Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-07-17

fiatter myself so far. You oyerrats
my influence with the lady you name"
you believe, then, that she was sin
cere in her rejection of your adj
dresses ?"
Il have never allowed myself to
think otherwise. I have seen no rea-
son why should. The suggestion
you would convey by such a question
is hardly welcome, now. pray you
to be careful in your judgment of such
a woman's impulses. They often
spring from sources not to be sound
ed even by her dearest friends"
Meantime, the coroner had collected
his thoughts. With an apology for the
extremely personal nature of his in
quiry, he asked Mr.. Brotherson IL he
would object to giving him some fur
Their details of his mountaineering
with Miss Challoner; where he first
met her and under what circumstances
their friendship had developed.
mot at ALL" was the ready reply
Il have nothing to conceal in the mat
ter. only wish that her father were
present that he might listen to the
recital of my acquaintanceship with
his daughter. He might possibly I'M
derstand her better and regard with
more leniency the presumption into
which ! was led by my ignorance of
the pride inherent in great families"
Your wish can very easily be graf
ified," returned the official, pressing
NJ, oil ~ fx;<
Challoner is in the adjoining room"
Then, as the door communicating
with the room he had mentioned
swung ajar and stood 50, DR.. Heath
added, without apparent conscious
ness of the dramatic character of this
episode, "You will not need to raise
your voice beyond it's natural pitch.
He can hear perfectly from where he
SITS
Il first met Miss Challoner in the
Berkshires," he began, after a mo-
ment of quiet listening for any pos
sible sound from the other room 81
had been on the tramp, and had
stopped at one of the great hotels for
a seven days rest. The panorama of
side was sufficient in itself for my en-
joyment, and might have continued so
to the end If my attention had not
been very forciblyl drawn on one
memorable morning to young lady
Miss Challoner-by the very earnest
look she gave me an l was crossing
the office from one verandah to an
other 1t was an overwhelming blush
which could not have sprung from any
slight embarrassment, and, though |
hate the pretensions of those cyclists
who see in a womans smile more
than it by right conveys, could not
help being moved BY this display of
feeling in one so gifted with every
grace and attribute of the perfect
woman. With less caution than / usu-
ally display, l approached the desk
where she had been standing and.
the eyes of the clerk, asked
the young lady's name. He gave it,
and waited for me to express the sur.
prise he expected It to evoke But
felt none and showed none Other
feelings had seized Iue had heard
of this gracious woman from many
sources, in my life among the suffer
ing masses of New York, and now that
had seen her and found her to be
not only my ideal on personal lowell
ness but seemingly Gpproachable and
not uninterested in myself, l allowed
my fancy to soar and my heart to be-
come touched. A fac: which the clerk
now confided to me naturally deep
ened the impression. Miss Challoner
had seen my name in the guest-book
and asked to have me pointed out to
her. Perhaps she had heard my name
spoken in the same quarter where ]
had heard hers. Ws have never ex-
condolences on the subject.
and l cannot say. I can only give you
my reason for the interest l felt in
Miss Challoner ami why l forgot, in
the glamour of this episode, the aims
and purposes of not unambitious
life and the distance which the world
and the so-called aristocratic class
put between a woman of her wealth
and standing and a simple worker like
myself.
Il must be pardonec She had smiled
upon me once, and she smiled again
Days before we were formally pre-
sented, caught he: softened look
turned my way, as we passed each
other in hall or corridor. We were
friends, or SO it appeared to me, be-
fore ever word passed between us,
and when fortune favored us and we
were duly introduced. our minds met
In strange sympathy which made
this one interview memorable one
to me. Unhappily, IS / then consid-
cred it, this was my last day at the
hotel, and our conversation, inter
rupted frequently by passing acquaint-
ances, was never resumed. | ex-
changed few words with her by way
Of goodby but nothing more came
to New York, and she remained In
Lenox. A month after and she too