The Washington herald., 1914-11-08

He cried out against. this as a libel.
oh, Persis, don't tell me that you are
mercenary-a woman with a big heart
Ike yours"
I'm not mercenary exactly; /
Ioathe money as money, but I ike nice
things. ] have to have them. Pm try-
ing to be honest with myself and with
you-in time-before IFS too late. It's
hard; but didn't arrange the world,
did /. a didn't choose my own soul,
did I? But Pve got to get along with
what was given me. haven't II I tell
YOU I'd ruin your life, Harvey. You'd
divorce me IN a,year."
Don't talk like that, or you will ruin
your own lifel There's a big tragedy
in store for you. Persis, unless you"
She was so tortured with disilIusion
and with the death of her first romance
that she grew very hard.
We'll, so long as It isn't the tragedy
of being unable to pay ny bills and OF
eating my own cooking I can stand II.
Id rather be unhappy than shabby. Bus
its growing late; We must get back"
He aided her to her feet, united the
horses, and offered her his hand for a
mounting-block But she said:
We can walk quicker here than We
can ride" Taking her bride in her
arm, she. set out swiftly. She seemed
once more to be running away from
something shadow of poverty. no
doubt. He felt unspeakably sorry for
her. Again he was about to offer her
back her heart when an abrupt light
broke over her face. She paused,
laughed. turned to him.
What a fool am! Nv father SET
my sister up IN business as a British
peeress and brought her husband
and settled a whacking dover on her.
He can do the same for me md keep
the money in this county-and get me
a real husband. He could give me
enough for US both to live on comfort
ably"
Il reckon could hardly accept that
arrangement" Forbes said, as gently
as he might
-Yos seeT she cried out. "You ex-
pect me to murder my pride and ac-
cept poverty, but you won't accept
wealth because you, must keep your
pride. You couldn't object to my hav-
ing the money to spend on myself,
could you?"
mo, 1 could hardly object to that"
he said.
We'll, then, if everything goes right
with my fathers plans we'll have love
and money and all II will be wonder
ful-heaven on earth! Kiss mel!
She put up her lips, and he kissed
them and found them bitter-sweet.
Then she strobe on with a lifting joy.
humming song and putting her horse
to his PAGES to keep up with her. Forbes
remembered what Senator TAFT had
said of her fathers impending doom,
and her rapture was a heartbreak to
him-a final irony.
At first she had felt infinitely sorry
for Forbes and indignant only at the
fate that made him poor. As she rode
her fretful horse she began to feel in
fnitely sorry for herself and indignant
at Forbes. He had permitted her to
think that he had ample means. He
had encouraged her to love him serious
ly. Her resentment was the fierce re-
Sentiment people feel when those they
love and idealize do not live up to the
standards set for them.
She tried to mask her anger under
an unusually cheerful manner. She
spoke with approval of the landscape,
chartered vivaciouSly about everything,
and all the while was burning with re-
sediment. II was small wonder that
Forbes felt the blight of her wrath
when the very horses knew of il The
most determined politeness can never
initiate the>hn flower and bouquet OF
genuine enthusiasm. But what could
Forbes say to set things right? The
one effective speech would have been
declaration OF independent means. a
smiling disclaimer of poverty: Il was
only joking; l am really very rich"
That would have re-eStablished the
entente. But that was the one thing
Forbes could not say. He rode on at
Persis' side, silent and detected pris-
oner of circumstances, a spy captured
in the enemys camp in the enemy's
uniform.
Eventually they reached the Enslee
place-the mountain that was EnsleeS.
with the stately pleasure dome he had
decreed there The majesty of it be-
Titled Forbes still more. The beauty
of it shamed him.
Forbes saw how good IT was, and
coveted it But it was as if Naboth.
the soldier, had envied David, the King
his garden. Persis also saw how good
it was, and she could possess it all, be-
come the chatelaine of this place.
She spoke her thought aloud:
Its this sort of thing, Harvey, that
I love and need-beautfful things and
plenty of them"
Il understand" Forbes groaned.
''If only you could get them for usP
'Tf only couldP
She would have put out her hand to
comfort him, but she saw above them
Willie Enslee leaning across the balus-
trade. She lifted her horse into a jog
trot, and they rode into the court, where
a chauffeur waited to take the horses to
the stable.
I'VE got off the main road" Persis
said, as she climbed the steps, followed
by Forbes, "and the horses were tired
and"
Il was awfully anxious. was about
to start out to look for you"
There was no occasion to be anx-
ious."
Besides, your father teIephoned
YOU"
my father! Is he back in New
York;"
No: he telcphoued from Chicago.
He was just leaving on. the twenty
hour train. He couldn't wait till you
&What did he have to say?"
Lots" Willie looked uneasily at
Forbes. as If he were in the way.