The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1914-10-23

perhaps, but one we all have to learn"
THAT is a theory which l do not
intend to live by" she said rather
breathlessly.
| How am l to take that?" said the
man.
las you see fit," she replied. Il
mean to live by expression. l used
to think that you did so. You have
changed"
| For your sake!" he expostulated.
suddenly angry. "If / have whipped
myself into some semblance of hui
man being, it has been-l was going
to say, for you; but it is more than
that. 1t has been for the works own
| sake. And now you are ready to repu-
diate me because of that very accom-
plishment. You are unfair, unreason-
able"
"Oh, don't be so logical, or I shall
go mad!" she cried. II hate your rea-
sonabieness!"
Very we'll, then" said he, trying to
smile, "I'll be unreasonable"
"And don't be facetious! Oh, go
away, I can't endure you!"
| Look here, Iris" he said hoarsely,
I'm not joking God forbid! This
is getting too serious. Am really to
go?"
"Or let your spirit out of its cage"
she said.
For the third time Hill committed
his greatest mistake.
"You are q foolish child!" he said
angrily. Very WELL then, I'll 60. But
warn you, if you send me off, I'll not
| come back"
For a moment, he waited, hoping
that she would speak, but she said
nothing, merely standing there and
| trembling little, though white and
and silent. Suddenly Hill turned on
his heel.
"Confound all women!" he NUT
tered, and without single backward
glance flung himself out of the room
| in fury.
For a moment or two longer she
stood motionless, and then throwing
her arms out wildly, she cried his
name aloud.
"Oh, Sam!" she called. come back
please come back!"
Running out into the upper hall, she
| arrived at the stair-head just in time
| to hear the front door close after him,
| and was instantly obliged to fee the
| mildly inquiring gaze of footman,
| who came in to remove the tea tray.
h h0wnunr cho Of
| herself face downward among the gray
cushions of the sofa and cried bitterly,
| cold horror clutching at her heart
as she slowly came to see the reality
| of what she had done.
For Hill had spoken the truth when
he implied that she was merely child
! bored with luxurious surroundings and
striving after she knew not what. Her
father adored her, and gave her alb
solute liberty. The people whom she
| knew by inheritance meant little to
her; she found them introspective,
self-absorbed, and amateurs at the arts
they affected, many of them simply
hangers-on of her beauty-loving father.
| who with the years had become less
| the man of affairs and more the man
of letters and patron of the arts. AS
| she grew up her discomfort increased,
until finally, within the last two years,
she had stumbled upon group of
people with whom brains meant aris-
| tocracy. Here she had met Hill, and
after about year he had persuaded
| her to become engaged to him. She
| had consented on condition that it
| remain a secret for the time being.
There had been no reason for conceal
ment but the girls innate love of ro-
nance and mystiflcation. And so no
| one had been told of the engagement,
although it was a well-known and
widely discussed subject among their
| friends.
And it was all over! Well, possibly
| it was for the best.
| She buried her face deeper in the
esthetic gray cushions. Her soul must
| have expression! 1t must!
! Desperately unhappy, but not with
out a certain enjoyment of her own
misery, she arose with the determina-
ton to find her father, and extract
what comfort she could from him,
without telling him her trouble. Per
haps he was in his library now. She
would go and see. Slowly she de-
scended the wide stairs. At the street
entrance stood her father, evidently
on the point of leaving the house.
| Vanderpool was a handsome man,
and had retained an intangible atmos-
phere of youth, despite the RESPONSE
bilities of his wealth. and despite the
obvious fact that he had lived in
tensely in the emotional side of his
nature.
Hello, little Iris!" he said. "You
seem bit pale, my dear! Were you
looking for me?"
yes, father!" replied Iris, "but L
you are going out, see, So"
I've an appointment that is rather
pressing" said he, little anxious
pucker gathering between his eyes,
but if your business can't wait, mine
will have to-
oh! mine is nothing, nothing said
Iris, with what seemed to her divine
submission to fate.
Then we'll have a fine talk at
breakfast" returned her father. I'm
dining out. Goodnight, my dear!"
The door closed behind him, and Iris
turned into the library.
| The room spoke strongly of her IA
ther. 1t was large and fine and ro-
mantle, like him; it was dignif1ed, too,
containing several almost priceless
treasures. But perhaps the most
unique feature of the apartment was
the great, low desk. 1t was Flemish
piece, unusual in shape and construc-
ton, and covered with multitude OF
intricate ornaments, carved deep into
its heavy surface.
/ Vanderpool had never been very
light-hearted person, but he had
subtle charm which was more fasci.