The Dolores star., 1909-07-23

changed for Mansfield the gray hue of
HE. In these ten years of strenuous
wofk he had grown moderately rich.
her bright image lay enshrined In his
heart No other woman had ever at
tracted him for an hour. except one or
Two who recalled some memory Of
Coralie. Mansfield read Of the death
OF her husband in an old newspaper.
but exactly ~ months elapsed before
Coralie wrote to him herself.
She wrote guardedly, but he read be-
tween the lines OF her conventionality
or fancied that he did. Leaving his
anairs in the hands of . friend, Mans
Held at once started for England.
Next morning the early train from
southampton brought him to the near
est town by eight o'clock, and thence
| he drove to Eggbottle in fly. He had
shaved of his beard on the previous
night. Also he had sent her a tele-
gram. About $3.50 a. m. the fly en-
tered the village. Mansfeld's heart
beat fast. He pictured their meeting.
They would look long into each others
eyes. he holding her responsive hand.
"Coralie," he would exclaim passion.
ately.
AT last, my Herbert; at last" she
would whisper as she sank upon his
breast.
The rest was delirious. glorious. and,
on the whole. vague. He did not get
definitely further than her whispered
"At last!" and the sinking business
The village was wholly strange to
him. but he knew that she lived in a
house called The Laurels," and thith-
er the cabman had been directed to
drive. 1t may have been S:45 when
the cab stopped at the door of the
house. which was approached by way
of prim carriage-drive, fanked at
mathematically exact intervals by
prim shrubs. The house itself was
large. square. and altogether unworthy.
No doubt Brooke had chosen 1t. A
solemn butler. looking unaffectedly
hostile, opened the door.
rs Mrs. Brooke at homer" gasped
Mansfield.
Mrs. Brooke does not breakfast till
e:30." was the chilling reply.
e lin an old friend" said Mans.
sheld. "I'll wait"
X Il will take your card up II the busl.
ness is urgent" said the butler.
Mansfield affected to search for his
card. He had long ceased to use such
things. but the butler. he felt. would
not have condoned such a breach ol
fashion.
no card --~ith sans," be ex
planned. Say Herbert Mansfield
Il don't want to say It," said the but
Ter.
Il mean. that's my name." explained
Mansfield.
The mistress never receives In the
morning." objected the butler. The
AT Home days are the second and
fourth Tuesday. between 4 and {
p. M"
Mansfield took a half-crown piece
from his pocket. and the butler
yielded.
We'll, SIR. II you'll wait in the cal
for few minutes. I'll send your name
up," he said.
After q long delay the butler re
turned.
The mistress will see you. sir. ir
half-an-hour. unless you would prefer
to return to luncheon"
The message chilled him, but te
postpone the meeting till luncheon
time was unthinkable. He followed the
butler to large drawing room. and
was left alone with yesterdays news
paper and view Of the prim from
garden. The heavy door was shp,
uDon him: NO sound reached his eak
during the long. long wait that fos-
lowed.
The room was crowded with eurnl.
ture. knicknacks. framed photographs
frail tables. footstools, and fully
draped statuettes. Accustomed to tho
simplicity of semi-tropical land. the
crowded. ugly room Jared upon Mans
held. He laid the blame upon the de-
ceased. Coralie must have retained
the furniture out of respect for thu,
dead mans mid-victorian tastes.
At last the door opened, and they
stood face-to-face. The lonely years fell
away and were forgotten as he looked
upon her untarnished beauty. There
was no change. save that she had
grown little thinner. The color man
tied her cheek, and her bright eyes
sank modestly under his eager gaze;
He tried to speak her beloved name,
but emotion held him speechless in
this supreme moment Of ecstasy. upon
which he had counted for more than
year. He forgot Brooke. he forgot
her broken vows: all his loneliness
and suffering seemed as unsubstantiaI
In that wonderful moment Of reunion
as dream or meringue. His ecstasy
lasted some Ave seconds at most: but
emotion is not to be measured by
time. nor weighed like SO much bacon.
She came forward brIskly, offering
him her hand, at arms length. just ~
II she had been some rather welcome
acquaintance. simultaneously . chill
ing torrent Of words poured from her