The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-29
(Continued.)

Inc next morning Il got a uote, ny
special messenger. to gay that he
would be with me that afternoon at
four O'Clock. He gave no reason
why he could not come sooner, and
was little anxious. The slow hours
of that day went by for me in tor
ment. All the past month, while
had been in rebellion, 1 had made
him keep his distance, I had tainted
HIM with the baseness of gaining his
end by caresses; and that day I was
athirst for his kisses, as an Arab in
the desert is athirst for water. Well
for you. my Vernon. that you have
not known the tyranny of such pas
sion - A day seems an hour, a min
The voice of the speaker faltered-
Gied away. Her white, strained face
showed what an effort to her was this
sustained recital-this calling back of
she critical moments of her life.
But Vernon had no mercy on her.
The poignant interest of the story
anastered her: with unconscious
cruelty. she urged herr7T-"Go on! How
did it end?''
Evelyn. in monotonous voice. took
arp the tale, her eyes looking straight
before her, plunged in the past, and
she memory of that crucial day.
Il remember" she said, that 1
Invent to see the winter exhibition Of
pietures at Burlington House. to help
pass away the interminable hours.
tErom that day to this have never
entered Burlington House without a
.pang I am fond of pictures, and
have seen every collection of note in
Europe But that day they seemed
quite meaningless. Only one drew
me across the room, and before that
/ sat staring for know not how long.
garan the Spanish painter. and it was
like Amy-not the Amy of measure
less grief whom / had seen, but Amy
as she might have been when first
Cecil saw and loved her. The lips
did not smile, though somehow the
whole expression was a smile. There
: were the same heavy-lidded eyes, dark
and full of mystery; and the dress
was gay-pale blue and gold, yet
touched by the subtle master hand of
the artist into a harmony e tone that
suggested SORROW.
II argued with that face in my own
mind, telling her that it was over
she had had her day-she was as one
dead, and the man she had loved be-
longed to another woman. Yet I did
not convince myself; and her yelled
smile seemed to say Wait! the end
shows ALL
AT last / felt that 1 dare not look
at her any longer. / wanted the re-
assurance of Cecirs presence. ]
wanted to see his kindled eye and
that flashing smile of exultation with
which he had hailed my first surren-
der AS I drove home I pictured the
constraint of his arms, holding me
close. 1 knew that. in those arms,
j should forget the rest.
1T was a fine winters day, the
streets were full, the shops glowed
with the brightness of their Christ
mas show. looked upon it all, and
said to myself, This is the last Christ
mas that shall see with an un-
burdened mind. In a few days
shall have left England; and when
come back, I shall bear a name to
oil &c
panorama of careless joy and every.
day. safe, home life, will be to me a
reproach, and not stimulus. / shall
be outside
80, back to lunch, and on, on
through the hours that lay between
me and four o'clock. Dressing my.
self and doing my hair. took up a good
while. / remember that 1 thought
] looked very nice when 1 had done
And at last four o'clock came
came, and passed. No Cecil.
Every tick after that was fraught
with the pains and punishments OF
eternity He despised me for my
capitulation. He had been convinc-
ed by my arguments, and had decid-
ed to take Amy from the asylum and
devote his life to her. He had beer
run over in a street accident-that
was so likely that 1 held my breath
in horror. ran through every pos
sible risk and chance. and, looking ur
saw that it was just seven minute;
past
Vernon forgive me. L have new.
er before spoken to a soul of what
endured that awful day. When I had
been an hour in purgatory, and the
clock had rung out five, I though
of sending a messenger to his room
And just then, the bell did sound, ana
heard the step that I should know
in my grave, coming along the corri
dor of the fiat. I sprang up, tense
agonized, knowing that something hat
happened-someth was out o
gear-and he came in, shut the dool
behind him, and stood there, tn,
width of the room between US, facing
me.
Such a Cecil. White as paper
his very lips seemed gray. Their