The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-03-26
Fiction
After Five Years.
BY FRANCES WILSON.

cheek against two fingers of her left
hand, "and perhaps some of those lit
tie cakes, the ones that are so tempt
ing on the outside and all emptiness
on the inside"
From her tone Lorrimer understood
that she meant to intimate that the
artistic unlties demanded cakes Of this
description. He translated the order
into man talk for the benefit of the
obsequlous waiter and then asked with
the air of one who was used to being
made confdant of:
whats the trouble? Because I've
noticed that when you order tea II Is
an infalllble sign Of a disturbed con-
science"
There was flash of mirth in her
eyes as they met his, and she clasped
her hands on the edge of the table and
leaned toward him, saying in a whee.
ding way:
You're the, greatest comfort to me.
You're the only man | know, ever have
known, save one, who always under
stands with you 1t isn't necessary TO
dot ones is and cross ones ts."
Having paid him this handsome com
pllment, she beamed at him across the
narrow table and expectantly awaited
the question which she knew was sure
to follow.
"And the other fellow" he laughed,
"the one who shares with me the proud
distinctionP
Hes the troublew came the answer
in pathetic voice. Then, with sudden
vivacity: "Did you ever notice that
there's something about the move.
ments Of the average waiter that re-
minds one Of Spencerian writing?
There's a flowing grace in the way
that he removes dish cover, a -four.
ish in the way that he sets down n
plate, which marks him as n human
exponent OF the Spencerlan theory"
Their order had arrived, and It was
not until she had poured the tea that
she spoke again. Then she burst ont
Indignantly:
Nobody but a dreamer would think
OF such a thing as continuing a ro-
nance from the point where he left II
FIVE years before. It's absurd, you
know" she continued candidly. "a
PERSONS feelings change from year to
yearr
"From season to season would seem
to me a more accurate statement" put
in her companion, with suave smile,
unless indeed my experience has been
unusual"
40 ell, uVn n
"You certainly do! Now you would
know, wouldn't you, that " woman
were fond Of you, say when leg o.
mutton sleeves were In fashion, she
might-probably would-feel very diff
ferent by the time that the coat sleeves
were de rlgueur?"
Her face wore the hopeful express
sion of person who has at last found
a perfectly rational human being who
win see things as they are. Lorrlmer
drained his cup and set It down dellb-
erately before he replied. Then he
said:
Don't you think you would better
begin at the beginning7 You're trihe
incoherent you know"
"That's just It.! There wasn't any
beglnningl And evidently he thinks
that there hasn't been any end. IL was
all so elusive and intangible and 50
sad! He left so much to the imaglna-
ton. think that was n part OF his
fascination for me. There was a look
in his eyes at times that wrung my
heart, and from pity drifted by de-
grees into something more.
when we parted knew that we
were sworn to an eternal friendship
sort OF ashes of roses affair, you know
and In my own heart I was fully de-
termlned never to marry. / was going
to be one of those sweet, sad, strong
women that you read about"
She screwed her forehead into knot
and looked at him deprecatingly.
what happened?" he inquired in a
sympathetic tone you haven't mar
ried, 1t is true, but | have never con-
nected you In my thoughts with hid
den sorrow"
The occupants of an adjoining table
rose to go, and her attention was en-
crossed for a moment by a love of a
gown. Then she came back to Lorri-
mer and her story.
81 suppose that what happened was
just-other men, she said ruefully.
"The spirit was willing, but the flesh
was weak"
"What I'm the name of goodness is
troubling you then" asked Lorrimer
thoroughly mystitied.
"Why, l had Il note from him this
morning! He will be In town next
Wednesday. His wife is dead"
She composed her face to an express
sion OF perfect proprlety before max
ing this announcement, though there
was a faint twitchlng OF her lips.
"Ah-h-h | see. You fear that he Is
coming 20 claim his pound Of flesh,
and you're not OF the same mind that
you were when 1t was promised"
She nodded
Its not quite nice Of me to tell you,
but we're very old friends, and I'm
really troubled. He's such a Rice fell
low-just a thoroughgolng idealist--
and / know he thinks of me as cher
lshing his memory, and Of course |