The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-07-07

| "A FALLEN IDOL. \
FREDERIC ANsTEY


10TH, ne lOuQu HluSGlI SuQuSuly d.
most face to face with Sybil Els
worth.
The sudden light in her deep eyes,
and the frank welcome in her smile
and voice were enough to chase away
all his brooding misgivings. No, she
had not given him up yeti
"You didn't expect to meet me
here?" she said, almost in the same
breath with her first greeting.
NO." he replied. II have just
come up from Diggleswede, to
Worcestershire, and had no reason
to hope for this
She shot a reproachful glance at
him. But you were going to pass
on at first-you know you were. :"
Il wasn't sure what you would
wish" he replied.
Dear me-" laughed Sybil, per-
haps not without spice of vexation,
that was very punctilious Of you.
1t would never have occurred to me
that duty expected US to cut one an
otheri"
mot duty exactly he explained
Then what was it. please?"
"You took no notice of my letters, :"
he said. Il couldn't tell how they
might have changed you"
But l never got them! And so
you have been doubling again? All,
Ronald, had more faith in you'll"
did you writer"
mo, but only because Aunt Hilary
got promise from me that 1 would
not be the first to begin. l shouldn't
have promised, but l thought you
were SO certain to write. But you
did after all, so it's all right-isn't
it strange, though, that should
never get your letters?"
"Sybil," he said, passionately, 81
begin to see-your aunt has taken
care that my letters should not reach
you. This is her work."
She was startled. Aunt Hilary! :"
she exclaimed. "Oh, if / thought
that, but it can't bet isn't like
her"
II wouldn't think so if I could
avoid it. No doubt in keeping back
my letters she considered she was do
ing her duty to you. There, we won't
trouble about it, will we? for, after
all, her plans have broken down"
Send back the carriage, and let
me see you back to Sussex place." he
said boldly.
ut would be great fun" she
agreed, but what would Aunt Hilary
say?"
They were outside the ring of the
Botanic Gardens before Campion told
his story of defeat, but having begun,
he told it manfully, beginning with
his threatened legacy and ending
with his Academy reverse.
When he had finished she laid her
hand upon his sleeve with a pretty,
sympathetic caress. "And have you
been making yourself wretched all
this time by thinking / had given you
up? 1 suppose you thought it was
only your money l cared about, and
that should reject you because the
Academy did. I didn't consult the
Academy when accepted you, Ron
add"
"Ah, but, my darling, it leaves me
in very different position from what
was. may lose the only thing
which justified me in asking you to
have me; in any case, | have lost
ground as painter by these two
failures. / may never be anything
but poor beggar all my life now"
Il sha'n't mind" said Sybil, light
ly. "I'll be a poor beggar, too"
I'm afraid your father won't hear
of that" he said, "even if was sell
fish enough to ask for it."
Then I will wait, Ronald Oh! I
know you think me frivolous and un-
feeling, because do enjoy torment
ing you little, but do really care
for you very much all the time, and
you might-you might believe in me
little more than you dol"
A great revulsion came over him
of intense joy and relief and graft
tude, and little shame, too, that he
shout again have misiudged her. 1t
found a vent in broken expressions
of self-reproach and devotion. IF
you could only know" he concluded,
how w.etched l have been making
myselfH'
"All about nothing, too" she OBJ
served. but you won't be so foolish
again, will your"
His heart swelled with happiness
and love, as he saw clearly that, all
unworthy as he was he might hence
forth rest secure of her affection. She
would never change, unless, which
was absurd, he changed first.
And so they walked on by the edge
of the lake, where they had met once
before, and all around them seemed
in harmony with their own happi-
ness. From the little suspension
bridge came the lively clatter of feet
over its planks, and the merry shouts
of the ragged urchins sliding face
downward on its broad supports.
II wonder what Aunt Hilary will
say to me when she hears where ]
have been and with whoml" said
Sybil. Il can manage her now,
though; | have found out her plot.
shall be fearfully stern and angry,
If can only keep it up long enough.
She really has behaved very badly,
and ought to be in a greater rage
than / am. But even yet / can't
quite imagine her doing such thing;
it is so unlike her, with all her little
peculiarities.
Il would rather believe, myself,
that che HAD M hand in II he