The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1911-03-06
THE:MAN. HICHERUP
lie cNhw 9dMv A>neyNw
HENRY RUSSELL MILLER

His beautiful woman's mouth
Icurved In q. dreamy smile. 1T /!
company worth any sacrifice tt
win"
"How little you know mel" she
replied, laughing at the tritenes!
of the remark.
He made as if to speak, but de
sisted, and turned to stare agar
out of the window.
| When the car came to a stop be
fore the restaurant, they alightet
and went in. The head waiter
with the obsequiousness of one
who before then had tasted the
generosity of this particular pa
iron, led the way to a small table
In a secluded corner of the room
When he had given his order
Paul, with her permission, light
| ing a cigarette, leaned back in his
chair and inhaled the smoke slow.
lly. A hidden string band drone6
out some soft, sentimental music
The voices of other diners rose In
a subdued murmur. A potted hya-
cinth on the table exuded its
lstrong, sweet odor which, ming.
ling with the aroma of his tobac-
co, came soothingly to his nos.
trils. Eleanor, at loss to account
for his new vagary and rendered
a little uneasy by it, tried to break
in on it by making conversation
He gave vague, irrelevant an.
swers. The waiter served theiI
luncheon. Paul made only a pre-
tense of eating.
You're eating hardly any,
thing" she said. Aren't you
well?"
For answer he pointed to hei
own plate, hardly touched.
Il had a very late breakfast,
she explained.
$50 had l.. "Hushi" he almost
whispered. Let us not talk"
With Neutrality-suspicious. shrue
of her shoulders she gave over the
lattempt to disturb him. She won.
dered how she could ever have de-
ceived herself into the belief that
she could love or that she wanted
to love him.
1T was pity only" she thought
always pity"
Paul abandoned even the pre-.
tense of eating, watching the wav.
ering smoke of his cigarette and
sleeping himself luxuriously in his
mood. But the bitter-sweet mel
ancholy grew deeper. And grad
ually the sweetness of it's flavor
was lost, leaving only the bitter.
ness; it sat upon him heavily, op
pressively. He had drunk toe
deeply of his draft. A vague, dis.
turbing fear crept into his heart
He stirred uneasily, lowering his
eyes to meet hers. He looked al
her long and steadily. In that look
1t was hiyen him to know that she
would never grant him what he
asked of her; the fair hope, in
spired by Sanger's words, died
within him.
Eleanor, Eleanor!" he cried
softly pleading. at isn't true?"
What isn't true?" she asked
though she knew the answer.
THAT you will never love me?'
he whispered TREMENDOUSLY.
She put out her hand uncertain.
ly, as though she would Tighten
the blow.
NO." she said pityingly. 81
can never love you as you wish
He caught her hand in his own
In their secluded corner they were
safe from observation, though mel,
Ither thought of that.
"Ah! dear, don't say that! YOU
don't know how great my love
for you is. 1t is the one reality in
my life. You remember what
told you, how l knew you would
come into my life some day? THAI
was true. i have always loved
you, even before / saw you. Anc
| always shall love you'll will
make up to you what suffering has
taken out of your life"
Tears came to her eyes. Paul,
she said sadly, "it.hurts me to tel
YOU"
| Don't! I'm willing to wait
even unto death-to win from you
one thousandth of what / give you