Evening star., 1915-04-11
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR APRIL IL, 1915

tlldl ITO WOIIldIl HAS SeIlSe eIOuSll W VOIe.
Tom laughed, actually laughed; and
the little library swan round him like
veritable spiritual aurora borealis. "Why
why didn't you let me know" he asked
reproachfully but happily. "Why didn't
you let me know"
"How was | to be sure you wanted to
know? After all, it might have been a
fancy on your part. And thought, if you
cared enough, you'd come back-some-
time"
She was very near him, sweet, wistfu,
appealing the first thing Tom knew
he had her in his arms and was crushing
her to him with all the dammed-back pas
sion of the weary, weary months. And
he was repaying her in tenfold measure
for that mysterious but unforgetable kiss
she had given him at parting.
PUT when it was possible to be in de-
gree coherent she drew back and re-
garded him with a solemnity that was al
most portentous. "Listen,' she said,
there's something must tell you. Sit
down. She pushed him gently to chair,
and sat herself on it's arm. "Im not really
your fathers heiress, Dear. I'm only
unique sort of administrators for you. You
see your father deplored your selfishness,
idleness, and lack of concentration gener-
ally. He said you had it in you to be a
real man-if you ever woke up and real
lied your own abilities. He felt that if he
left you his money outright, he'd be doing
you a real injustice; for you'd be sure to
take the path of least resistance and never
try to make anything of yourself. He be-
lieved that throwing you upon your own
resources might work the miracle he de-
sired. But, so absolutely the doting par
ent was he, he meant for you to have the
money in any ease. 1t was only an eX-
pertinent. There's later will, in which
everything goes to you. The first, of
course, was in my favor. Not a penny of
the money was really mine. He-I-'
She hesitated, evading his eyes-"it's
hard to say it."
"Tell me- Dear he prompted gently.
"He wanted me to marry you. He was
sure we We're made for each other. But if
he had so much as limited to you that he'd
selected your mate, you'd have gone off
at a-tangent in an opposite direction. He
knew you pretty well. you see. He was
very sweet and apologetic about it, and as
he was quite ill and | expected to marry
Gaspard anyway, | didn't feel in the least
offended, nor any scruples about lending
myself to his little scheme. You'll adj
nit, won't you, that never angled for
yolR
"Yes," said Tom. "I was certainly a
free moral agent
"It was his idea that if you met mo you
might-might like me, and leaving his
money to me was good way to bring
about a meeting. He was a dear old man.
and loved him, and if becoming part
ner to his ridiculous plot made him happy
| don't regret my share in it the least.
And did hope the loss of the money
would wake you up, and set you to work
at something real. All Worthwhile men
are workers, you know" She added pas
sionately, AS if you didn't know!
haven't lost track of you. Tom, I've
learned what you have done and become
in these last months. And she ducked
her head down into his neck with an ador-
able suddenness, Il love you!'
Tom sat in stunned silence, his arm
around her, staring out at the fish that
looked like Aunt Sarah. Al last he drew
n lonu hrea th and tran nsfprrad his pnze