Middletown transcript., 1910-07-16

land.
At the gate of Mavis's home
he heard that the three weeks
was denied him. On the next
day but one she was going to
Scotland. and would not return
until after he had sailed.
The business house by which
ne was employed was sending iagg
him out tc South America as its
representative. 1t was consid.
cred a splendid position for a
man so young, and the salary
attached to it would have amply
justified him in taking out a wife
with him. A fortnight ago he
had been congratulating himself
on the promotion withouta q single
qualifying thought. Now it
seemed to him only an ironical
stroke of fate. He had met the
woman he loved, and he had not
time to make her love him, be.
cause he was compelled to leave
England. And in three years
time what were the chances that
he would find her still free when
she was so beautiful, so sweet,
so wholly the sort of woman that
any man might desire \? 1t seem
ed to him that he had gained his
advancement at the cost Of his
life's happiness, and if he had
been free to choose now he would
have forfeited the promotion on
which he had congratulated hin
self, rather than leave England,
and the chance of winning Mayis
Arundale. But everything was
settled. He could make no ex.
cuse TO his principals for chang
ing his mind that would not
make him forfeit their confidence
in him.
He was bound to go to South
America for the term he had |
promised; and as he shook hands |
with Mavis at the gate his heart
was heavy with the thought that
when they met again-if they |
ever did-she would in all prob
ability be a wife.
If Mavis's manner had given
him the least encouragement he
might have spoken of his love,
sven though he had no hope ut
Ill of finding it returned. But
there was not a suspicion of sen.
Ilment In her goodbye. She
was bright, easy, self-possessed
rs she had always been, and
above all, perfectly friendly. She
was sorry he was leaving Eng
land. She had enjoyed his &C.
quaintance. She admitted it all
with a frankness which made
him feel that the plunge from
sensible, matter-of-fact friendli-
ness to something deeper was
impossible. And he did not
realize that woman can always
hide her real feelings better than
3 man, because for her the need
Of concealment is greater.
He watched her climb the steps
Of her home, saw her graceful
figure outlined for a moment
an oblong of light, as the
door opened to receive her, and
turned with a sigh to his waiting
hanson, telling himself that it
was his last view of the only
woman he would ever love.
His bachelor cham bers, when
le returned to them, had never
seemed to him SO lonely and
,heerless. The preparations ap.
parent everywhere of his impend-
ng voyage no longer stirred
pleasant anticipations in his mind.
At Rio Janeiro he would feel like
IN exile, thinking of the woman
le had left behind him.
He had had a firing day, work
ng hard in the city all the morn
ng, and rowing most of the after.
icon. But he hal no thought of
yoing to bed. He knew that he
would not sleep, and he paced
he room thinking.
He imagined himself writing
davis a letter. Dear Miss
Arundale: Please put off your
visit to Scotland, and remain in
own, as I am eager to win your
oye and marry you in the three
7eeks. still left to me before |
save England.
1t was the only thing possible,
he did not submit to the fact
lhich decided that he must lose /
er, and it only needed that he
hould put it into practical shape
or him to see how preposterous
would appear toa woman who
ad met him only four times.
He turned to his tobacco jar for !
olace, and found even that de.
led him. The jar was empty.