The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1913-06-19
CHAPTER !.
Twilight in the Park.


You may wait. Renaud."
The voice was firm. but the lady
herself hesitatsd as she stepped from
the tonneau. There was no answer,
Holding the Tapping ends OF her veil
away from her face. she turned and
looked fairly at the driver of the
machine.
He seemed a businesslike. capable
man. though sertain minor details oil
his c~harffeur's rig were a bit unusual
and o that he had been obliged. by
some discomfort, to remove his cog
giles. HIS face appeared pleasant and
quite Unframed. Ills passenger noted
these things. remarking: "Oh, ~ isn't
Renaudi"
No, Mademoiselle; Renaud hadn't
showed up at the Office when you tel
%ephoned. SO they put me on In his
place"
"Ah. I see." Accent seemed to Inn
ply. however. that she was not quite
pleased. "The manager sent you. And
your name is-?"
My ~name-rather odd name
Hand
The face half hidden behind the veil
remained impassive. A moments hes
~itation. and then the lady turned
away with a short, You will waltz
AS mademoiselle wishes. Or shall
Z perhaps follow slowly along the
driver"
NO, wait here. I shall return
soon"
The young woman walked away
erect. well-poised. lifting skirts skill
fully as she paused a moment at the
top Of the stone steps leading down
into the tiny park. The driver OF the
machine, free from observation, al
lowed a perplexed look to occupy his
countenance. What the devil Is to
pay II she doesn't return-soon!"
The avenue lifts a camels hump
toward the sky In the space OF fifteen
blocks, and on the top. secure as the
howdah OF a chieftain, stands the
noble portico of the old college. To
the westward, as every one knows.
lie the river and the more pretentious
park; on the east an abrupt descent
offers space for a small grassy play
ground for children, who may be seen,
during the sunny hours of the day,
romping over the slope.
AS the gaze of the woman swept
over the charming little pleasance, and
beyond. ove the miles Of sign-boards.
roofs. chimneys and intersecting
streets, the serious look disappeared
from her face. Summer haze and dis
lance shed a gentle beauty over what
she knew to be a clamoring city
New York. Angles we're softened.
noises subdued, sensational scenes
lost in the dimmed perspective. To
\ chance observer. the prospect would
have been deeply suggestive: In. the
woman II stirred many memories. She
put hack her veil: her face glowed; a
long sigh escaped her lips. Slowly
sAe #aiked down the steps. along the
sloping path 20 a turn. where she sank
down on a bench. A rosy, tired child.
rather the worse for mud-pies. and
hanging reluctantly at the hand of a
n~onchalant nurse, brought a bit OF
the woman's emotion to the surface,
She smiled Eadiantly at the tagging
infant.
The face revealed by the upiifted
veil was of a type to accompany the
youthful but womanly figure and the
spirited tread. Beautiful she would
be counted. without doubt, by many
an observer; those who loved her
would call her beautiful without stint.
But more appealing than her beauty
was the fine spirit-a strong, free
Bpiris. loving honesty and courage
which glowed like a flame behind her
beauty. Best OF all. perhaps, was a
touch OF quaintness. q slightly comic
twist to her lips. an i~mperceptib,e
alertness Of manner. which revealed
70 the initiated that she had q n
Of humor In excellent running order.
II was evident that the little excur-
slon was OF the nature OF a pilgrimage.
The idle hour. the bit OF holiday. be-
came q memorial. as recollection
brought back to her the days OF child
hood spent down yonder, q few a res
away. In this very city. They seemed
bright in retrospect. like the pleasant
paths Of q quiet garden, but they had
ended abruptly. and had been followed
BY years Of activity and colorful expe-
r1ence Ia another country. Through II
MI what antioipations had been lodged
IN her return 20 Home! somethinr
there would complete the story-the
s<ory with It, secret ecstasies and as
rirnffona-fha story OF the ardont