The daily sentinel., 1913-05-31

your life you'd had everything you wanted A.
with your hair that way, you to be about Inn
ty-hve years old. If you'd experienced eyerybis
there was, and as if nothing could possibly interest
you any more"
"oh!" said Elaine with a hauteur meant for MN
ishment Then. vehemently. You have no idea how
wish were expensive and had always mad every
thing | wanted!"
The younc nan whrled her out of the room vbsr,
theFe was a clearer space. Presently, his voice
sounded with an Indifference that piqued her.
yes, an beginning to see that it must be true
didn't you know, once. l thought you were dt
angry as she was, Elaine had space for a
thrill OF pleasure in his response to the music.s
surge. Presently, he went on:
VI course, really do care. I'm horribly uniaD,
py How dificult it was to endure his eyesi Ei9iTs
win every wish to be promisingly haugHr9
dropped her own When I've always thought wi
what have thought you, the one star above IN,
whole world. to find out-Oh that you're iuet On,
oI tine 5he lot you know, to be had-bought-ugh!"
She dld not know whether she had indigu. 7fry
lreSu reSu herseit from his touch, whether he had
withdrawn his hand as from contamination EHr
Knew only that they were standing a little apart
irom the whirl, where festoon OF green shadoved
ally: ''N'lS 'i'ssAS Sn' spoke as sh' thought roy
What you may think. or have thought, cant psz.
sI9iy interest me in The slightest"
Tod Sloane did not seem surprised
=, NO. ne said sadly. no, l know that now Bat
I've found 1t out so lately that # still hurts You
see' I've got job up in a mountain engneerfD..
camp managing group of men. They said | could
bring my wife II had one. And / had always
uTeaneI- but OF course was 4 fool. When you go
around in those little blue things that YOU mako
yourself, youvs always looked and seemed like INV
sort l thought you were. But" his moody pI,noo
travelled up and down her splendid little ngure.
Then he threw back his head. and squared lis
shoulders
NO. he said, almost more to himself than to her
Il was all wrong You could never give Yourself
And haven't get the price"
Ihe music died. the dancers ceased. and he was
zone beioFe her stunned faculties could summon
themselves to dismiss him. The insolence of h4,
BOY! a silly boy! Vain. jealous illbred impos.
slbe-yet she could not heap adjectiyes enough urn
him TO smother the smart OF some of the thing .5
SHY boy lad said She gave herself again 10 fb1
arms OF the golden prince, she danced the nights
dance. She swept into the carriage, endured no
hoiheWaru rld' the respectful, hopeful adiuus OF r.
suitor rustled her way above stairs, and was los 10
the listening ear of gTandmamma. Then all b, q
Summer , oI - palely radiant even in the N -l
nsht she Hung herself across the bed her hot e. .,
AGAINST the counterpane, and yielded tears to l5
insolence of Tod Sloane.
He had ruined her happy evening "Impertinc
she called him. Vulgar" Then oh cruel!" : "a
the tears had full course Cruel Cruell How co. IN
he! He had said that she, in her gold gown " 5
Just commodity, something to be had by the bin,
est bidder. No one had ever dared to say raeh
things to er before. She thought of adoring Ht ty
OF grave, gentle-yoced Waldo the laree-eyed twlaa
surveying her from around the dooTpost. They GU
thought she was perfect. Grandmamma of ccu--c,
had always had her sareasms. But then. grand
mamma was old and rheumatic, and Elaine had al-
%ays v, alsIegarded her as quite out of the sPhrro
OF ratlonaI consideration. Then there the prime,
and his mother. These people, lovely people Gu.,
oil the big worlds best Elaine viewed It, adm
her. What did this rude boy mean? He had takcl
her from her pedestal princess and put her ruo-
y down, underfoot with the vulgar She had rri5s
that he couldu't-of couT&A he meant wouldnt-fa5.
"TSta, fs;;!. ,!ss, grief, all shook her slim bcdy.
In spasm OF distress.
II Tod Sloane could call himself unhappy what
had he not made her? She had thought she cher
ished no illusions. She had not pretended TO her.
self that she loved Sheldon Marshall She had bscn
rather proud OF her franlness with herself and OF
her openness of mind to the practical aspects Of
living. But she had not meant this She had not
meant to be discarded by Tod Sloane She had not
meant that he should go away, and go away thus.
She had conceived of his anger but not of his sccr.
In the dark she pressed her hands over her mouth
to keep herself from crying out loud She twisted e
counterpane, and beat her palms together. After
lohs hours she fell asleep. her golden draperics
crushed beneath her.
1t was as the broke through the vines over her
WINDOW that a vision, or perhaps only her first wax
ing thought, hovered at her dreaming eyeids Vision
OF steep or waking, as It may have BEEN it seemed
10 her that Love, on wing through the quiet room
had stopped and kissed her. Full warm and sweet
the kiss lay on her lips and invaded her being
ing hefs She lay face upward, the half smile of her
dream fading as she fully awoke. Love had stopped
and to her! Love, that she had craved from every
human being she had ever known! All her adornings
all her displays Of plumage had been to ensuure
that admiring from the whole world that should
tell her she sat enthroned in all hearts. On what
low terms had she accepted homage! She had
dressed her charming body that the world might
fan at her feet. The morning cold struck her
bare arm, outside her cloak. and her wakened eyes
saw the morning sun cleaning on her gown.
Ihe girl sp-anE from her bed, and began tearing
at hooks and buttons, Hateful, hateful gold gown!
She slipped free OF it, and flung it on a chair Then
she stretched her white arms high and laughed.
She was free. Love had kissed her and she
free to give herself to him on the highest terms
might exact Love had kissed her. And his face
as her dreaming eyes behed it. had not been the
face OF the prince
She sought in the closet and drew out a certain
blue gown tha' she had made herself of the de,
tested economies OF a detested life. She Slipped
into it now and brushed her hair schoolgirl fashion
with n hand that trenibled Ia its haste She was
going out away. to see-of all people-Hettyi HettE
she knew. would understand. Out of the quiet room
she slipped, with last backward look at the gieau-
Ing thing the chair.
Think OF that in an engineering camp" she
laughed. Then, she passed her door Poor grand.
mamma" she whispered.
IL w9s hours later that grandmamma opened the
girls door quietly, only to find the room desert9d
She stenped stfhy about setting its disorder 10
rights The gold gown chair gave her pause
she examined 1t critically. srimly II very love
" quite worth the price OF Jane any other C''N-