The Tupelo journal., 1910-02-25

| u SGc WudI lie WOulu w.. oLC was
ashamed of it, and a little disguised
with herself. The part of her that
was Margaret Dome felt the disgust;
the part that was Cordova felt the
shame, and each side of her nature
was restrained at a critical moment.
Yet when the Good Friday" music
began, she was thinking of Van Torp
and he was unconscious Of her pres
ence.
1t could not last, and soon she, too,
was taken up into the artificial para
disc of the master-musician and borne
along in the gale of golden wings, and
there was no passing of time till the
very end; and the people rose in 81
lence and went out under the summer
stars; and all those whom nature had
gifted to hear rightly, took with them
memories that years would scarcely
dim.
The two walked slowly back to the
town as the crowd scattered on foot
and in carriages. 1t was warm, and
there was no moon, and one could
smell the dust, for many people were
moving in the same direction, though
some stopped at almost every house
and went it, and most of them were
beginning to talk in quiet tones.
Margaret stepped aside from the
road and entered a narrow lane, and
Van Torp followed her in silence.
This leads out to the fields" she
said. Il must breath the fresh air.
Do you mind?"
ION the contrary"
He said nothing more, and she did
not speak, but walked on without
haste, dilating her nostrils to the
sweet smell of grass hat reached her
already. In a little while they had
left the houses behind them, and they
came to a gate that led into a field.
Van Torp was going to undo the
fastening, for there was no lock.
NO" she said, 1--WE won't go
through. love to lean on a gate"
She rested her crossed arms on the
upper rail and Van Torp did the
same, careful that his elbow should
not touch hers, and they both stared
into the dim, sweet-scented meadow.
He felt her presence now and it al
most hurt him; he could hear his
slow pulse in his ears. hard and regu-
lar. She did not speak, but the night
was so still that he could hear her
breathing, and at last he could not
bear the warm silence any longer.
What were you thinking about?"
he asked, trying to speak lightly.
She waited, or hesitated, before she
answered him.
You" she said, after a time.
He moved involuntarily, and then
drew a little further away from her,
as he might have withdrawn a foot
from the edge of a precipice, out of
common caution. She was aware of
his slight change of position without
turning her Eyes.
What made you say what you did
to Mrs. Rushmore yesterday after
noon?" she asked.
about you?"
Eyes"
"She asked me, point-blank, what
l thought of Logotheti,' Van Torp an
swered. 81 told her that l couldn't
give her an unbiased opinion of the
man you meant to marry, because 1
had always hoped to marry you my
self"
"Oh-was that the way it hap
pened?"
Mrs. Rushmore could hardly have
misunderstood me-" said Van Torp,
gathering the reins of himself, so to
say, for anything that might happen.
mo. But it sounds differently when
you say it yourself"
THAT was just what I said, any
how" answered Van Torp. Il didn't
think she'd go and tell you right away,
but since she has, / don't regret hay
ing said that much"
1T was straightforward, at all
events-if it was all true!" There was
the faintest laugh in her tone as she
spoke the last words.
Its true, right enough, though l
didn't expect that I should be talking
to you about this sort of thing to-
night"
The effect on Mrs. Rushmore was
SAti uiAldi POoIIlNCly lulLlllLdLluS,
Margaret said more lightly. "She
says l ought to break off my engage
ment at once, and marry you! Fancy"
That's very kind of her, I'm sure
observed Mr.. Van Torp.
Il don't think so. / like it less and
less, the more / think of it,"
We'll, I'm sorry, but l suppose it's
nofr1roI cinoa ryN,,txyo concluded ~
marry him, and it can't be helped. /
wasn't going to say anything against
him, and | wouldn't say anything for
him, so there was nothing to do but
to explain, which l did. I'm sorry
you think / did wrong, but / should
give the same answer again.
Mrs. Rushmore thinks that Konstan-
tin is a designing foreigner because
he's a Greek man of business, and
that you are perfection because you
are an American business man"
If I'm perfection, that's not the
real reason" said Van Torp, snatch
ing at his first chance to steer out Of
the serious current; but Margaret did
not laugh.
You are not perfection, nor | eth
err" she answered gravely. You are
famous in your way, and people call
me celebrated in mine; but SO far as
the rest is concerned we are just two
ordinary human beings, and if we are
going to be friends we must under
stand each other from the first, as far
as we can"
I'll try to do my SHARE said Van