The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-12-04


M suggested kisses,
n cheeks red with
redness that has recently come from
the country She was fresh, full of
light and laughter curiosity and ex-
pectation. The man read her with the
understanding of the expert in human
| nature
When she passed from the grill
room her eyes went to his and she
smiled as a child smiles at some new
and as yet unencountered pleasure.
And he looked after her as a connois-
seur in human weaknesses who has
I CHANGED upon a new toy.
Such was their meeting.
The young girl spoke to her chape-
ron about the man with the godIike
. head. The chaperon told her that she
must never mention his name, that she
must not know that sort of man. A
great unhappiness settled about the
/ girls heart She wondered why! She
knew so little Of things as they are,
this girl with the innocent blue eyes
and the red cheeks fresh from the
country
The next morning the girl came into
the chaperOn's rooms noiselessly. The
chaperon was at the telephone.
oh, splendid, Jack, I've wanted to
meet Owen Marsh ever since read
that exquisite poem of his, The Low
ers Of Lara Bring him to tea at four
and I'll ask some congenial people
Until four good-by!"
! The girl slipped out of the rooms as
/ quietly as she had come in She
couldn't bear to meet the eyes of her
chaperon just then. Owen Marsh was
the man with the godlike head! Owen
/ Marsh was coming to tea, What could
it mean after the words of last night?
Was she really to meet her hero after
all?
A little later she returned to her
chaperon, to await announcement of
the afternoon tea. None came. In
stead, that gracious lady turned to
/ her:
Child Madam Manette relephoned
that she would like you to take your
lesson at four today, instead of two
Estelle will call for you at five and
take you for a chocolate"
The girl made no reply. Her mind
was in a whirl But about $50 that
afternoon, as Owen Marsh was whis-
pering insinuatingly into the chape-
ron's delicate pink ear, slip of a girl
entered the rooms. She walked direct
ly to her chaperon, but without look
ing at her Her eyes were on the man
with the godlike head.
The chaperon forgot herself. Il
thought you were driving in the park"
she said sternly.
"Estelle told me you were having a
tea still looking straight at the face
that had so thrilled her, and l didn't
want to miss-him."
The girl dropped into the chair at
he elbow of the man with the Won
derful face. And there was nothing for
the chaperon to do but-intr oduce
them.
Some one called her away then, and
the man and the girl were left alone.
In all that roomful of people neither
saw any other. 1t seemed to each that
they had waited long for this moment.
They made the most of it.
They couldn't keep us apart" the
girl said
q have known you always" said
the man.
Il love YOU" said the girl.
I've always loved you" said the
man.
And then some one intruded. some
/ one that could not be escaped.
III meet you under the roses in the
corridor whispered the man
Before the guests had all taken
their leave the girl slipped away.
/ When the man left the ehaperon's
room he found the girl-waiting
der the roses. He lifted her into the
taxi and they drove far out into the
country to little inn, where a room
always waited" for the man.
He named her the Blush of Dawn
and called himself the Valley of the
Shadow. He was a poet; she was an
ingenue. One night of inspiration was
/ his. A night that shattered every H.
fusion was hers. Then he told her that
in the Valley of the Shadow men live
alone. He went back to his lair
with one more sensation livening his
sluggish blood. 1t was on such mo
ments that he lived.
She went into the street, for the
| chaperon was a foolish woman; she
closed the door against her. 1t was
for this that the girl had grown up
over night.
The man boasted of his conquest.
| He was a-poet Some men turned
their backs upon him. Others took up
! the scent laid bare. Women read the
poem the girl had inspired, and asked
the poet to dinner. The chaperon
sent him a silly note, swearing indy
/ ing devotion. The girls aunt invited
him to give lectures on Bjornsen and
Ibsen in her home of mornings.
! But the girl-ah, the girl-why ask?