The Bossier banner., 1910-11-17

a bar to his marriage with Anna Clar-
endon Raring might be bound in hon.
or mol. to betray his friend. and yet he
might feel privileged to school Anna
in the mysteries of character reading
for her own protection. But this was
mere guesswork on my part. The facts
In the case came to my knowledge
presently
About noon Of the next Saturday
Barring and Rutherford met accidental
" In that little piece of pandemonium
that lies at the New York end Of the
Brooklyn bridge Rutherford was about
to descend the stairs to the subway.
and Barring had just come up
Il hear that you're going out to the
Stuarts for the week end" said Ruth
erford.
Barring shook his head.
NO." said he; Il was asked. but
| I'm not going. In fact. old man. I'm
not going anywhere any more"
what do you mean by that?''
Simply that the world is the world
and ! am poor" answered Barring
"All my friends are rich. can't
make money. SO must give up my
friends Prom him that hath not
shall be taken away even that which
he hath When General Clarendon
came into his brothers vast possess
sions the last link was broken that
bound me to society My patrimony
is too small to mention. Pm a poor
author: that's the size of me. Ny
apartments are not a garret. but It's
quite the same thing in these days"
THE Clarendons"-
Il know it. They're the last people
in the world to found a distinction
upon difference of fortune. But
they're not doing It. you see I'm do
ing It,"
Il used to think you were rather
fond of Anna" said Rutherford. With
more feeling than the simple words
seemed to call for.
Il was and am and ever shall be. -
answered Barring. .'but my hopes ex.
tend no further than that she may
marry good man. And he looked
straight into Rutherford's eyes.
Rutherford laughed In an embar
rassed fashion as he shifted his
glance.
''Confound your parlor magic" said
he 1--WE seen so much of 1t that
can't bear to have you look at me-
II don't see anything that you need
lie ashamed Of" responded Barring.
Then wish me WE'LL" said Ruther
ford wish me well tomorrow
Barring understood. Miss Clarendon
was to be at the Stuarts' for the weei
end. and Rutherford had resolved t.
try the hazard of his happiness.
"1'm to meet Anna on the platform
below" said Rutherford after Il pause
'She has been at her fathers office
We're going uptown together and thel
to the Stuarts on the O'Clock trail
with some others of the party.
must hurry ! should not have dc
layed so long 1t Is possible tha
Anna may he already Oh the platform
} Walk along down with me-"
They went down the stairs togethe
and as far us the ticket office. wher
Barring babe his friend goodby AS b
turned hack toward the stairs he sav
Miss Clarendon descending.
I He was not in the mood to NEE
her. and so he stepped aside into tn
/ mouth of a gallery that opens fror
the main passage. She passed clos
: to him. but did not see him. thong
for moment she seemed to look a
most straight into his face. He oi
served her keenly. An Overmasterfn
impulse had tnken possession OF hin
and he exerted all the power Of hi
singular gift. developed by years 9
patient study. She was on her wa
to meet Willis Rutherford. Of who's
love for her 1t was impossible that sh
should be unaware Unless she iacke
the intuition of her sex she mus
know that he was on the very verR
Of a declaration. The next few hour
would bring her the happiness of los
confessed. IL indeed she loved. Coul
she carry this knowledge in her heal
and not reveal 1t to such an observe
as Barring? In mere sport he had rea
trivial secrets in her face. Could /
fail to read a secret which Is 0fte
amusingly clear even to untraine
eyes?
Experience whispered to him thu
the moment was exceptionally oppo
tune. The girl was hurrying to met
Rutherford. Surely II she cared Il
him his image would be clear In h
mind. And haste itself relaxes Il
habitual control whereby we overlu
what is simple and natural with wh;
is conventional.
Unconscious of his presence. st
passed him and was gone BARN
put up his hands to his eyes and len
4 ed for moment against the tiled wa
of the gallery. Shame and angus
r swept over him like bitter food.
5 had spied upon the woman he love
= The long indulged habit Of his p
y culiar study had tempted him vii
the sudden thought OF an achievemel
difficult to the verge Of impossibilit
and at the trial 1t had proved to
far easier than the simplest Of tho
Z tricks with which he was accustOm,
to astonish his intinlates. If AM
T. Clarendon had confessed her lore I
e Rutherford in the most precise tern
which the language affords she cou
b. have added nothing to Raring's &C
It tainty. His bad angel. who had J,
him into this dishonorable expertmer
IN had chosen moment for II when 4
ID girls secret was written In every fe
y ture.
le Barring found his way to lit,
3 workroom Of his high mp in the to