Middletown transcript., 1911-04-08


q faint flush.
Dallas laughed uneasily. II |
could will, 1 would have no need
TO wish, he said.
Indeed! Can't you tell me the
wonderful wish? Helen asked
He shook his head, but irreso
lutely.
You wouldn't understand, ne
murmured, signing family after
the last word.
Wouldn't? What a stupid l
must be! Helen laughed, pre-
tending to pout afterward.
Dallas got up and walked the
length of the room. At the fire
place he said abruptly over bis
shoulder:
I wish l had never seen you or
else could marry you.
Whether or no? Helen count
cred, her eyes dancing.
He turned short about. MOCK
me! All you like! he said. You
knew from the beginning l WASH I
free to choose. Marcia's father
made me-but for him l should
never have got a start. I've
paid the money-insisted on it
the first minute 1 could. But
gratitude! Heavens! All l am or
ever shall be, won't began to pay
that. And he has set his heart
on having me in the family
Marcia herself acquiesces-I
doubt if she greatly cares.
You are wrong. She does
care, Helen said, also rising
You are as much an outward and
visible sign of her fathers wealth
and consequence as her motor or
her tiara.
And nothing more? Lord! If l
thought so-DalIas began.
Helen put up her hand impera'
lively for silence. That was a
horrid speech-truth generally
is, she said.
Forget it, please-it makes no
difference and remembering
will only hurt.
Notwithstanding-1 shall re-
member, Dallas said, his voice
low and hoarse.
Helen went a pace toward him.
A wise man would marry Marcia
out of band, she said. She is so
handsome, her bridegroom can
not fail to be fond of her.
1 am fond of her-so fond l
thought I loved her-until you
came into my life, Dallas said, a
little shake in his voice.
Helen's eyes met his long gaze
steadily. Are you sure you
know what love is? she asked
clearly.
III loved, neither heights nor
depths nor principalities nor pow
ers, nor any earthly things could
come between me and my be-
loved
l see you despise me now as a
coward, Dallas said, half turning
away.
No-nothing more than a wise,
avery wise person, sheanswered,
little bitterly. Prove the wis
dom by leaving me at once.
Dallas would have caught her
to his breast-she pushed him
away, pointing silently to the
door.
AS it closed behind him she
sank down, shaken with gusty
sobs. She had hoped he would
stay in spite of everything-here
as everywhere, Fate stood
Marcia's friend.
It was hard. Marcia was her
cousin once removed-big, slow,
splendid, phlegmatic. Helen her.
self was a bit of human quick
silver-she had not meant to let
herself really love Dallas. The
affair had begun, indeed, in her
determination to show that once,
if no more, she could triumph
over Marcia. Marcia had every.
thing-money, friends, the love
of a real man, even though she
was not going to marry him.
And as the wife of Dallas she
would have honors-perhaps al
most the highest in the land. Al.
ready men spoke Of him as a
darling of the gods. Things
came to him, unasked, apparent.
ly, that other men sought
through toilsome years, yet
never found. He was rising, 35
it was part of the situation
that, disregarding all tempta.
tions, he had waited to match
himself with his benefactor's
daughter. He had played with
her, a dimpled, rather heavy
creature, had watched hor orow