The Detroit times., 1914-05-02
The Ambition of
Mark Truitt


discreet enough 10 retort; and she
did not emerge from her sulks Tor sew
eral days
But AT last the gnawing cauker was
disclosed One evening SO stormy
that no guests had come, Unity went
mp 70 his study where ne was making
the most OF this respite. She talked
rambllngly for awhile
Well Unity, out with it," he ex
claimed impatiently after several min
utes. What do YOU want? AS you
see, i've got great deal to do.
wonder what is the matter with
Mrs Henley
You ought TO know You see her
often enough, don't you?'
Yes / see her-at church. And
We call. But she never invites US TO
the things she gives / wonder Why"
Probably because she doesn't want
us"
Unity looked her protest at this
blunt speech But she did not aban-
don her project
Il should think, ii you're such good
friends with MIR. Henley you could
manage ii easily enough"
Now you can stop right there, he
answered emphatically. I'm pretty
soft but there's one thing | draw the
line at And that's managing to get
invited TO other peoples houses
That's fat"
And on that he was firm, though
he was made 10 pay in many ways
for his refusal
But in due time and without man
aO t,,vf
whose initiative, being a secret neither
Henley nor his wife has ever disclos-
ed. Hence we may not speak surely
az to the accuracy OF certain infer
ences that Unity drew.
You see" she cried, showing the
note TO Mark. Her manner said plain
~ II alone did it, in spite or the in.
difference OF my husband"
= see he responded dryly. Are
you going
-....f neas :, 'ers s's -'en
temptuous silence 1t deserved.
Great were the preparations for
that critical occasion. And as Mark
stood in the hall and watched her de-
scending the stairs for the start, he
was bound TO confess that she made
tair-oh, a very fair-picture, The
new gown was Of creamy satin and
lace and left her arms and throat
bare. Her thick dull golden braids
were coiled in a way TO suggest a
crown and her slightly uptilted chin
gave her the proud patrician air sup
posed to be the badge of those born
TO satin and laces Her eyes shone
with excitement and a heightened
color compelled attention 10 the purity
OF her complexion. But he could look
upon her now. even when she was at
her loveliest, without admiration or
tenderness, with no emotion at all but
impatience for her prodigal incom-
pleteness.
why" he wondered, did the Al
mighty make so pretty a shell and put
nothing in it?' This seems TO prove
that he had been pretty effectually dis
illusioned
However careless he might affect to
be, he was himself keenly elated over
the event. often he had asked him
self why Henley, so friendly In all
else, had never let down the bars be-
fore his home, And as he mounted
the steps toward the opening door, he
could not repress the thrill of exulta-
ton. AT that very window he had
stood, raw country youth much in
awe OF the Arabian Nights wonders
he beheld, and Henley had caught him
and called him "Peeping Tom" and
sneeringly sent him OFF TO find job
with the labor gang. Now he was
about to be received, welcomed
equal, by Henley. who, too, had grown
tremendously since that night. He
laughed. He had said. prophet
cally, Unity will like that The
laugh ceased.
-+f44e- lad need of the stimnlns- Of his
exultation as ne and Unity faced that
roomful Of people who-well, were in
longer practice at this sort of thing
than he was He limped, with some
thing less than Unity's ablomb. across
the room TO meet his hostess, who
graciously something quite
unintelligible. and Henley, who seem
ed rather bored.
Then he was introduced TO his din
ner partner. Mrs. Belloc, who mistook
his set expression for sternness and
was in the end led by her without mis-
hap to their places near Henley's end
of the table.
He had no small talk, and Mrs Bel.
loo, after one or two barren essays,
allowed him a breathing spell. SO for
a while he sat silent. watching Unity
who almost across from him, was gaz-
ing soulfully up TO. and being In turn
ogled by, a handsome portly gentle.
man. very sure OF himself, no less a
parsonage than the rector OF ST. Swith.
ms n Unity felt any nervousness,
she has risen nobly above IL.
Mrs Belloc returned firmly TO her
duty
You're member OF ST Swithin's,
aren't you?"
"I'm--er-a contributing member
Don't you love il? We all do
40 YOU"
yes. And Doctor Palmer We all
love him. too
Naturally Because he loves YOU
all. doesn't he2'
lies my ideal Of n rector J think
he has such a-an air