The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-01-02

and that itis not possible to avoid any
 body there long. Knowing this, made
 no attempt at evasion. 1 was in cus-
 tomary seat at a small table by one of the windows, and I was alone there | Jimmy Warfeld sometimes sat Op-
 posite me, but he was very irregular. | I had been looking out of the win
 dow at the bands of sunshine across
 the snowy street, and when I turned
 my eyes back again I saw Alicia and
 her husband entering the dining room It was the latest version of Beauty, l and the Beast. The noble spiritual
 quality that I admired so much in Ali 1 cia, seemed to me more clearly de- | fined than ever. Pale and sad she
 was, but her head was erect and she | other name than the pride of purity.
 But the sadness in the beautiful eyes l was unmistakable. Quietly dressed ] and quiet in manner, she was a won
 derful contrast to her famboyant hus- | band, who radiated noisy color. I mo- l ticed with a sort of secret pleasure | that she did not come in by the side
 of him, but walked little ahead, as if 1 she did not belong to him. in the inti-
 mate manner of husband and wife. | She did not see me-my table stood
 in little alcove, partly hidden byscur- 1 tains-and I watched her for a little | while. She still preserved at the table
 
 | pie were silent. I could see that Grey l felt some fear of her-his stiff manner, l his few words and his occasional wary | glances at her indicated it. The Grey of this moment was very different 1 Grey from the Grey of his political headquarters, and I was glad to know it.
 Presently they became three At the table and the third person was liar rison. He took his seat as if he be- longed there, and his manner was quite intimate. Grey seemed to feel relief at his coming, but Alicia's face expressed nothing. I watched them yet a little while longer and I saw more clearly than ever before Harri-
 sons influence over Grey; it might ex- tend further than politics, and my see- ing it was the reason why I rose and went over to their table.
 Knowing the Greys so well it was the proper thing for me to speak to them at once but I probably should not have done so had it not been for Harrison's pervading presence and the feelings that it aroused in me.
 I think I detected a slight look of annoyance on Harrison's face, when he saw me, and that gave me pleasure. Grey frowned-apparently he wished to be my friend only when his wife was absent-but Alicia gave me a smile of WelcOme-there was nothing in Ordi- nary social intercourse forbidding ii, and I told her in a formal. common place manner that I was glad to see her in Frankfort. They asked me to sit at their table. and I accepted, the waiter making the change for me.
 I confess that while I spoke in a commonplace manner my feelings were far from being so. We four, whose lives were connected in such a singular way and which were des- fs~, 4@ 1N i~xA> s-I- ly were sitting around a common ta- ble and saying idle words as if we were mere chance acquaintances who had met and would pass.> Harrison did most of the talking, retailing so- cia1 gossip that he had brought down from Louisville and I seemed to de- tect a slight strain under his appar- ently easy and indifferent manner. I said little, but contented myself with occasional glances at Alicia. 1 won dered what she thought of Harrison, whether she regarded him as a pla- tonic friend who wished in an unob- strusive way to give her his intellect neither did nor said anything that would indicate her thoughts
 After dinner, Grey said they ex- pected to see good deal of me now, as we were staying at the same hotel and ought to meet many times in Frankfort. I replied with a polite nothing and then we entered the large parlor.
 I wanted to have few words alone with Alicia, I had nothing particular to say. but I wished to say it apart from those two men. It was hard to get the chance. Harrison watched me like hawk, and Alicia herself made no opportunities. But 8 Mem Der came presently to the door and asked to see Harrison just moment on political business. He could not well refuse, and Grey, with his sense of importance taking it for granted that he also was concerned, stepped into the hall with him.
 "I am sorry you have come here," I said to Alicia.
 "But had to come. It was my place."
 She turned upon me look so sad, so appealing, which said so plainly. "Do not ,scold me, do not add to my burdens" that had no heart to say more But even then she was think ing more of me than of herself.
 "Do they-any of them suspect that you were-were--'' she began to ask.
 I knew we'll what she meant and saved her the pain of saying 'in pris- on here.'
 "I do not think SOL I replied, /"un less possibly MT. Harrrson-I did a foolish thing once, of which I shah tell you later"
 Harrison and Grey came back at that moment, and Grey frowned$when he saw me talking to Alicia, although, for all he knew, we might have been discussing the weather. It was cur ious that he should regard me again with suspicion, while placing the most implicit confidence in Harrison, who was not to be trusted at all.
 .Come, Alicia he said roughly, CT think we'd better go up to our own rooms. You'll excuse us, MT. Clarke"
 Few things have ever hurt me more. I saw Alicia's face whiten, and she f1inched little as if she had been struck, but she was his, she be- longed to him body, if not soul, and 1 without word she followed him, just i as I suppose in the ancient times, a | beautiful Greek captive had to follow ! her brutal Roman lord and master. l I should have been glad of the right ] to strike him down. but the right was !! all on his side, and I could do noth- l ing but stay in the parlor and drum | angrily on the window sill with my | fingers.
 Harrison came up to me, and his | look showed amusement and also a | certain sympathy. ,
 1T understand your feelings, Mr. l Clarke" he said. 'sWhy shouldn't |? | T>share them. I asked you once be- | fore why you didn't use your knowl- l edge. It would be to your benefit not |