The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-09-10
Reconsiidered
By Nellie Cravey Gilmore

crimped into a jacqueminot rosebud,
while a tiny frown drew her black
brows together in way that BODIED
no leniency toward the offender
At the end of the square she paused
and glanced anxiously up and down
the intersecting avenue. With some
impatience she drew forth her watch;
but before she had had time to re-
store the jeweled timepiece to her
belt, a man rounded the next corner,
and came directly toward her. He, too,
was walking swiftly, and with head
bent Within few feet of the girl,
he glanced up intuitively, look of
surprise chasing the latent gloom
from his face.
''Zarelda!"
81 was obliged to see you," she re-
marked, Jelly, Toto return-this.
wanted to be certain it was delivered
safely" She drew from her bag a
small square package and held it out
to him
Hayburn whitened. The ring. Not
the one he had hoped to give her be-
fore long. but the little turquoise
thing he had slipped upon her finger
in the dear old boy-and-girl days, and
which had been Visiting there ever
since to be replaced by another.
Tim afraid l don't quite Under
stand, zarelda," he said, heafsely.
Has anything-gone wrong?7
Il have accepted Harry Borden"
was all she said.
AT least l should think-don't you
think-that you owe me some sort Of
explanation" His eyes deepened.
The girl colored with her ready
flush. 81 have written" she faltered,
you will find the letter awaiting you
at home. 1 omitted TOTO inclose the
ring, and that is why-why l came
here"
The girl hesitated for an indeter-
inmate second; the blood rose darkly
to her temples. Then, with little in
catch of her breath, she demanded:
why did you take Lily Lester to the
Carson's cotillon when We"
why did you go there with Harry
Bordep?"
Il understood-from him-that you
had asked her.
Il asked her only when l learned
that you and he were going together"
For an instant they stood there with
locked eyes.
ut was all horrible mistake, Ia
die" Hayburn said at last. for which
our life's happiness will have to pay
the penalty"
To his establishment the girl turned
from him abruptly. You were ridicu-
lousy attentive to her, anyway" she
hurled at him angrily over her Shout
der "Good-by" She walked rapidly
down the avenue and left him stand
ing there He waited a moment, and
then crossed the street mechanically
and caught car for home.
Sure enough, the girls letter was
waiting for him there. He tore it
open avidly and read:
Teddy: under separate cover 1 am
returning to you your ring. AS I am
soon to become Harry Borden's wife
I do not feel as though I ought to keep
it, even if it was but simple token of
friendship between us.
Hayburn flung down the letter
sharply. Token Of friendship 1t cut
like knife. And what was worse,
she had loved him. and in a fit of
pique had gone deliberately to work
and betrothed herself to that cad He
had seven-eighths of a mind to run
that individual down and tell him the
/ truth-and if he still refused to give
up the girl, to choke him to death on
the spot. But the rational eighth prob
ably saved his life, for he proceeded
to calm himself Immediately, and read
/ the remainder of the letter: :" .
You must not attempt to see me, for
we shall in all likelihood be married
tomorrow and sail at once for Nor
way. ="
Again he threw down the crumpled
sheet, and straightway called a cab
and drove to her home.
She did not keep him waiting.
"As you are leaving so soon," Hay
burn began when she came into the
room, Il shall try not to detain you
longer than is necessary. But there
was something was obliged to return
/ to you, and that is why 1 am here"
he hurried on, mockingly but courte-
Gus to a degree This little photo
graph you gave me several years ago"
A little involuntary exclamation es-
capped the girls white lips She half
swayed as she put out one slender
hand to the back of a chair for sup
port But in a moment she had col
lected herself and held out her hand
matter-of-factly for the picture.
"Good-by, zadie," he said, and held
out his hand.
She raised her eyes with a look that
was in every way cool and undis-
turbed. "Good-by," she answered
steadily
He crushed her fingers and turned
toward the door Half way there the
sound of his name, called in a sweet,
quavering treble, caused Hayburn to
turn with a swift heartbeat
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