Arizona republican., 1911-09-13

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afraid of what he might discover; bu
looking at her with new eyes he wa
compelled to admit that she was {
! pretty girl-decidedly a pretty girl
She might have been-dnybOdy posi-
| lively, she was so knowingly trig anC
up to the minute in the smallest de
tail of her street things. This very
effect upon himself kept him alive &c
the necessity of satisfying himself or
| the point for which he had arranged
the interview; and he hoped with al
the harassed business-side of his SOU
| that she was as devoid of interest In
himself as he believed her TO be. He
wanted her back, working her old mail.
miracles. Yet it wasn't an easy thing
to discover .
"Of course you know" he told her
frankly, that haven't found anyone
or two-to fill yOar place."
Il hoped supposed you hadn't"
she answered, equally frank Her
smile was frank, too. and friendly. He
stared at her a second, hard. Her
eyes widened a trifle, the pink flush
of her cheeks deepened half tint; but
II was no more than the surprise any
woman might show at unaccustomed
interest. He pushed his chair back,
rose and went over to the window
From his high outlook he could see,
through a rift in the roofs, a patch
of spring sky the color of Sues eyes.
He turned on Miss Parkman almost
angrily
Il want you to tell me-, he said,
why you left US"
Miss Parkman showed neither sur
prise nor confusion. but she didn't re-
ply at once. She made answer finally,
looking at the polished desk top.
Il can't tell you any satisfactory
reason. had been here a long
time, and suppose l developed
nerves. can promise it won't happen
again-if you're willing to take me
back" She looked straight at him
then, and he saw that she was moved,
for some reason unknown to him. He
felt his collar grow uncomfortable. He
cleared his throat nervously. e
You'll think it strange that I in
sist, no doubt. but there are reasons
why hang It all, Miss Parkman,-
forgive me-I'm not clever at mine
ing words. and | want you to be SEN
sible. You always were sensible. Re
call the way you left-the day you
left. was talking to you-earnestly
and you were-er-feeling badly;
and we were interrupted" Miss Park
mans head lifted sharply and her eyes
grew keen. Pen stammcred on. 1T
might have seemed-er-in short. |
don't know myself Deuce take
it, did have anything at all TO 60
with your leaving here? Not that l
think so, but"
Miss Parllman came from her chair
as though 4 hand had wrenchcd her
up. She was scarlet. angry. contemptu-
ous-anything but conscience-stricken.
Are you trying to tell me that any
one would-cOuH-thin
I'm afraid" said Pen. scorching,
that they could. really, don't you
know" Whcrcupon Miss Parkman
turned her back to him and stood so
q full minute. hands clenched. Pen
got out his handkerchief stcalthily and
wiped his forehead. Re was tremen-
dously relieved, when she turned
again, to find that she hadn't been
crying; but she no longer seemed
young. She was pale. with a hard,
wise WEAKNESS about her eyes and
mouth that he wouldn't have liked to
think that Sue could muster.
What | must tell you"-the girls
voice was almost harsh" will make
my coming back out of the question;
but to make you very sure-why, |
asked to come back because | 1rds so
sure Of you. | was interested in the I
of course. but in way that
no one-however close to you-could
have found Objectionable. Don't you
know that?"
"Yes!" Pen exploded 81 do. felt !
it, all the time!"
Thank you. 1t was so. |
can make your belief absolute when | !
tell you that It was-because of an |
other man that | left you Don't |
think anything that isn't so, He was
your friend, came only because of you; ]
but he was kind to me when | CANT |
in his way-as often happened. In the |
was hot Cay and ] |
suppose | looked wilted-he gave me |
some flowers. Gave them in "a nice !
way, you understand; and | was crate. |
full that he had noticed me- | sup !
pose he saw what felt, for after that |
every day-came more flowers. /
| was-alarmed a little; but |
when | saw that he had done no more
than leave an order with his florist
ii meant just a kindly impulse. But |
to me"-she smiled a wry smile that
was verySlike the self-contemptuous
tolerance Billy Trudell had shown the