The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1909-01-01

THAT Is your answer?' said he.
Il have not answered you at all, e
said Dorothy. ~ am not prepared for
either question or answer. Let us not
speak of It."
Il have spoken" said he sadly. "If
you have not answered, | can only
wait"
YES" she said, wait. We have
been friends. Let us go on 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 be right, it would not be honest, to
| ignore it."
let 1t be So" said she, "and / will
answer
"Whenw
within the year" said she, and
looked for him to plead for a much
bricfer time, but he said gravely:
within this year?' And she an
swered, Yes"
The absurd fellow accepted these
terms as If his honor were in pledge
for their fulfllment. 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 he
didn't ask her for it. He didn't know
enough. He relied upon her promise
year, and now It 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 60 to Pretoria for year,
and he viewed the proposition favora-
bly, because the place was so remote
He had, in fact, accepted, with the sin
gle proviso that lie should be 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
resentatiye In this negotiation, that he
might consider the matter settled, and
then he had clung to the dwindlmg
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 it. Would 1t
be breach Of his word to ask her?
He sat with his head In his hands and
debated this question, and at last, like
a dull, dishonest schoolboy who knows
the answer Of the problem and shapes
his figuring to fit 1t, Clifford shaped
his reasoning to suit bis desire and
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 doingl" she asked
Nothing? You're all alone? Well, |
that won't do at all on New Years eve.
Come right over here. Father Is enter
tanning q few sedate graybeards, and
no one Is entertaining me. II ! had
dreamed that you We're disengaged |
should have summoned you"
That was very friendly-far. far too
much so. A young lady who felt her
relf bound to answer young mans
Dffer of marriage within an hour and
4 half would hardly address him In a
style SO unconstrained. The inevitable |
inference was that Dorothy considered I
the matter settled already. the mo"
tacitly given and understood, the love
episode at an end.
II Is said that poet has died young
N every one Of US. He was not quite
lead In clifford and he was a really
sble bard. Dorothy had heard him
,ing once, she was now to hear him
ling again, and In most moving
train.
Clifford's mood was ideal for the per-
'ormance, and his theme the exile's
'arewell. has always been favorite.
Moreover, be had the advantage Of un