The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-08

s"vps OVSN uleS Inv pAtJ ~ - uWu IVt
. woman tired and in unvotced dis
tress. Who was that should ques-
ton herr What possible claim had
upon even the 1sasE Of her thoughts?
She was patheaically vsazy and ais-
turbed, and was = suIlen hrAta.
I spoke to her ~ n conversation
had been unbrUksn. 'Of seurss am
to take you home"
She shook her hsaA
That's perfectly absurd" said.
There must be some Inn or other
near you. I can pat up there for
the night and 90 ON In the morning.
In fact I am pretty tired. myself;
tho nearest place that can yet sup
per and bed II the best place for
me-"
She considered for q long moment.
Very well" she said ut last, II am
tired and still a little dizzy: II would
be nice to be taken all tho way home.
don't generally mind the dark, but
suppose that we were q good deal
shaken up. There IL m inn, too, but
1t would be very silly OF you to no
tAere, unles.~-unless for some reason
we could not put you up"
"Oh. come" l said. you probably
bnvs housef1l at rne present mo-
ment, and you know II. Nothing Is
more upsetttng IN the world than the
unexpected guest
Well, we shall see" she answered.
Il am pretty sure that nobody but
the family ia at home, and father will
want to see you and thank you.
knight-errantry appeals TO him. We
will leave the asking to mother. II
she can she will want you TO stay. II
she can't. well the inn - not 30 bad
aftsr all. There IL In, by the way. on
that little hill. j had no idea that
We were 30 near home. We get OF
at that next electric light. Win you
please signal 10 the cOndlctorT
The car stopped and / helped her
down. taking our two bags with the
strange feeling that WAS suddenly
coming to, the end OF p brief senti-
mental Journey. Our companion In
misfortune, who had chosen q seat
by herself. scarcely looked UP. II was
no great walk to the house and pres
entity Miss Tabor pointed It out to me.
II was large and low, set we'll back
hedge divided from ths outer world.
AZ we neared tho pillared gate q
high -shouldered man stopper out nsr-
vously from the shadow. Miss Tabor
put her hand upon my arm. "Just
wait here = moment. please" shs said
and ran forward to hmm.
1t had grown almost dark, but ]
could see that she leaned toward him.
placing both hands upon his shout
ders. The soft sibilance Of her whis-
pered words and the startling rum
Bile Of his bass came TO me indisttnct-
ly, merely wordless tones. I grew
red In the darkness and turned my
back, for / had caught myself trying
to listen.
Presently Miss Tabor came to me.
II didn't mean TO keep you 20 LONG,,
che apologized. "but you see
1T wasn't long" I said shortly. sur
prised TO find myself angry. So a. we
climbed the steps the shadow had
dropped between us again.
For 4 moment stood blinking
when the door had shut behind us.
The large. low room in which We
stood was not brilliantly lighted. but
the sudden change from the soft out
door gloom dazzied me. Tho room
was very large indeed fIoored with
dull red tile. paneled In dark oak;
a. great Dutch fireplace, filed with
towers, breathe~ fragrance. Opening
from the rooms far end. and raised
three steps above Its level. was
dining-room. On orr entrance TWO
chairs had been pushed back rom
the table. and now o slim. pretty little
woman came running down the steps
and across the big room.
lady. dear" she cried, what on
earth has made you 70 later" Shs
funs herself into Miss Tabor's arms.
hugging her as child would.
49, To nv
will tell you all about II. mother
dear" she laughed. let me intro
duce Mr.. Crosby. without whose help
I should have probably been much
later. And. Mr.. Crosby. this Is my
mother"
She greeted me Erac,ously, turning
to Introduce me to her husband. who
had followed her moro slowly. He
was D fforid man and rather tall, his
gray eyes being level with my own.
When places had been made for
Us at the table, and we were gathered
In tbs close radius OF the table lights,
I found myself surprised that the
daughter looked % little like either.
Her mother was much smaller than
she, one Of those women who never
grow thin or fat, but whose aEs comes
upon them only az sort OF dimming of
rnore. intimate Light I. found he1 look
Ing more her years. pretty and soft
and doll-like, but too delicate q ves-
sci for any great strength OF spirit
Z. sweet little woman. afectionAte and
inconseQuent. Her words came quick
ly and with certain merry insistence,
but with little nervous pAuses that
were almost sad in their intensity:
and once when bicycle sounded
family from the street she stopped
altogether, her hand at her heart,
her head turned ara listening. unfN
her husbands quick laugh brought
her blue eyes duestiongfy to him. Then
va all plunged Into conversation At
once - II ashamed OF the sudden
pause It had given us.
Miss Tabor and ! were made TO
give an account OF eur accident, or
rather she gave It. and q very nicely
tempered account II was. too. was
kept busy devising plausible confirna-
ton Of surprising understatements.
She seemed for some reason very
anxious to hide . possible seriousness
In the matter, and har4 0H0& brae1.
tleadinx glance bound me 70 her
freely accepting tho ,udgment Of her
conscience for my own. Under these
circumstances ! expected no mention
Of the loss and finding OF the ring
and there was none.
Both mother and father called
Miss Tabor Lady: 20. remember
cd. had all her intimates 1t the Christ
mas house party. Yet her bag hAd
been initiated m. B. T." thought
tho nickname . gracious ono and well