Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-08-06

dressed, and the lights In the room
where she received him were of a color
to become her. With assumed mod
esty she dropped her eyes to the door
when Hart entered the room where she
received him, but instead Of keeping
them there she raised them to his with
a look Of affection.
This was not what had taken hold of
his Imagination. He had been impress
ed by a shrinking being, a lily whose
beauty is In it's purity. He found a
sunflower, suggestive Of eastern lux-
ury. His idol had fallen and was shat
tered. That delicacy OF feeling which
had gone out to one of such deep love
for him that she could not refrain from
its expression, but was too modest to
make herself known, was shocked. He
showed by his bearing that this trans
formation repealed him. The girl drew
back, and on her face came a look Of
disappointment
81 have come" he said, mo- only In
obedience to your request, but with a
view to serve myself and the girl to
whom ! have given my heart The
knowledge that I was honored with
the love Of an unknown person has
taken hold OF my Imagination and has
marred my happiness and the happi-
ness OF my betrothed. I have there
fore come, with her consent and ap-
proval, that the dream may be turned
into the reality. Against the former
/ cannot struggle successfully, for it
is a chimera; the latter Is a matter OF
fact AS a real being Of flesh and
blood you are to me the same as hun
dreds of other women whom / might
meet for the first time. 1t is not I'M
complimentary for me to say that,
while I am deeply sensible OF the hon
or you have done me, my heart hav-
ing been given to another, l am un-
able to reciprocate. Doubtless there
are many more worthy than l to pos
sess you"
az honor you" said the girl, "for
your manly statement Of the case be-
tween us. Had I expected you to
make any other l would have been
criminal In sending for you. Since l
am to be without you for eternity, 1
ventured to ask you to give me this
one meeting that l may remember 1t
through my lonely life"
Had 1t not been for the contrasts be-
tween Harris dream and this reality
perhaps he would have shown a nat
ural weakness. Had he not been an
ideal man he would likely have sue
cumbed. 1t was his ideality that saw
ed him. They had not seated them
selves, and Hart stood looking at the
girl kindly, but without a spark of
what she had expressed for him. See
ing this, she dismissed him, saying:
81 trust that we part with mutual
respect"
Hart withdrew without even SO
much as touching hesGhand. He was
eoIgratulating himself that what had
troubled him had been eliminated
when from the room In which he had
left the girl he heard a sob. he start
ed to go back to soothe her, but his
better judgment prevailed, and he
took his departure. Going straight to
Margaret, he told her of the interview;
that his dream had been superseded
by a reality which had nc temptation
for him.
Nevertheless the work of getting him
out of thrall had been but half accom-
plished. That sob remained with him.
His dream had given place to a reality
which had not been a temptation for
him, but his s-ensitiveness, his kindli-
ness had been moved by an expression
of anguish. Weeks passed, and he did
not overcome its influence. Margaret
noticed that something troubled him
and, s~uspecting he had not been cured,
asked him for his confidence. He told
her that he could not forget that sob.
'Is that all that remains to trouble
your" she asked.
at Is"
eff the reality could be blotted out
would your dream returnr'
mo; that has gone forever"
When they met again Margaret ask
ed her lover to go with her to call upon
a friend Of hers. Hart acceded to her
request, and an evening was appointed
for the visit When they stopped at
the house of their destination Hart
was surprised to recognize the II
where he had called on his dream"
Before he could express his astonish-
ment they were admitted and in an
other moment stood face to face with
the girl who had sobbed. She extend
ed her hand, smiling.
"My friend Kate" said Margaret to
Hart, consented to help me relieve
you of your dream. 1 could have Sc
cured the services of some unattrac-
tive person, but l preferred one who
would test your constancy to me. l am
happy to say that you acquitted your
self nobly. Had not Kate overdone
her part by that sob l should not have
needed to reveal the plot. As 1t is, /
wish you to see for yourself that she
is not pining for you at all, Now that
vour acvmnathatio haart Ia diSa huapd