The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-07-28


'her" again. for she had been in Eu.
rope when Wyse & Co. opened their
place.
T As soon as she returned he made
haste TO call on her.
When the word haste Is used Il must
be understood In a mild sense. He knew
very well that no rivals would be be-
forehand. No other suitors would ever
again approach her. He had forestalled
and prevented that She would never
again seem attractive to other men.
lie wondered vaguely why this thought
gave him a distinct sense Of uneasi-
ness, feeling as though somehow he
had been cheated. lie was quite sure
that his estimate of his future wife
could IN no way depend on the value
IN which others held her; and yet
when he pictured Jones and Smith
passing her with a sort of Indifferent
snin he felt a desire rising to punch
their heads for lack of taste.
She received him graclously, though
she coverrly looked him over as they
sat together, while he explained in
selfsatshed way that he no longer
had any difficulties to meet.
THAT accounts for it, she observed
Unexpectedly and in a very discon-
tented tone.
Accounts for what?" he demanded
with some offense.
For that fat look about you she
said. You used TO have a sort OF dar-
ing expression in your eyes, as though
you were ready to meet all that fortune
could send. What's become of that?'
How do l know?' he said in natural
pique DO you expect me TO keep
keyed up all the time, now I'm out Of
debt and know I'll never be in it
again?"
You certainly are not keyed up"
she retorled. You have Topped down
spiritually to the sort of level that
those old retired bankers show in their
faces"
Thank you!' he said sardonically as
l4S lNo| anu DS@fAtA pc'AAA4S ALAS AONAAA'
She gave a little cry Of dismay:
Whats become of your beautiful
limp"
My beautiful limp" he repeated,
astounded.
That's why liked you" she said,
beginning TO cry You looked like
soldier with that limp! 1t made you
different from the>other men,"
See here" he retorted furiously,
you'd better find me different from
the other men anyway, for I'm all
the"
He checked himself in time. He
could not be so brutal as to tell her
that he alone, of all the men in the
wide world, had any admiration for
her!
He looked at her critically instead of
speaking, and was dismayed to find
himself picking flaws in her really
pretty face-that face he had once
thought a synopsis Of heavenly lowell
ness.
After this things went on very
strangely.
Where, he asked himself, was the
ardor with which he had hastened to
her side when he had feared the atten-
tions of those fools that used to hover
round her so eagerly? Poor girl! To
be with her had become a distasteful
duty, for she was marked wall-hower
at every dance unless he danced with
hnv Dfr
One day he overheard his special
friend, Herbert Lance, wondering what
Adams had ever seen in that Miss
Cumming, and he cursed his luck and
agreed.
Something else worried him.
Whence came this feeling of perpetual
discomfort with his future-that beau
tiful future now so pleasantly mapped
out for him! He did not have to raise
his finger His wife to be and his
money we're utterly secure in his hands
and yet he began to realize with
kind of dull horror that the only things
that really gratifed him now were the
brute delights. such as eating and
drinking, which once he had whole
sOmely despised.
He determined to see an old ac-
quaintance-th middle-aged dame who
had to scrimp for her daughters He
would get sympathy from her, as her
own ills were healed.
She forestalled him by pouring out a
torrent Of personal woe.
Il must tell you!" she mourned.
I've known you since you were in
arms. And you are close-mouthed. l
am just miserable-miserabl l never
TContinued next week.l