New-York tribune., 1909-10-24


Griscom Iris smiled. WAS it Shakespeare who said
Who ever loved who loved not at first sight l. m
not sure of the quotation but quite agree with the
sentiment.
But can one be sure?"
Don't try. Leave the absolute for the scientist
1T was all rather breathless and | am not a
schoolgirl Professor GrisCOm. | shall be twenty hVe
my next birthday. Baltimore called the next day
and do you know what we talked of:
The slackneSS of the Zoo authorities
mo; we talked about you"
Il am aattered-or at least | hope | am
Your ears must have burned. He could not say
enough in your praise
He said that any fool with neither nerves nor
imagination could blunder in and shoe off an over
grown tomcat; but that it took brave man to walk
forward when half dead with fear and
Bosh! But it took the fool to do the trick
He also said that it took an even braver man
calmly to state the true facts of the aterward
when he might have said nothing and passed 1t Oft
as a mistake in his methods"
That's the British of it. Next to courage, your
countrVmen esteem mOdeSty.
Il agreed with him..
That nice of you.
We have talked great deal about YOU. He came
to see me almost every day and took Aunty and me
to birmingham to watch the polo and to the play,
and then day he-he-'
Asked you to marry him.
MISS WELLESLEY continued to prod at the head
A"A of the hapless bacchante. GrscOm studied her
with inscrutabe expression in his clear gray eyes
are you not happier about it And why did you
come away immediately on becoming engaged to be
married? Your aunt?"
She turned and gave him puzzled look Her
face free from the slightest trace of embarrass
ment even of self consciousness; but it
troubled expression. No; to tell the truth it was
chiefly my doing. wanted time. wanted to think.
But it was rather late, was it not-after becOm-
ing engaged"
I'm afraid so. I'm sure / don't know why l did
1t. Perhaps 1t was Just the natural reaction that
comes to a woman who has always enjoyed her free
dom when she finds hersef-bound.
Get rid of that thought"
Then there was something else, odd feeling
of some barrier between us obstacle can't
describe it."
But you are quite free, are you not2"
Entirely. Nevertheless, this sense of some OBJ
stacie always there 1t is strange sense of
something about to happen some duty or obligation
to be fulfilled; not pleasant but very necessary
Perhaps | am going to die"
'NOnsense!"
Then what is it? She turned to him troubled
face, and her blue eyes met his frankly. Her lips
slightly parted and the flush her cheeks was
of the same soft tint that of the that en-
twined the column against which her shoulder rested
GRISCOM studied her thoughtfullv. and for the
- first time it occurred to him that he had never
seen so lovely face. The classic purity of feature
was given warmth by the slightest hint of uncon-
sciouS cOquetry, the least of upward tits to a nose
otherwise Grecian an upper lip raised in the middle
and quality that lent great Subtilitv a face that
might otherwise have been too open in its candor;
the outer corners of the eyes were on a slightly
higher level than the inner.
GriSCOm looking at her for the first time CRITICALLY
realized that she very lovely. He had Drevi-
ousy felt her charm and appreciated in a vague wav
her physical attraction; but the strange intangible
influence the girl had exercised on his mind had
masked any actual consciousness of the physical
senses. Now he looked into her face and noticed
its sweetness and purity and strength it was with
quick rush of emotion that surprised and startled
IT. T0lf1tf eaIf IL