Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1910-02-24
BE ZEN
u ANCES
BY SARA CONE BRYANT
Copyright. by Short Stories Co., Ltd)

Copyright. by Short Stories Co., lLtd)1
Anne Gregory sat in corner Of
Frau Baumgarten's library listening
10 the snatches of talk and music
which penetrated the heavy draperies
between her retreat and the salon,
and enjoying the moments stolen
respite from social duties all the more
for her uncertainty as to how long it
would last. Through the small gap
In the portieres she caught fugitive
gl1mp imposes Of passing guests. One tall,
square. shouldered, in the Prussian
uniform, paused briefly, just in view.
Two charming English girls passed,
and then a second tall mans figure, in
evening clothes. ,..4.. .......
And then the draperies were, gen
thy pushed aside, and Mr.. John Dur
nam came quietly in through the open
ing. n. 81 .,,.-,......,.,.-. ........ .., 49,.
You'd much better go away, jack
the girl murmured, lazi]y. s,a.s ,s{l -:
Thanks, awfully," was the cheer
ful response "since you are so press.
ing' Twill stay a Bit And he pro-
ceeded to settle himself on chair
arm opposite the window-seat where
Anne had curled herself up. Il G.e. =
Anne tapped her foot on the wood.
en- edge of the window.seat; finally
she laughted. Mr.. Durham looked gen
thy surprised. Then his face grew
quite serious. do you like these Ger.
mans, Anne" he said. s'-e
TOO abstract Make it concrete,
Jackie, and I'll tell you"
We'll, Won Hammerstein, for in
stance?" 49,,
Certainly 1 d." promptly; don't
you?"
Il don't think know him quite as
well as you do"
III You did, you would" said Anne,
enthusiastically. HE is-so inter-
esting.'' ...,
Out of the corner of her eye she
observed that her enthusiasm awak-
ened no response. ..
When Jack spoke it was on another
subject, though not unconnected
with the former: Pretty swell vio-
lets you have on" he said. Made in
Germany?" .
What do you mean?" st. --
mean, am l the only man who
isn't allowed to send you violets :?
You are wearing some tonight"
To 01x
you are the only man I know we'll
enough to-well to advise for his
own good?" t.,- ... ..z<..tA# ,-;ass. ,:
Anne's face wavered between re-
sentiment and guilty amusement;
finally, a reluctant smile crept toward
the dimple in her left cheek, and she
lifted reproachful eyes to his.
"Ah, Jackie, how mean you are!"
she said, in small voice she re-
served for him. = ..~-'
"Anne!" Her heart jumped with
the startle of it. The voice was no
more Jacks familiar voice than the
stern white face was his face. --
"You have called me boy a good
many times In the past, Anne" he
said. Il am not boy. The time
has come when you must understand
that"
Something in the low repressed
tones hurried the girls heart-beats
and made it hard to hold her eyes
level on his. She found her eyes
dropping till she could see nothing but
her own tightly clasped hands; at
that she was both angry and ashamed;
1t had never happened to her before.
1T means something to me- she
heard him saying, that you should
not think of me as a boy. find can't
stand it any longer. Anne, will you
look at me, please?"-
Anne's ears were full of pounding
noises, and her heart was doing un.
comfortable things out of due local
ity; as for looking at him!-she real
lied suddenly that she was afraid to
look. Then she considered; afraid
of Jack-Jack? That was plainly ridi-
culous. She would not yield to such
folly; she would look at him coolly
and say: "Well?"> But she did not.
And then through the pounding the
voice came again, still lower, but
with quiet incomprehensible author
ity in it: Look at me, Anne!"
He had not moved, but it seemed to
her that he had taken her face in
his two hands and was lifting it; and
the rebellfous eyes followed the same
imper1ous power. A long minute she
looked with eyes that could not es-
cape the passionate holding of his,
while he gave her his soul to read as
a man holds out his palm to friend.
And when the minute was over, the
knowledge had crept through every
fiber OF her that the face was indeed
not the face of a boy, but of a man.
Queen Anne-my queen! he
breathed. !. "
The girl made hasty, tremulous
notion slipping to her feet as II to ies.:
cape some danger. The movement
brought her gown against him, and
both his hands closed round the one
which hung at her side. The CLASP