The Southern herald., 1913-04-18

her Just the same. am glad you
came, Florence"
Miss Wing stihed a sigh; It may be
that she was not so sure OF the firm
purpose Of lover; she spoke more
gently: 1T is only the disappoint.
ment, then, If you can't see him?"
The girls face Quivered a little.
Perhaps / am foolish" said Miss
Wing. but think It would be a dis
appointment very hard to bear. Still,
you must admit that parents do not
send their children to school expecting
them to become engaged to be mar
ried; on the contrary, there is tacit
pledge that we shall protect our wards
from any ENHANCEMENT. But this did
not happen at school; the only ques-
tion is, ought to prevent it going any
farther? My dear, do you have conf.
dence in me?"
Eyes, Miss Wing" said the girl.
"Of course, l do not think that
ought to consent to your driving alone
together"
The girl drew long sigh. 81 sup
pose not" she breathed, in dismal
resignation.
"But I should like him to come
here, to see me; and then, if / find
him to be what your father would ap-
prove, you may see him here; and we
shall all have to explain things to-
gether, l fancy, to your father"
The girl drew another, a very diff
ferent, sigh, and impulsively kissed
Miss Wings hand. She tried to speak,
and could only murmur, "Oh, do love
you!"
And 80, if you will tell Graf Won
Butler-what is his Christian name,
Florence?"
Max" said the girl, very low, for
she felt the presence of the picture,
on which she had not once turned her
eyes.
Miss Wing stood in the center of
the room, smiling, until the door
closed. But then in a second she was
at the door, almost fiercely, but noise
lessly, twisting the key in the lock.
From the door she passed to the win
dows and dropped the shades. At
last, safe from every chance of espial,
she sat down again in her chair be-
fore the desk, leaned her elbows on
the desk, and looked desperately, mis-
erably, into the joyous face Of the pic
ture. She did not speak, but her
thoughts took on words and sank like
hot lead into her heart. Max But
| Ter! Max Butler! The little nephew
he told me about. And he has been
alive all these years; and happy; with
little sons, while II have lied to
these trusting girls. 1t was wicked
and shameless. deceived myself;
then | deceived them. wonder why.
l knew what they were thinking. How
dared l look that honest child in the
face! l suppose she wonders like the
rest why have not told anyone of my
romance. And it is simply that there
was nothing to tell. Nothing" She
looked into the soldiers happy eyes
while her lips curled and she mur
INJURED, drearily and bitterly, II haven't
even the right to be angry with you
poor lad. What did you do? You are
not my Max; only made him up out
Of my heart-like children playing a
camel" Her mind drifted dizzily
{ through shapeless and inconsequent
visions of the past. She was seeing
again the grim pile Of the ruined cas-
tie, the masses of broken shadow, tbs
intricate carving on arch and archi
trave and plinth, the wavering mass
Of limbs and tree-trunks on the greer
sward; and she, with her twisted
ankle, was kneeling, trying to peel
through the shrubbery for her los
companions. Did he come by chance
She had seen the handsome young of
fioer daily, for a week. His great
aunt was Margaret's right-hand neigh
Dor at the pension table d'hote, {
withered relic of Polish nobility will
fine, black eyes in a face like hick
; ory nut; who wore shabby gowns anC
magnificent jewels, frankly smoked
cigarettes, and seemed to have {
venomous tale ready to fit any namt
mentioned in conversation-with ont
exception, her nephew's. Margar
garet's first sight Of him was not un
dor tho sha1ter Of convention q tiae
1t happened that the countess feroci
Gus pet (and the terror Of the pen
sion), Great Dane, was trying to ca
up a little girl, but fortunately hal
begun with her petticoats. The cour
Of the house was the scene Of tn
fray; large, timid cook, the only wit
ness, was waving a copper kettle full
Of the meringue that she was beating
in one hand, and the great wire whi
in the other, while she shrleked i'm
partially on heaven and the police
Margaret heard the din. She ran t
: the spot. Being a New England won
an, she didn't scream; one swift
glance went from the child's writhin
body and the dogs horrible head
4 the wailing cook. In two strides sh
caught the kettle out Of fat and ag
tated German hand and hurled tn
whole sticky, white mass full at tn
dogs eyes; then, as the blinded an
astounded beast flung his head back I
: howl, and spattered the world wit