The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1911-02-18
THE:MAN. HlCHERUP
lie cNawg9zM1 Amyaw
HENRY RUSSELL MILLER

She carried the child to Bob
and held him up. Bob, with awk-
ward unfamiliarity, extended his
big hand toward the mite of hui
manity. But the little one refused
to accept the advances, clinging
tightly to Eleanor's neck and re-
garding the big stranger with
frightened eyes.
DO you know what they say
of children's instincts?" she whis-
pered softly, that the others
might not hear. Bob flushed even
more deeply.
1t was a little thing, but it add
ed fuel to the flame of his angry
resentment against her.
She gave the child over to the
maid. Children are dears, even
If they are hard on ones hair"
she laughed, as with the inimita-
gle grace which a woman imparts
to the operation she replaced the
wisps of hair disordered by the
youngsters irreverent hands.
When the damage had been re-
paired. Mrs. Dunmeade suggest
ed, Won't you sing for u.s."
Yes,' Eleanor complied with
tout reluctance, real or affected.
And forthwith she seated her.
self at the piano and sang. Muir
chell took a chair before the fire
and leaned back in comfortable
anticipation. The governor and
his wife seated themselves near
each other where they might wills
per together.
Bob, glad enough of any excuse
for silence and retirement, chose
a seat in shadowy corner. Tehre
had been little music in his hard,
busy life, and such singing as he
heard that evening in the COVER
nor's library was a revelation to
him. 1t gave him a glimpse of a
new world, of a side of life in
which he had no part. AS her
voice rose and fell--in some sim
pie song chosen, had he only
known it, to fit his own limited
comprehension-his eyes fixed
their gaze sternly on the singer.
His arms were folded across his
chest, each hand gripping it's fell
lows biceps-as he had sat
through the convention, when
Paul's impassioned voice, appeal
ing to something higher in the
audience than the orator himself
felt, had found Judgment where
least expected. The easy uncon-
Germ with which he had taken his
place among these people fell
from him. Here in the somber
old library, fragrant with memoir
les, in the presence of the gentle
souled Dunmeades; listening to
the beautiful, cultured, we'll
poised woman who was singing
here was no place for him! Let
me get back to my heelers and my
! fighting, where I belong!"
The song ended, she began an
other. Mrs. Dunmeade, to whom
the governor had whispered the
result of the conference, looked
eagerly toward Bob, with intent
to move her seat beside his. But,
seeing his stern regard of Flea
nor, she stayed where she was,
Iscrutinizing him covertly.
| In his heart Bob was crying in
bitter anger to the woman at the
piano: why did you come into
my life? But for You I could soon
have been master of this state,
alone and undisputed. I, only,
not this Force which these dream
ers spin out of their fancy, could
have done this! But now, be-
cause of you, I have been false
to myself. l am free no longer
hampered by a man with ideals,
bound by this now-found honor to
keep a bargain through which l
have sold my independence"
And then, with a smile and a
glance for him, she struck into an,
other song:
Continued Monday.)