The Washington herald., 1913-02-02
But I do not understand" /"

But i do not understand"
1T is not necessary. II you do no
take me instantly to the ballroom yoi
will lose the best part Of the dance"
She rose. and then I saw two little blu
slippers peeping out from under thu
silken skirts.
You might have told me-" I said re-
proachfully. "And now I do not be.
lieve any other Cinderella will do. Young
man." said I. holding out the slipper fol
his inspection, Il was Just paying thi,
lady the very great compliment OF think
ing that this might be her shoe"
And 1t isn't" she returned. Now. ir
honor to yourself. what is my name?"
You are Nancy Marsden."
And your"
Your humble servant."-bending.
81 shall soon find out"
1T Is quite possible
And then, with q hand on her escort s
arm. she laughed, and walked Tor should
say glided? II seems a sacrilege to say
that so enchanting a creature walkedl
out of the conservatory. leaving me gaZ-
ing ruefuIly and mournfully at the little
white slipper in my hand.
Now, where in the world was Cinder-
ella?
thrust the slipper into the tail OF my
coat. and strolled over to the marble
bench which partly encircled the toun-
tain. The tinkIe OF the falling water
made a pleasant sound. Ten years! I
had been away ten years. How quickly
youth vanishes down the glimmering
track OF time, Here I was at thirty.
rather old, too. for that number: and
here was that pretty girl OF fourteen
grown into womanhood. a womanhood
that would have stirred the pulses of
many a man less susceptible than my
self. That she was unmarried somehow
made me glad. though why I cannot say,
unless It be that vanity survives every
thing
I mad been violently in love with
her: at that time she hadn't quite
turned six. Then had lorded II
over her tender eighth year. and from
the serene height OF twenty had looked
down on her fourteen in a fatherly. pat
ronizlnE fashion. As recalled her new
glory the truth came upon me that she
was likely to pay me back with interest
for all the snubs I had given her.
on to Heidelberg and Rom and Ber-
lin. Student days! Heigh-hO' Ten years
is a long time. ] might stiIl have been
an allen, an exile. nut for my uncle $
death. and that tine lonely aunt wanted
a man about. CNOt that I was much OF
a man to have abOutD In all these ten
years I had not once visited my native
land, sCandalous as il may seem: but I
had always celebrated the Fourth OF
July in my garden, celebrated II reli-
Ciously. too. ard followed. the general
elections.
All these people. or nearly all OF them.
l had known in my youth: and now
not one OF them recognized me. There
was a pang In this knowledge. No one
likes to b" forgotten completely. save
the absConding bank clerk and the dc
feated candidate. I had made no effort
to recall myself to those l had met Ny
hostess thOughtlessly supposed that I
should take on myself the labor Of re-
newinE acquaintance, hut | found This
rather impossible Everything was
charged. the people and the city: the
one had added to its height and the other
10 its g!rth. So | simply wandered about
the familiar rooms sUmmoninG up the
pleasant ghosts OF bySone days. Then
came the slipper cpisode-and Nancy.
Home again No more should the sea
call. nor the sky. nor the hills: 7 was
home again, for ever and for ever. so
I hoped.
And th"n I glanced Up from my revoric
To behold woman. fair. fat and forty
eight. scat herself breathl"ssIy on the far
end Of the bench. I recognized her in
stantly: she had been ono or the salient
features Of my chiIdhood only little
further removed than my mother hrr-
self She was nUrid in her October
Years: twenty years ago she had been
plump and pretty; now she was only
pretty plump But a rollicking soul
beamcd from her kindly eyes. So l