The Washington herald., 1914-07-05

de as he was in the beginning. On' no"
she prayed for thstl Every night she
prayed for it, with all the faith and
strength and sincerity Of her nature.
Surely God would grant that prayer. 1t
was so little to ask-just kindness from
the man she loved so much. That was
all. She would ask of him nothing
more-that alone would make her well
and strong and happy again.
He was coming at 8! Did that mean
he would stay all afternoon and take
her to dinner? He had given her but
the merest scraps of time lately, but
now, If they could have one of their
old afternoons and evenings, what pos
sibilities of happiness, of breaking down
arrangements, of growing nearer each
other again might it not hold? 1-
She would put on her prettiest gown.
She had not had the heart to care about
her gowns lately; but she would care
today, she would be attractive and
bright and cheerful. And above all, she
, would try to prevent that constrained
awkwardness and self-consciousness that
always hung over their meetings now.
The moment he entered the room was
always a critical one. So much depend
ed on that first moment, and she would
try TO make it easy and natural. Oh, she
would do everything she could, and
perhaps he would respond to her-per-
haps he-would help her. Today might
be the day that would bring back her
happiness She was always eager to
believe that the coming hour held for
her unexpected possibilities of happi-
ness-and she would believe that now.
By ? 80 she was dressed and waiting.
She walked up and down the room re-
hearsing little scenes, planning little
things she would say and do. Three
o'clock csme-hve, ten, fifteen minutes
after. A lump came in her throat, and
her heart grew sick. With strained
eagerness she watched the window, but
there were two entrances to her apart
ment hotel, and he usually came in the
other way. At ) go the telephone rang.
Had he come or was he telephoning
that he could not come?
"Mr. Stamford is calling" announced
the telephone girl.
Will you ask him to come up"
Oh, if her heart would not beat so
fast! 1t made her faint and sick. The
sound of the elevator down the hall. His
step. quick and decided. Then a knock
at her door.
She had intended to run into his arms, |
to kiss him. But she didn't. She stood
motionless, still holding the or open |
while he crossed the room and laid down
his hat and stick.
We'll, how are you today" He had
turned now and was gazing at her crit
ically
She closed the door and crossed over
to a chair II feel very we'll" She
was suddenly cold-icy cold all over.
That's good" brusquely.
"Did-did you have a pleasant
mean a successful trip" That was not
at all what she had intended to say.
NO, | had besstly trip. That Cow
ington deal is all off. They're not
straight people, and wouldn't lend my
name to it I'm out my time and lot
OF money"
oh, I'm so sorry"
well, it doesn't help to be sorry"
irritably Take things as they come
that's part OF the game. Learn to ac-
cept the inevitable"
yes, l know, but it seems hard some
times"
You make everything hard. You
never can accept situation; you're al
ways brooding and crying about it"
She controlled her resentment at the
I'M ustice of this, OF his managing to hurt
her merely because she had expressed
sympathy for his unsuccess.
He rose suddenly and glanced at his
watch. I'll have to use youi phone a
She nodded. She was glad of the
chance to get better control of herself
and OF the situation. She was filled
with sickening sense of failure. She
had planned it so differently!
The telephone was on the wall just
inside her bedroom. The door was
open, and from where she was sitting
she could see him standing there; his
height made it necessary for him to
stoop to the receiver. The line of his
head and shoulders-it thrilled her now
IS il always had.
Hello Broad s736"
That was his Office number, a number
that to her seemed so vitality different
from every other number. II was as
hough il had absorbed some of his per-
'onality She was always strangely af-
fected by the slightest thing that was in
my way connected with him.
"Heilol II Mr.. Winthrop comes in,
'ay viii meet him there not later than
40. Il