Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-07-04


"Goins away again?" she looked up at
me startled.
way that might lead you to think she
would prefer our engagement to be
broken?"
mo. sir There has only been a
vagueness and indefiniteness which l
did not like"
Had my affairs not mended. Colo
mel Sheraton, could not have blamed
any of you for breaking the engage
ment. If conditions prove to be prac-
tically the same now as then it is she
who must decide her course and
mine"
"That is perfectly honorable. / have
no criticism to offer. ] have only her
happiness at heart"
.sThen. if you please. sir, since am
rather awkwardly situated here.
should like very much to see Miss
Grace this morning"
He bowed in his lofty way and left
me. Within half hour a servant
brought me word that Miss Grace
would see me in the drawing room.
She was seated in wide. low chair
near the sunny window. half hid by
the leafy plants that grew in the
boxes there. She was clad in loose
morning wear over ample crinoline.
her dark hair drawn in broad bands
over the temples. half confined by a
broad gold comb. save two long curls
which hung down her neck at either
side. 1t seemed to me she was very
thin--thinner and darker than ever.
She beld out her hand to me, and 10
lay cold and lifeless In my own.
perhaps / have been little hur.
ried after all In CHASING myself as an
absolute pauper." | explained as she
read my letter. II must go out there
and look into these things
"Going away again ?" She looked
up at me, startled.
"For couple of weeks. And when
come back. Miss Grace
So now i was up to the verge of
that same old. definite question.
She sat up In the chair as though
pulling herself together in some sud
den resolve and looked me straight In
the face.
Jack" she said. why should we
waltz
"1Ao be sure" said l; ''only I DO not
want you to marry pauper If any act
Of my own can make him better than
a pauper in the meantime"
"Y0u temporize," she said bitterly.
'You are not glad. Yet you came to
me only last spring, and you
Il come to you now. Miss Grace" l
said.
"Ah. what difference between then
and nowr' she sighed.
For time we could find nothing fit
TO say. At last was forced to bring
up one thing did not like to mention
Miss Grace" said l, seating myself
beside her, last night. or. rather. this
morning after midnight. l found a
man prowling around in the yard
She sprang up as though shocked.
her face gray. her eyes full of terror.
"You have told!'' she exclaimed. my
father knows that Captain Orme'-
1t was my own turn to feel surprise.
which perhaps showed.
II have told no one 1t seemed to me
that first ought to come to you and
ask you about this Why was Orme
there?"
She stared at me- He told me he
would come back some time" she ad-
mitted at length. All the while she
was fighting with herself. striving, ex-
actly as Orme had done, to husband
her powers for an impending struggle.
You see," she added. .he has secret
business all over the country. / will
own believe him to be in the secret
service OF the inner circle of num-
Der OF southern congressman and busi-
ness men He is in with the southern
circle of New Orleans, OF Charleston
Washington For this reason he could
not always choose his hours Of going
and coming"
| 'Does your father know Of his pecul
lar hoursT'
II presume 80, Of course"
4 saw light at window, : be-