The Washington herald., 1914-01-01
stopped. seemingly lost in a dear

stopped. seemingly lost in q dear
dream of the past.
And them" urged Graham softly.
"Well-we came to New York from
the West on a trip we had planned
when our ship should sail in. We had
scarcely touched Eastern soil when a
bad investment lost him everything"
She paused again and her eyes closed
tightly. 1T was too much for him
he" She brushed her eyes swiftly.
'T must sell everything I have" she
finished with a brayely attempted
smile.
Graham's natural impulse was to offer
her the money for her brougham with the
| understanding that she continue to use 1t
He knew, however, that the slim girl IN
her somber clothes would refust his oher.
Something of pride in her bearing made
him change his words.
THE only way / can be OF service to
you is to purchase the brougham," he
said gravely. 'T need not inform you
that it will have the best of care"
Thank you," Betty nodded, and found
no more words.
When Graham came the next day for
the car he noticed that the grotesque
knocker had been taken from the door.
When he again entered the tiny cottage
he saw. too, that all preparations for i'm
mediate removal had been made. The
knowledge gave him an unaccustomed
thrill of power. Evidently the golden
shaft OF attraction had darted between
them. There Is a small farm out in
Central Iowa that has been holding out
waiting arms to me ever since / slipped
away from its lure. / leave in the morn
ing" She lifted brave eyes to Grahams
face. please care for my dear
brougham-I care very much for it
When he had left her Graham felt Pc
culiarly depressed. He attributed the
unusual mood TO the girls own reflected
sorrow. He had the gray brougham put
carefully in his garage and covered with
double canvases- When he would have had
the B. L. that was delicately engraved on
the panel of the door removed he found
himself unable to do SO. There might
have been a vague feeling that Betty
Lane would one day want her treasure
back. In that hope, Graham wanted II
left as she had used IL.
Sometimes when his chauffeur was not
about Graham would lift the canvas
and look with swiftly increased emotion
at the girls dainty equipage. Once when
he stepped within it he seemed conscious
of lingering fragrance There was
faded rose lying on the tiny gray rug.
Graham did not touch the flower. though
some strange longing arose within him
to take it up and touch it with his fingers.
He wondered whether or not the girl
had worn the flower beneath the soft
curve of her chin. Celeste was forgot
ten. He rejoiced that he had heard OF
her engagement to Haldane.
1t was when such thought crept into
his mind that Graham tried to convince
himself that Betty's sentiment over the
car had prompted his own romantic feel
ings- And yet, deep underneath it all he
knew that he would give a tremendous
amount of his worldly goods to see Bet
ty smiling within her brougham. He
knew. also. that he, and no other man.
would be beside her. She would have
a slender band of gold on her left hand
and he. David Graham, would have put
it there.
The letter that Betty received from him.
sent a warm rush of color to her grad
ually pinkening cheeks and a fiutter of
swift dreams to her heart.
David Graham loves me-" she whis-
pered. He loves me better than any
thing in the world" 1t seemed to her as
if that other person smiled with her.