breath,
as if they were pair of culprttS who
must thus commune of their mis-
deeds She answered him with nod,
and the whispered information that
if he wanted to go by the first train
from Kirktown station, breakfast was
quite ready for him whenever he liked
i, to come down.
But how did you know?" he asked
in establishment. Il hadn't told a
soul"
81 knew" she said softly, looking
at the tapping foot which peeped rest
lessly from underneath her grey skirt.
But how? he insisted.
well" said Janet Fowler, lifting
to his face a pair of eyes which, mad
man not been a purblind and SELF
tered animal, would have dazzled him,
"if a man will spend all the night tum-
bling trunks about, tramping like IL
regiment, and dumping each in cor
ner when he has finished with 1t; II
there is a wakeful housekeeper in the
room below-well, he cannot expect
to fold his tents and steal away ike
the Arabs; no, not precisely!
81 am very sorry" said Vic; I did
not know where your room was.
Yet he knew to a half-point Where
Vida's was-though far away across
the landscape of wide. green wood
land. the little dot of black in the ga
ble-end of Dick Finnan's cottage stop
ped him, as if with Westinghouse
brake.
ut does not matter" said Janet
dropping her eyes; come down to your
breakfast. -
1t was a solitary meal-the more SO
because Janet sat silent ana lofloln'
waiting the hour of departure. VIC
explained that he had written a letter
TO her father, about where the trunks
were to be sent-the steamer and all
that. There was money In the iel'ei'
"a. halted and stammered.
Better give it to me" SAID 1ahet'
sharply; father is no good lor INA,
sort of thing. 1 will attend TO II al
for you. " % 4ro,,,,,ng
But 1 could not think of trouphns
Won" he said. a little self-reproach :
ful-but not much. sho
ooh. the trouble is nothing sne
laughed merrily; mot nearly SO srea
as If YOU had asked my father 10 w
1t for your CHI q
And in her heart of hearts, DIS si ~
turned away, she murmured' " ID
always something's!
ITO be continued