The Washington herald., 1914-04-12
tCowright. pil.)

the air was fresher there. The trees and
shrubs of tle garden stood stiff and
dark; beyond in the roadway gas lamp
burned bright orange against the hazy
blue of the evening. Farther were the
three lights of the railway signal against
the lowering sky. The man and woman
spoke to one another in low tones.
He does not suspect?" said the man,
a little nervously.
Not he," she said peevishly, as though
that, too, irritated her. HE thinks of
nothing but the works and the prices of
fuel. He has no imagination, no
poetry"
"None of these men of iron has," he
said sententiousIy. They have no
hearts"
"He has not" she said. She turned
her discontented face toward the win
dow. The distant sound of roaring
and rushing drew nearer and grew in
volume; the house quivered; one heard
the metallic rattle of the tender. As
the train passed there was glare Of
light above the cutting and a driving
tumult of smoke; one, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight black oblongs-
eight trucks-passed across the dim gray
of the embankment, and were suddenly
extinguished one by one in the throat
of the tunnel, which, with the last,
seemed to swallow down train, smoke,
and sound in one abrupt gulp.
This country was all fresh and beau
tiful once" he said; "and now-it is
Gchenna. Down that way-nothing but
pot banks and chimneys belching fire and
dust into the face of heaven But
what does it matter? An end comes,
an end to all this cruelty-tomorrow."
He spoke the last word in a whisper"
Tomorrow" she said, speaking in a
whisper, too and still staring out of the
window.
"Dear!" he said, putting his hand on
hers.
She turned with start, and their eyes
searched one another's. Hers softened
to his gaze. My dear one" she said,
and then: at seems so strange-that
you should have come into my life like
this-to open" She paused.
ITO open?" he said.
"All this wonderful world" she hes
itated and spoke still more softly this
world of love to me-"
Then suddenly the door clicked and
closed. They turned their heads, and
he started violently back. In the shad
ow of the room stood a great shadowy
fgure-silent They saw the face dim
ly in the half light, with INEXPENSIVE
dark patches under the penthouse
brows. Every muscle in Rauts body
suddenly became tense. When could
the door have opened? What had he
heard? Had he heard all? What had
he seen? A tumult OF questions.
The newcomers voice came at last,
after a pause that seemed interminable-
"Well?" he said.
Il was afraid l had missed you Hor-
rocks" said the man at the window,
gripping the window ledge with his hand.
His voice was unsteady.
The clumsy figure of Horrocks came
forward out of the shadow. He made
no answer to Raut's remark. For
moment he stood above them.
The woman's heart was cold within
her. Il told Mr.. Raut it was just pos
sible you might come back" she said,
in voice that never quivered
Horrocks, still silent, sat down abrupt
ly in the chair by her little work table
His big hands were clenched; one saw
now the fire of his eyes under the shad-
ow of his brows. He was trying to get
his breath. His eyes went from the
woman he had trusted to the friend he
had trusted, and then back to the woman.
By this time and for the moment all
three half understood one another. Yet
none dared say word to ease the pent-
up things that choked them.
1t was the husbands voice that broke
the silence at last.
You wanted to see me?" he said to
Raut.
Raut started as he spoke. II came to
see you," he said, resolved to lie 70 the
last.
"Yes?" said Horrocks.
"You promised" said Raut, ito show
me some fine effects of moonlight and
smoke"
Il promised to show you some fine
effects of moonlight and smoke" re-
peated Horrocks, in colorless voice.
"And / thought l might catch you to-
night before you went down to the
works" proceeded Raut, and go with
you"
There was another pause. Did the
man mean to take the thing coolly? Did
he after all know? How long had he
been in the room? Yet even at the mo-
ment when they heard the door, their
attitudes-Horrocks glanced at the pro-
file of the woman, shadowy pallid in the
half light. Then he glanced at Raut, and