The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-05-06


thin. She thanked God for the dim
light in the hall ...
This is indeed fortunate" said his
polite voice, with well-bred interest.
Won't you tell me the pleasant things
you have been doing since we last saw
each otber?"
She wished to evince quiet pleas
ure at seeing him again, and she was
resolved not to be plaintive or voluble.
Faithful to your old acquaintances, as
usual" she said, glancing towards the
books of the library. 49,
my old friends, you should say"
he responded, with polite meaning. II
there had only been in his tone one
shade of real Renaissance, the pity
over sweet trifie dead! In her
despair she wanted to save herself by
the role of gentle calm, but her voice
faltered.
Il am spending the winter in New
York for change-in fact-I-I-am
teaching school. It's great fun" She
hurried sensitively on: Il enjoy it i'm
mensely. May l inquire for Mrs. Mark
ham?"
Thank you, she is extremely well,
and Phil is fine lad"
What! is there a Phil?'
There is," he said, laughing boyish.
ly. Junior is five years old"
"Mercy!" she exclaimed, in astonish-
ment. Something cut her to the quick
as the child's image rose before her.
Il am distressed" she said, with
mock seriousness; 1T is a rainy day,
and one has a more than ever old
maidish look in rainy-day gown"
She laughed, trying to make it sound
the old. frank note. Markham, being
dulled by the happiness in his own life,
scarcely needed her sorry little play.
She was an old filtration, good girl
well, she had faded, as they always
do. The pathetic dowdiness, the un-
disguised getting old" that was so evil
dent to herself did not pain or annoy
him, because to him it was of such
of her had been everything. She had
sacrificed herself stoically to it. She
had had the feeling that their &C.
Quaintance was like an unbroken idyl,
covered by dust and cobwebs, per-
chance, but, brush them off, and the
idyl, like fragile vase, would be there
beautiful as ever. He had known
her young, full of blithe grace. He
must remember her so. This ideal
was broken now irretrievably.
May L have your address?" he
asked, cordially. I'VE shall doubtless
not meet again by accident"
Il know where you live" she an
swered, with brightness not intensi-
fed, as of old, by her cheeks and eyes,
"but my address is so far away, and
long distances are such discouragers of
good intentions" she answered, eva
sively. "Au revoir"-she nodded
gracefully and kept her eyes on his
face until she had whirled her awk-
ward skirt out of the door. Then
she took a cross-town car in an
alarmed hurry, lest he might follow
her and find out where she lived.
Markham, however, had scarcely re-
marked the girl. He strolled to the
club and dined later at home. His
wife, in pale velvet dinner-gown that
became her languid grace, greeted him
in the salon. Standing in the chas-
tening light of Venetian lamps, she
was very gratifying to any mans
pride. Philip Markham bowed to her
gallantly.
How appropriate you are, Helen.
You are not day over 20, my dear.
None of us keep spring that way. How
do you do it?"
She leaned playfully towards him.
You do it; you make me happy, and
look so-viola tout! What have you
done to-day?"
Nothing much; lounged about the
Knickerbocker, bought some horses.
and, oh, yes, dropped into the library
the Lenox. BY the way, l ran across
girl used to know, a teacher; that
is, she wasn't a teacher when | knew
her; we said Hello to each other"
At this instant Junior ran into the
room. Bless the boy! Come to
papa, Phil" cried Markham. "Jove,
what lad! He'll soon be sailing the
yacht for papa-I say he's a trim chap
"a kiss-there, run back to M. Gull
laume. The infant can hardly speak
an English word decently. You know,
Helen, I'm in favor of sending him to
Oxford"
He never remembered afterwards
that he had asked Leila to send him
her address and that she had not done
it. That evening the Markhams en-
gagged table at Sherry's, where they
drove after the opera. Plancon was
singing in the "Huguenots."
AS for the school-teacher. she ex-
cused her silence at dinner under plea
of headache. Indeed, her cheeks
were flushed. IF they had but been
pink when / met him." she thought, bit
terly. IF had worn my macintosh
that is stylish, at least-and my best
gloves that are darned only on the in
side, and, oh, If had only curled my
hair." She felt childishly disappoint-
ed; he had not once mentioned the
pearl brooch. 1t would have been easy
for him to have made some allusion to
tat least, he could not have been