The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-11-22
CHAPTER /.
Twilight In the Park.

You may wait Renaud.'
The voice was firm, but the lady
herself hesitated as she stepped from
the tonneau. There was no answer
Holding tho tapping ends of her veil
away from her face. she turned and
looked fairly at the driver of the
machine.
He seemed a businesslike, capable
man, though certain minor details of
his chauffeur's rig were a bit unusual,
and now that he had been obliged, by
some discomfort, to remove his gog-
giles. his face appeared pleasant and
quite untanned. His passenger noted
these things. remarking: "Oh, 1t isn't
Renaud!"
No Mademoiselle; Renaud hadn't
showed up at the Office when you tel
ephoned, so they put me on in his
place"
"Ah. | see" Accent seemed to i'm
ply, however, that she was not quite
pleased. "The manager sent you. And
your name is"
MY name-rather odd name
Hand"
The face half hidden behind the veil
remained impassive. A moments hes
ltation, and then the lady turned
away with a short, You will waltz"
AS mademoiselle wishes. Or shall
perhaps follow slowly along the
drive?"
mo. wait here. l shall return
soon"
The young woman walked away,
erect, well-poised, lifting skirts skill
fully as she paused a moment at the
top Of the stone steps leading down
into the tiny park. The driver Of the
machine, free from observation, al
lowed a perplexed look to occupy his
countenance What the devil is to
pay II she doesn't return-soon!"
The avenue lifts a camePs hump
toward the sky in the space of fifteen
blocks. and on the top, secure as the
howdah OF a chieftain. stands the
noble portico of the old college. To
the westward. as every one knows,
lie the river and the more pretentious
park; on the east an abrupt descent
offers space for a small grassy play !
ground for children who may be seen, |
during the sunny hours of the day, /
romping over the slope.
AS the gaze of the woman swept /
over the charming little pleasance, and |
beyond, over the miles of sign-boards,
roofs, chimneys and intersecting
streets, the serious look disappeared |
from her face. Summer haze and dis
tance shed q gentle beauty over what
she knew to be a clamoring city
New York. Angles were softened,
noises subdued, sensational scenes
lost in the dimmed perspective. To
a chance observer, the prospect would
have been deeply suggestive; in the
it stirred many memories She
put back her veil; her face gIowed; a
long sigh escaped her lips. Slowly
she walked down the steps, along the
sloping path to a turn, where she sank
iown on bench. A rosy tired child,
'ather the worse for mud-pies, and
hanging reluctantly at the hand of
nurse, brought a bit of
he womans emotion to the surface,
She smiled radiantly at the tagging
nfant.
The face revealed by the uplifted
'eil was of type to accompany the ,
'outhful but womanly figure and the
pirited tread Beautiful she would !
'e counted. without doubt, by many ,
N observer; those who loved her r
would call her beautiful without stint. .
'ut more appealing than her beauty G
las the fine spirit-a strong, free !
pirit, loving honesty and courage '
'hich glowed like a flame behind her G
eauty. Best of all, perhaps, was a :
ouch of quaintness, a slightly comic r
wist to her lips, an imperceptible 7
lertness of manner, which revealed q
} the initiated that she had a sense r
humor in excellent running order G
It was evident that the little excur- I;
lon was of the nature of a pilgrimage. @
he idle hour. the bit of holiday. be-
anne a memorial as recollection q
rought back to her the days of child
Ood spent down yonder, few squares O,
way, in this very city. They seemed ii
tight in retrospect, like the pleasant W
lths of a quiet garden, but they had al
lded abruptly. and had been followed OF
: years of activity and colorfuI expe-
ence in another country Through it SC
what anticipations had been lodged m
her return to Home! Something AT
ere would complete the story-the ft
ory with it's secret ecstasies and as pf
rations-the story of the ardent re
rings of youth in
her gaze from the es