Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1909-01-07
''That Is your answer" said he.

'sThat Is your answer" said he.
Il have not answered you at ALL"
said Dorothy. 81 am not prepared for
either question or answer. Let us not
speak of it,
81 have spoken" said he sadly. 'If
you have not answered, can only
wait"
"Yes," she said, "waIt. We have
been friends. Let US go en as before
But you must not speak to me OF this
''The question must remain" he said.
with a touch Of firmness. 1T would
not he right. 1t would not be honest, to
ignore it,
'Let 1t be so." said she, 'and I win
answer
"WhenT"
"Within the year." said she, and
looked for him to plead for a mach
bricfer time. but he said gravely:
within this yearT' And she an
gwered, YES"
The absurd fellow accepted these
terms as IL his honor were In pledge
for their fulfillment They met as
friends thereafter. and Clifford was
often very charming and lovable, but
his lips were sealed. There were times
when Dorothy could have beaten him.
He was aware In his foolish way
Of her displeasure. and he read his
doom in 1t. The days passed. and she
gave him no answer. and of course lac
didn't ask her for It. He didn't know
enough. He relied upon her promise
(the idiotD TO answer him within the
year, and now II was half past 10 on
the evening Of the 31st of December.
and she had not answered.!
He could not believe that she would
be false to her promise. but he had
long since ceased to have the smallest
hope Of any favorable word. Within
the last month he had seen her rarely:
within the last week he had decided
that he would go away. He had re-
signed his position with the bridge
company and was considering several
offers OF work In the far parts Of the
earth. An agent OF the British gov
ernment had offered him especial In
ducements to go to Pretoria for a year,
and he viewed the proposition favOra-
lie had, In fact, accepted, with the sin
gle proviso that he should he permitted
to change his mind at any moment
within the year.
Several times during that last even
Ing he had resolved to telephone to
Sir James knowlton. the English rep
resentative In this negotiation, that be
might consider the matter settled. and
then he had chung to the dwlndling
possibility that Dorothy might yet
communicate with him.
At half past 10 he had foolish idea
Perhaps Dorothy had sent some word
and he had not received II. Would II
be a breach Of his word to ask her?
He sat with his head In his hands and
debated this question, and at last. like
| dull, dishonest schoUlbOy who knows
the answer Of the problem and shapes
his figuring to fit II. Clifford shaped
his reasoning 10 suit his desire and
dragged himself to the telephone.
Dorothy did not give him any time
to ask her anything: she had her own
| way with the conversation.
what are you dolngY' she asked
Nothing? You're all alone? Well.
that won't do at all On New Years eve
Come right over here. Father In enter
tanning a few sedate graybeards. and
no one Is entertaining me. II / had
dreamed that you were disengaged ]
should have summoned you"
That was very friendly-far. far too
much 50. A young lady who felt her
self bound TO answer a young mans
| offer Of marriage within an hour and
a half would hardly address him In a
| style SO unconstrained. The inevitable
| inference was that Dorothy considered
the matter settled already, the mo"
tacitly given and understood, the love
| episode at an end.
II In said that q poet has dad young
| in every one Of Us. He was not quite
dead I'm Clifford, and he was q really
able bard. Dorothy had heard him
sing once; she was now to hear him
sing again. and I'm a most moving
/ strain.
Clifford's mood was IDEAL for the per-
formance, and his theme. the exiie's
farewell, has always been a favorite.
Moreover, ne had the advantage Of IN
1 Saline N e0rmrsa@n mryxzrfmM ana rnwu~