Carson City daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1907-1930, 1913-12-26

to the parade ground. Grandmamma
waits for me-"
''Ill go with you" In some vague
fashion Peter chung to the skirts OF
this little hoy. They walked briskiy
back to the parade ground. Little Pc
ter surveyed the scene.
"Grandmamma is not here: she did
not wait, | have been too long. Good
by. monsieur. | must hurry. l ask
your pardon. | promised"
The child ran away. catching a slide
as he went on a frozen pool. his curis
dying. and. TO be sure. that key to
happiness jingling in his pocket. with
his top and knife and pennies,
Peter Van Zandt watched him quite
out of sight Had he wished. indeed.
to meet the grandmother of his little
had come back with this boy! No. no.
1t was charming to encounter this
charming and original child. but his
grandmother. The old lady in the
stiff brocade with the ~reticule full of
spectacles and knitting needles and
~lozenges: no.
Then. as be decided to cross the
a car down as far as Vesey street.
Peter Van Zandt, as he went, saw a
figure in brown sitting on a bench
near the wooden paling at the north
end. A lady in a russet gown and
boots, a large mink cape with cuffs
and small huff to match: on her brown
hair a cap of the same fur, brown
gloves too. She rose. he saw that her
figure was slim and graceful; b
turned her face his way. although she
could not see him for the tree that had
prevented little Peter from seeing her.
1t was his wife. Betty Van Zandt.
Betty as of old. Respondent in the rich
bursting bloom of her cheeks and lips.
the softness and dazzle of her blue
eyes. the curve of her chin. the slope
Of her shoulders. the long supple line
of her. from throat to heel. Peter
stood perfectly still for a second. then
started toward her. then shrank away.
Betty bad left him. Could he intrude
or force himself upon her? Take ad,
vantage of the open freedom of the
streets to address or approach her?
By no means.
He stood afar watching her as she
apparently watched or waited for
some one else. For whom? Suddenly
with startling accuracy Van Zandt re-
called Ashleigh. Pshaw. Ashleigh was
safely married. Some one else. then.
FLOR whom Betty watched. with whom
eshe was going to walk and talk. The
keen steel of jealousy struck to his
heart. She was. though. after all of it.
Ibis wife. And his eyes flashed as the
little boys had flashed when his grand
mother had cautioned him as to
strangers.
Betty WAS beautiful. more radiant.
vibrant with life and %vividness than
lever. The lines. If there were any IN
her face. were the little lines of laugh
ter, and her glorious eyes looked forth
into the world with all the glad ex-
pectancy Of youth Could a mar ex-
pect q woman like that not to be loved.
not to love? Absurd. She IA made
for love. He turned on his heel and
left the park. A hand organ was dron-
ing ont When This Cruel Var Is
Over" at the corner, and all the bal
lads stuck between the palings. fiut-
tered in the breeze. He paused there
and looked at them vacantly. annie
Laurie" Ben Bolt" and the rest.
Then he glanced back to he own
house. He saw smoke coming from
the chimneys. He saw the pigeons
wheeling above the stable in the g
Of the garden. The stable? To ne
sure, the stalls were empty. P"ppet
and Peacock. the roans that had fetch
ed Betty and him back from Grace
church to the st. Nicholas on their
wedding day. had years since been
sent to a farm on Long Island.
Peter Van Zandt. keeping himself
well In hand. keeping his face averttd
from her. made another turn. went
back to broadway and walked all the
way down to Tattersalr's.
A few days after that the little boy
came rushing. tumbling In from the
garden up to Betty's room.
"Grandinamma. grandmHmma! There
are horses in the s.able-two speckIed,
and a coachman. and they are in the
stalls and their names are Poppet and