Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-01-14
BROKEN ENGAGEMENTS.


Reading over the girls last letter-and
reading clearly between the lines-was
| ample proof of his predicament The
correspondence had been begun purely
| in spirit of Jest, over year ago, but
as is the case very frequently with adj
venturous natures, it had run swiftly
| through all the successive stages of
| friendliness. intimacy, sentiment, until
I.today-he swore softly as he thrust the
letter back into the envelope and iammed
| both in the desk drawer
1t had all been the work of his cousin
! Letitia-drawing him, in his sore and
desperate frame of mind. into this PEE
culiar relation with a girl he had never
set eyes upon, except in a picture.
| Thank heaven he had not committed
himself-not yet; though from the looks
of things, it was now only question of
time
Seabright tossed aside a photograph
and buried his face on his crossed arms.
Several minutes passed, and finally he
picked up a pen, dipped it in the ink
well and wrote:
Dear Lefty: | am leaving for Phila-
delphia tomorrow night Awful good of
you to send me such a pressing invita-
tion to come and make the acquaintance
of Miss Dunlap, and I've no doubt /
shall be trebly repaid for the effort.
Am rushed, so goodbye till Wednes-
day at 4. Devotedly. HAROLD"
The die was cast. His visit could adj
NIT of but one Interpretation. He had
carried things to point where the issue
could no longer be evaded, and, in the
queer revulsion of feeling that had come
over him. he felt strange sense of ex-
hilaration. After all, if she had ever
cared for him in the right way, she
could not have so easily given him up.
Despite the undue brightness of his
eyes and the paleness of his resolute
| face, he made up his mind that he could
and would-forget Margaret Payne
| Tt took most of the afternoon and
next day to get his affairs into some
sort of shape preparatory to his visit to
| Philadelphia
Seabright followed the porter into the
| Pullman, hung up his topcoat and hat,
| took a magazine out of his pocket and
tried to read.
The last call for dinner reused Sea
bright from his dependency. His APP
petite was miles away. but he rose from
sense of duty and made his way into
the dining car ahead. Forty five min
utes later, when he returned. the seat
opposite his had been taken at Wash
| ington. The young lady was busy UNI
| tying her veil, and he sat down quietly,
| giving his attention again to the dis
carded periodical 1t was at least half
an hour before he ventured a glance at
the occupant across from him. But she
was deeply immersed in a crisp new
time table, and, though her own cheeks
were pink as peonies, she did not see
the rivers that went surging up to Sea-
brights temples.
Presently the conductor came for her
ticket and she was obliged to make a
break in her absorption. Seabright's
gaze had never left her face. and as she
turned to shift her glance, he caught a
fugitive flash from the corners of her
turquoise eyes.
margaret" He leaned a trihe for
ward as the conductor passed on, and
although he did not dream it, his eyes
and his voice, too, were full of passion
ate appeal He seemed to have quite
lost sight of the fact that, fifteen months
ago. they had parted promising
: never to speak to each other again.
The girl looked at him squarely for an
S instant, the rich crimson mounting grad
$ ually to her forehead, then her lashes
, | tlickered and the lids fell But what.
ever of inward tumult she may nave
felt, when she spoke her voice was ad-
mirably calm and cool
"This is something of a surprise. Mr.
Seabright. What is your destination p
The delicate, deliberate manner in which
. she had dismissed the personal element
: from n threatening conversation caused
Seabright's heart TO drop inealculable
: distances Could it he that she regard.
: ed him as inditfeTently as her tone would
. indicate?
$ After informing her that he was en-
f route to Philadelphia 10 keep an impor.
$ tant engagement they talked in mono,
u ! syllables for an hour Then. after try.
Y ing silence, Seabright-who had never
n practiced or cultivated the ethics of di
II plomaey-broke out precipitately:
5. For heavens sake, Margaret. don't
e treat me like this. Can We not. at least
be friendly@"
Margaret Payne had not in all her life
been known to make n compromise be
tween truth and expediency. She an
+ swered him directly: NO Harold. WI
l. cannot" she said
IS Il am, then, utterly offensive to you?'
E, The girl lost color momentariy. g
1. did not say that"
d Seabright's heart beat hard and fast
= for a second. The wounded look in he
! eyes, the almost imperceptible trenholm.
n of her gloved hands, folded in her lap
IS the wistful droop of her lips ali seemed
10 to convey a sweet subtle message I,
# him
y Dear" he began eagerly, don't LEI
e us 30 on and wreck our lives hopelesslv
:, We were yourg, foolish; the things W,
# said we could never have really meant
Loving each other as we did, have beef