Evening star., 1914-10-15

ness which she had almost forgotten
was there. Mr.. Dunn had discovered
1t by arousing her pride. She wished
to show him that she was not fool
1t seemed the only way to- do that
was to appear to be brave enough TO
| do as he suggested.
Louisa started for Europe blindly.
| She went with Mrs and Miss Crosby.
| elderly, refined women. who loved
| study and travel. She left a good
| deal to them at first, but presently
| she began to show little indepen-
dence. She tried hard to learn. After
| she got out of her daze enough to
| realize that she was too far from
Westmore that she couldn't walk
| back, and that there wasn't anything
| but water around. she gave herself
| up to a kind of bewldered enjoy
! ment. During the long days when
| she had nothing to do but sit still she
| became in way acquainted with her
real self. Fragments of dreams.
young hopes. inspirations, longings
came back to her.
She had her first glimpse of Europe
with eyes fairly awake After that
| there were days when she forgot
Westmore; the old house where she
had had SO many hard. tired years
with her exactins father, even her
self One day she knelt in great
have seen this l know he would have
been different" she thought Her
heart was full of great pity She
had also a quickened understanding
of the warpine process which had
made her father what he was. And
she saw herself as it were great
way off.
She stayed away two years. The
with her, the second year she was
alone. She went quietly from place to
place. When she liked place she
stayed there while with her books.
She was always making acquaintance
who taught her sonnet hing
All this time Mr.. Dunn wrote to her
sharp. short business letters. She
answered % back in kind. Once she
suggestion and cab1ed it to him. She
was amazed at her own temerity-
and yet my way seemed right to
personal in their correspondence. And
yet when she thought about it at all
Louisa realized that he was the.only
thing in Westmore of which she was
constantly aware.
She came back in June. In the
broad light of day she alighted at the
station and not soul knew her. A
cab took her to the hotel where she
steamer trunk. She had luncheon and
then she telephoned to Mr.. Dunn
Please come over. l want to see you"
He came. When she appeared be-
j fore him she actually laughed at the
impression she made upon him. She
had taken pains to look her best She
had, moreover, the womanly con-
sciousness that her violet gown had
cost a pretty penny, and that violet
was her color.
1t seemed as if a hundred years had
passed since she last talked to Mr.
Dunn. She felt that much older in
some ways and that much younger in
others When he showed her the
papers he had brought: she at least
was able to go through them intelli-
gently. She got grasp of her own
affairs that astonished even herself
When they had finished and Mr.
Dunn had made his accounting and
she had accepted it. he said: You
! won't need me any longer. You are
able to manage affairs yourself now"
Yes. 1 think 1 am" Louisa said,
calmly.
But if you ever need any legal ad-
vice please remember that / will
serve you to the best of my ability.''
II shall remember that" Louisa re-
| piled.
MIR. Dunn had turned to 60 He got
as far as the door, stopped and looked
at Louisa. She was looking at him
! 'Louisa-dear," exclaimed Mr.. Dunn
| Louisa smiled
(THE END.)