Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-04-03

9) I(II.-, J
STOPPING, She Looked at Il Closely.
She Started ~ She Did 80.
mind. When she had pushed the gold
harp into It's corner she threw herself
upon q broad sofa In feathery drift
OF chintz cushions and dropped her
forehead In her laced fingers. A gilt.
framed mirror hung on the opposite
wall, out Of which her sorrowful brood.
ing eyes looked with an expression Of
dumb and weary unering.
Her confused thoughts raced hithef
and thither. What would be the end?
Would Valiant forget after . time?
Would he marry-Miss Fargo, per.
haps? The thought caused her stab
Of anguish. Yet che herself could not
marry. him. ThA- barrier was impas-
sable!
She was still lying listlessly among
tho cushions wh1p q step sounded on
the porch and she heard Chilly Lusk's
voice in the hall. With heavy hands
Shirley put into place her disheveled
hair and rose to meet him.
I'm awfully selfeh to como to-
night" he said awkwardly; "ns doubt
you are tired out"
She disclaimed tho wesrinsss that
dragged upon her spirits like leaden
weights, and made him welcome With
her usual cordially. She was, In fact
relieved at his coming. At Damory
court. the night Of the ball. when she
had come from the garden with he1
lips thrilling from valiant's kiss, she
had suddenly met his look. It had
seemed to hold startled realization
that she had remembered with re
morseful conjunction. Since that
night he had not been at Rosewood.
T Ranston had lighted q pine-knot In
the fireplace, and the. walls we're shud
dering with crimson shadows. Her
hand was shielding her eyes. and az
she strove to fill the gaps In their
somewhat spasmodic conversation
with the trivial impersonal things that
belonged to their old intimacy, the
tiny pickering flames seemed to be
!, darling unfriendly fingers pluokins at
her secret. Leaning from her nest OF
cushions she thrust the poker into
the glowing resinous mass till sparkle
whizzed up the chimneys black NAV
in . torrent.
How they N.Y." she said. "Rickey
Snyder calls 1t raising . blissard in
- >G~I
to the sky and became tho litdest
stars. What . pity We have to grow
up and learn 20 much! I'd rather
have kept on believing that when the
red leaves In the woods whirled about
in circle the fairies .xera dancing,
and that it was the gnomes who put
the cockle-burs in tho hounds ears :"
She had been talking at random.
gradually becoming shrinkingly con
scious Of his constrained and STUN.
bling manner. She had, however, but
half defined his errand when he came
to 1t all in burst
I'll can't get to II, somehow, Shir.
ley" he said with sudden desperation.
"but here 1t IL. I've como to ask you
to marry me. Don't stop mo-" he
went on hurriedly. lifting his hand:
whatever you say. must tell you.
I've been trying to for months and
months!" Now that he had started,
!! It came with boyish vehemence that
both chilled and thrilled her. Even
in her own desolation, and shrinking
almost unbearably from the avowal.
the hope and brightness in his voice
touched her with PITY. 1t seemed to
her that life was Z strange tumble Of
unacceptable and incomprehensible
pain. And all theswhile, in the youns
voice vibrant with feeling. her cring.
ing ear was catching imagined echoes
Of that other voice, graver and more
selI-contained. but shaken BY tho same
passion. in that iteration II r love
you! love you'll"
His answer came to him finally in
her silence, and he released her hands
which he had caught in his own. They
dropped, limp. and unresponsive. In
her lap. Shirley" he said brokenly.
maybe you can. care for me-yet
But II you will marry me. I-Tn be
content with 30 little. till-you do"
She shook her head, her hair max.
ing dim flashes in the frelisht. mo.
Chilly" che said.s TT makes me
wretched to give yeu pain, but must
~ must! Love isn't like that. 1t
doesn't come sftsrward. know. l
could never give you what you want.
You would end ~ dsspisiag me. .
1-shouid despise myself"