Evening star., 1911-01-18

| in a city bank had that day crept IN
| among a number of cuttings relating 70 q
/ ship that had been found somewhere OF
| the Chilean coast with all sails set and
everything in perfect order. but with not
| a soul on board. She expressed her PIT
| terest contempt for men in responsioie
positions who betrayed their trusts-higt-
way robbery she thought much nooier
crime. as the robber dignified his act by
exposing himself to personal danger
In our day. Arnold" she said, placing
her knife and fork carefully on her plate
! lin our day the ten commandments have
| lost their moral significance and retain,
| fear. only a very slight literary inter
| est"
| She reminded Cecilia Of an appointment
| to ride that morning: in the early after
| noon she was to install a new kennel
master and otherwise there was a full
/, day ahead Of her. 1t was a cheerful
breakfast table. A letter from my as
sistant confirming his telegraphed resig-
nation did not disturb me; Miss Oc-
tavia showed no further signs of aban-
doning her quest of the golden coasts of
youth, and Cecilia. having recovered her
notebook. faced the new day cheerfully
4 little later | met Miss Hollister in
the hall dressed for her ride.
ARNOLD. you may ride whenever YOU
like. ! may have forgotten to mention it.
What have you on hand this morning."
IAN appointment with lady," | re-
Piled
"
that Beacon street slipper l wish you
good luck
She was drawing on her gauntlets and
turned away to hide smile, I thought:
then she tapped me lightly with her
riding crop.
''Cecilia's silver notebook was missing
last night. She told me Of her loss with
,, tears. She has it again this morning.
Did YOU restore it?''
1T was my good fortune to do So
hon n 20 ,AI o.,1rc fn
hers. You are an unusually practical
person, Arnold Ames as well as the
possessor Of an imagination that pleases
me. You are becoming more and more
essential to me. Cecilia approaches and
cannot say more at this time.
When they had ridden out of the porte
cochere l set off across the fields to keep
my tryst with Hezekiah. The air had
been washed sweet and clean by the rain
of the night. and sky was never bluer.
l was surprised at my own increasing
detachment from the world. Nothing
that had happened before the AsOlando
matttered greatly; my meeting with Miss
Octavia Holister had marked climac-
teric from which all events must now be
reckoned. l had embarked with high
hope in profession to which l had been
drawn from youth, had failed utterly TO
find clients. and had therefore taken up
the dOctOring of fiues, a vocation whose
honors are few and dubious and in which
felt 1t to be damning praise that l was
called the best in America. My days at
Hopefield were the happiest Of my life.
Few as they had been. they had changed
my gray. bleak course into a path bright
with promise. The world had been too
much with me, and l had escaped from it
as completely as though l had stepped
upon another planet. where all is pos
sible and all unknown
l reached the fallen tree that Hezekiah
had appointed as our trysting place a
little ahead of time, and indulged in
pleasant speculations while l waited. l
was looking toward the hills, expecting
her to come skimmng along the high
way on her bicycle. when splash caused
me to turn to the lake. Dull of me not
to have known that Hezekiah would con-
trive a new entrance for a scene 50
! charmingly set as this. She had stolen
upon me in slight skiff. and laughed to
see how her silent approach startled me.
! She dropped one oar and used the other
as paddle. driving the boat with a sure
hand through the reeds into the bank.
'Tis morning and the days long,
CTo be continued tomorrow.)