The Virginia enterprise., 1913-04-18

His faoe fell, then promptly bright
ened. Perhaps 1t would BE best TO-
speak to both. 20 near the same. time
one can. But this IL another thing
you must explain me. How 10 it most
preferable to %theslady. that one shall
write or shall come -
"Oh, WRITE" said Margaret quickly.
.Look!" he exclaimed, "at the sun
set. All, is 1t not lovely ?" =.
OF sudden they were looking, not
at the sunset. but into each others
eyes; and all about them was that
wonderful, transfiguring glow, and it
seemed as If there were nothing in
the whole world that he had not said.
rs it to the right, Herr Captain ?"
asked the driver, turning on his seat
to divide benign and semi-intoxicat-
ed smile between them. Z :
Then it was hardly a moment until
the yellow stucco of the pension
jumped at their eyes, around cor
ner; and there were the clergyman's
widow and the teacher at the door.
They fell upon the carriage in clam
or Of explanation and sympathy; they
We're at her side when he bowed over
her hand and kissed it. saying, "Auf-
wiedersehen."
That was all There was never any
more. He did not come again. Or If
he came, she was not there, since the
next day they were on their way to
Bremen, summoned by cable to her
sisters deathbed. She never heard
from him or of him again. Yet she
had left her American address with
his aunt for any letters that might
need to be forwarded, and stiff little
note of thanks and farewell-a per.
fectly neutral noip such as any friend
might give or receive. There followed
ness (the sister was widow without
children, and she shared her estate
weeks crowded with sorrow and bust
with her other sister,; and Margaret
imputed her deep depression to these
natural and sufficient causes. She rat
ed herself for vanity in reading her
own meanings into courteous young
mans looks and his intelligent inter
est in national difference of manners.
She fostered her shame with the New
Englander's zest for self-torture. But
one afternoon, without warning, there
fell upon her deep and hopeless
peace. 1t was as if some invisible
power controlled and changed all the
currents of her thought. She knew
that her friend was not faithless or
careless; he was dead. She began to
weep gently, thinking pitifully Of his
old father with the loud voice, and his
fragile mother and the sister and
brother and the little nephew. "Poor
people," she murmured, wishing, for
the first time in her life, to make
some sign of her sorrow for them to
them, she who always paid her toll OF
sympathy, but dreaded it and knew
that she was clumsy. She remem
bered the day at the castle, and went
over again each word, each look. A
sensation that she could not under
stand, full Of awe and sweetness, pos
sessed her. 1t was indescribable, un
thinkable, but it was also irresistible
Under it's impulse she went to trunk
in another room, from which she had
not yet removed all the. contents, and
took out her Heidelberg photographs
She said to herself that she would
look at the scenes Of that day. In hel
search she came upon a. package o.
her own pictures which had come the
morning of the day that she had gone
She could not remember any details
OF receiving them, except that she haC
been at the photographers the day
before and paid for them. When they
came she was in too great agitation
(they We're just packing) to more thar
fling them into tray. She could MOI
tell why she took the cartes out of the
envelope and ran them listlessly
through her fingers; but at the las
of the package she uttered cry. Th.
last carte was picture Of Max, Will
the inscription in his own hand
Thine for ever" 1t is not exact tt
say that with the finding of the pic
ture her doubt of his affection for hel
vanished; for in truth, she had NJ
lutte. But the sight came upon her a.
the presence of a mortal being, alive
and visible, comes on one when hi
enters a room. And there is no ques
tion that 1t was comfort; if she hat
really loved Max, at this time, th%
knowledge of his death would hav'
been her cruelest shock; for then sh,
could have no hope to meet him agar
in the world-no hope OF some expla
nation and the happiness of life to
gether. But she was not in love will
the young German, she was touched
by his admiration, she admired hin
tenderly, she felt the moving Of a sub
tie attraction which she called friend
ship and which might pass into ,
keener feeling; but she did not low
him. Not then. Therefore, she felt :
sweetness in her pain; she could re
spect herself once more; she had :
new and mystical JOY; for was she no
beloved above women? Had not he
lover come to her, through wha
strange paths who may know, to com
fort her? This is the story of tn,
picture. She could not tell it. No
did she; but she hung Max's portrai
on the walls Of her little parlor; ant
she hung opposite picture of tn,
castle; and from that day, never a da!
passed that it did not influence her
She used to think her thoughts be
fore it. She came to it with her grie
for the loss of kindred and friends
| with her lnneliness with her anxio