The Washington herald., 1908-05-06
TURNING THE TIDE

For an instant Alva's soul seemed filed
with gladness. then she remembered with
sinking heart that the success which had
attracted her lover was all a sham.
fabrication Of Sally Peterson and herself
Gently she withdrew the hand he was
pressing to his lips, and rose from her
chair
I am sorry" she said duly. 1T did
not realize whittier we were drifting. II
was wrong Of me to permit matters 10 90
so far. Forgive me-"
She raised her big. lustrous eyes 10 his
white, tense face. and held out her hand
Ia token Of dismissal.
Is Il that you do not love ne?'' he
urged. Is It because OF some fault of
mine that you say no2' he asked. you
can learn TO love me. dear. The fault
might be explained away"
NO. no" she cried 1T IS not that. II
is because-I cannot explain. Please do
not ask me 10 explain" She pushed him
from her and sank sobbing upon the
Turkish divan.
For moment Marsden watched her
undecldedly- He Ionged to take her in
his arms and comfort her, to Insist upon
an explanation in the hope Of clearing
away the trouble, but, manlike. he could
not combat tears, so he stole softly out.
Alya heard him go and she gave way
to fresh accession Of grief which pres
emily exhausted her, and she fell into
troubled slumbeT.
From her sleep she was reused by a
knocking upon the door and almost be-
fore she realized she had called out
Come in.'' and Godfrey stood before
her.
u met that little friend Of yours down
the street." he explained awkwardly,
"and she called me a fool for leaving
you before I found out what the trouble
was. So 7 came back" he added.
Il begged you not TO ask" Alva re-
minded tremulously
But Miss Peterson said 70 Insist" he
| couRtered. She is a tremendously clever
[ little woman
Il am sorry I ever met her. cried
! Alva passi0nately Then I might have
been e success upon my own account and
not q creature OF deceite. Can you love
me. knowing that my success is wholly
false. an acted lie?''
/ You mean that some one else paints
I your pictures7" he demanded. II d0n'l
+ care about the pictures. It's you I want
/ little girl. ] don't care who did the pic
lures"
/ It's rot so bad as that" shs cried
4 shocked at the suggestion, and then
slowly and sobbingly, she told bit by bit
/ how she and Sally had turned the tide
/ The sun set and darkness settled down
/ set neither seemed aware Of the gather
/ ing dusk.
And that's how my success was gain
ed. " cried AIva as the recital was con-
u
/ not marry you. You, with your upright
business ways, would forever despise
me-"
| It's merely advertisement" said Mars
/ den with a laugh. rs this the dreadful
/ skeleton In the closet that is TO keep US
/ forever apart?"
Isn't is enough?" she demanded, mis-
erably.
do you know how the Marsden Soap
works wers started?" he asked. ''Ve're
making soap for all the world now and
! good soap, too; but the first factory was
/ kettle in our backyard We all used
to wrap it in the evenings, and during
/ the day we three boys, Eddie and my
/ brother George. who died. used to go into
! groceries and ask for the soap and father
would sell them q box, and that box
would bring new orders. Success creates
success. We, too, turned the tide"
And don't you hate me for the decep-
tion2" she asked in whisper.
! Hate your he repeated tenderly. las
/ though I could ever hate you. dear.
am most profoundly grateful to Miss
! Peterson for making you a discovery SO
/ early. Think of the happy years we
might have missed.
/ 1T seemed almost dishonest" she
whispered Il thought"
! But Marsden stopped her words with a
/ kiss
I'VE have turned the tide again." he
said Let US not think Of the tides that
| have ebbed and flowed"
| copyrighted, ls0s, by Homer spTague.l