The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1909-05-20
By ROBERT w. CHAMBERS
Author Of The Fighting charce." Etc.
copyrisht, 1907, by Robert W. Chambers
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|
there. arms bare. tennis bat swinging
in one tanned little hand
Happily for Eileen. happily for him.
alas. love in its full miracle had re
mained beyond her comprehension.
That she cared for him with all her
young heart he knew: that she had not
come TO love him he knew too. SO that
crowning misery of happiness was
spared him. Yet he knew. = too that
J there had been a chance for him: that
her awakening had not been wholly
impossible
And now. leaning there. his face
buried in his hands. hours that he
spent with her came crowding back
upon him. and In his ears her voice
echoed and echoed. and his hands trem.
bed with the scented memory Of her
touch and his soul qulvered and cried
out for her.
Storm after storm swept him. and IN
the tempest he abandoned reason
blinded. stunned. crouching there with
across his face.
, But storms. given right Of way. pass
/ on and over, and tempests sweep hearts
cleaner and after long while he lift.
ed his bowed head and sat up. squar-
, ing his shoulders.
Presently he picked up his pipe again.
/ held IL a moment, then laid II aside.
Then he leaned forward. breathing
deeply. but quietly, and picked up a
pen and a sheet Of paper, for the time
| had come for his letter to her. and he
was ready.
The letter he wrote was one OF those
gay, cheerful, inconsequentia letters
which from the very beginning OF
| their occasional correspondence had
always been TO her most delightful
an easy, light hearted letter. ending
In messages to all and frank regret
that the pursuit OF business and hap
piness appeared Incompatible at the
present moment.
His address. he wrote, was his club
He sent her, he said. under separate
cover, a rather interesting pamphlet-a
monograph on the symbolism displayed
by the designs In Samarkand rugs and
textiles Of the Ming dynasty. And he
ended, closing with a gentle Jest con
cerning bluestockings and rebelious
locks OF ruddy hair.
And signed his name.
Nina and Eileen, in travelling gowns
and wells, stood on the porch at Silver.
ufl o.. L.,
when Selwyn's letter was handed to
Eileen.
The girl flushed up. then, avoiding
Nina's eyes, turned and entered the
house Once out OF sight. she swiftly
mounted to her own room and dropped,
breathless, on the bed, tearing the en-
velope from end to end. And from
end to end and back again and over
again she read the letter-at first in
expectancy, lips parted. color brilliant,
then with the smile still curving her
cheeks, but less genuine now, almost
mechanical, until the smile stamped
on her stiffening lips faded and the
soft contours relaxed, and she lifted
her eyes, staring into space with
wistful, questioning lift OF the pure
brows.
What more had she expected? What
more had she desired? What was she
seeking there that he had left unwrit-
ten? What was she searching for of
which there was not one hint in all
these pages?
And now Nina was calling her from
the hall below, and she answered gay.
ly and, hiding the letter In her long
glove came down the stairs.
"I'll tell you all about the letter In
the train" she said. "He is perfectly
well and evidently quite happy, and.
Nina
"What, dearT
81 want to send him a telegram.
May ~"
"A dozen II you wish" said Mrs.
Gerard, "only If you don't climb into
that vehicle wen miss the train"
So on the way 10 Wyossett station
Eileen sat very stll. eloved hands
folded In her lap. composing her tele-
gram to Sclwvn. Aud once in the sta
tion, having II by heart already. she
wrote II rapidl.;
Nina and are on our way 10 the Berk-
shires for week. House party at the
Craigs We stay overnight in town,
E.E
But the telegram went 10 his club
and waited for him there, and mean
while another telegram arrived at his
lodgings signed by n trained nurse
And while Miss Erroll in the big. dis
mantled house lay in a holland covered
armchair waiting for him. while Nina
and Austin, reading their evening pa
pers, exchanged significant glances
from time 10 time. the man she await
ed sat in the living room in a little
villa at Edrewater.
"How long has she been asleepT"
asked Selwyn under his breath.
"An hour. She fretted a good deal
because you had not come. This after
noon she said she wished to drive, and
] had the phaeton brought around, but
when aha saw n sha chanOad har