The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-22
A Vrginian Page for Each Member Of the Family
THE. STOLEN HOUR
ETHEL HARRINGTON.

plainsmans heritage" The words
/ tumbled over each other as IL the
speaker had no choice but to give
them utterance. "All day I've been
nghting II has been that craving
against my ambition and--and ! had
strangled IL, or thought so, till you
Leame with your talk OF freedom" Her
voice broke, but she held her head
proudly. Later she must Yield to the
flood OF emotion, now held in check,
/ IL was the bitter price that she must
pay Tor victory, tangible In her letter
! To Windmere. but not until she WAS
alone.
Suppose the man you marry can't
understand that sort of hunger-has
never felt IL? You might blow your
brains out some day when the fever's
ont"
! Thrusting her chair abruptly back,
MiIlicent stood a little behind him.
where ne could no longer watch her
face. When she spoke IL was with
an effort. her tone showed strain.
II never should have allowed you
to rake UP the past to-day" She
dropped her chin upon her arms.
crossed on the high back OF his chair;
she stared dry-eyed. into the glowing
GOALS Mother was always ambi-
ltious, even when we lived In a cabin
I and she did the family wash. She's
/ tina same to-day, uHty instead Of
money she Graves position and power.
! Not so much Tor nersefr as fort ftes-
and-within certain itmits-ehe has
made me like herself. She dragged
me at the heels Of society until she
compelled recognition. In return she
asks only that ! marry we'll. That
letter would have paid my debt to
| her She broke into an almost
| historical laugh. m other failed in
her generalship when she admitted
you to-day, Ior~--with you here, sum
moning up pictures of the past
can't do it!'
you don't object If / smoke ~
Rising abruptly, Adam selected u
| cigar, and the hand that held the
/ match was unsteady The girl, hav-
ing risen, also watched the pickering
| fame. hands clasped before her
You, with thousaHus moods day,
! how do you know that this will last -
The brutality of the question whip
ped the girl to fury. Catching up the
letter she tore it, shred TO shred.
by this and this" she cried pas
sionateIy. fiinging the fragments into
the fame. Then. empty hands spread
wide. she turned from him, suddenly
weary Of controversy. Now go, l
shall not marry Lord Windmere."
The hands offhe clock having com
ple,ed the circle, its silvery gong
struck s. Within the hour Rowe
had made good his boast, but some
thing in the girls attitude spoiled the
| flavor of success.
Until you put that letter into my
| hand l had no notion the fellows
claim was so pressing" she said
| tersely. you see, the girl we've been
talking of could give herself for moth
ing less than love. And / had come
here free, for the first time. to speak
plainly. Your attitude seemed to say
that time for discussion was past. 80
II made time-i stole an hour-set
your clock back But II you regret
your decision, it's not too late. Send
your letter to the train. it VIII catch
Windmere all right"
Please co. repeated the girl
YEARLY. I'm tired--and mother viii
have TO be told"
II said we should discuss matters
concerning us both. | can't go Tia
I've said my say. Luck has stood by
| me, though It's been touch and sc
! with most of us on the street these
last few months. But I'm out of the
woods now. and I'm going to take a
u long vacation
The girls lashes flickered, other.
wise she did not stir,
I'm going back to our hills ant
DlBlnHs 4 want W tbht you Will mt
AT last, when she was off guard
the only vital issue between them had
| taken form. Always. forming the
background of her life. she had dis
, cerned Adams love. Yet, with wo
: mans weapons, she had avoided re
! cognition of IT between them, since
once acknowledged, 1t could only b,
struggle to the death between 1
| and her ambition. Yet, now that h,
had broken down her barriers, values
seemed different. life less complex
A new world opened-one in which
, , her feet would trace familiar path.
that might lead to peace.
You don't guess how far Nv,
grown from our old life"
Nor do / care, girl--girl IT..
years since the child GAGE her prom
Use to the boy; need the man wal
longer for his wife,"
Slowly her wavering eyes were
drawn back by his. flled with in
articulate love and worship, and the
blood leaped in her veins as she sur.
rendered herself to his arms. As they
closed hnngriiyg around her II seem
ed ~ II she had been waiting for thi,
moment always. though she had no
known.