El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-06
LITTLE LOVE STORIES
The Quarrel By Mabel Herbert Urner

leaned back in silence. She gazed out
at the great dark buildings that seemed
to frown upon her as they flew past
The street lamps made dim splashes or
yellow light in the darkness. Farther
out the avenues were almost oeserleu
only the changing of distant street
cars and the sound of their own car
rage relieved the stiffness.
IL Am Coming In"
familiar church spire doomed up
before them; she caught her breath
square now-the carriage had stopped.
He helped her out and up the stone
steps. At the door she turned to bid
him formal good night.
Il am coming in He said it very
quietly.
OH
"One cannot say much for your hos
pitality.H
I'll beg your pardon-it did not oc-
cur to me that you would care to come
in"
They were In the library now. She
went over to a chair by the open CRATE
and drew off her gloves He was stand
ing by the mantel, looking down into
the fire.
There was long silence-heavy, in
tense, unbearabIe. Her hands trem-
bled painfully; she played with her
gloves that he might not notice. But
he was still gazing down at the fire.
At last he turned to her: That mes
sage-the telephone call for your father,
it was not from a patient. had it sent"
"You-had-it sent she repeated
duly II don't understand"
ct is very simple arranged to have
him called away
And my father-he knew?"
Yes"
He knew you would be sitting be-
hind us?"
Yes"
And that he would ask you to look
after me?"
Yes"
You had planned all that?" Her
voice was hard and cold.
Yes"
And this-the telling of it to me-
had you planned that. too?"
''No"i
No? Didn't you?" with a bitter
! little laugh. What a pity you did not
plan it all. 1 am sure you could have
| thought of something more effective
| than this. Don't you think you could?"
Possibly"
The End of the Quarrel.
But you did not think it necessary,
did YOU? You counted only on giving
me an opportunity of being with you.
You thought that I would do the rest
/ that would make all kinds of conces-
sions, that I would retract all the
things l said when we parted, and
most humbly admit that it was II
who had been wrong. How magnani-
mous-how infinitely magnanimous Of
| you to give me this chance TOTO win
! you back
Had you let me explain this-I could
have justified it, objectionable as it
may seem. But-since you have chosen
to look at it as you dol can say moth
| ing 1t is very late. 1 should not have
detained you so long
Before she realized it he was gone.
The room seemed suddenly to mock
her with its emptiness. There was a
startling Stiffness about ii. Her eyes
were fixed on small bronze dragon
that was on the mantle that he had
pushed aside with his arm. II was there
he had stood when first he told her OF
his love and then he had come to her
| and taken both her hands and she had
| registered a swift vow that whatever
pain and sorrow the years might bring,
| she would bear them uncomplainingly
for the sake of that moment of supreme
! joy.
And now-now he was going out of
| her life forever-forever. Oh. MONO
anything but that She flew through the
! library and out into the hall.
No-he had not gone-he was stand
| ing by the door drawing on his gloves.
| She could have cried aloud with the joy
| of finding him. And then she realized
| that she was holding out her hands to
i him and that he was looking at her
: with cold, grave eyes.
She drew back, clasping her hands
! nervously. "Oh, II came to see If you
! had gone-I mean if you had closed the
| door-it does not always latch"
81 will close the door and latch it,
/ She shrank from the coldness in his
| voice.
"Oh. Frankfort you-can't you see
! oh, you are making it so hardr' Her
/ lips were trembling piteously.
! You made it very hard for me-"
| His voice was still cold, though a
warm light crept into his eyes But
/ she did not see it, for her own were fill
ed with tears.
She turned back into the library, sank
on a couch and buried her face in the
| pillows.
And then-then he came to her. There
was no GOODNESS in his voice now. for
in its place had come an infinite ten
! derness.