The Snowflake herald., 1915-03-05
cHANCE
and
CHARLEY
oA MARIA CRAWFORD

admiring the girl as she came
into the room
,,yorp." she answered Indifferent
!, r1roDping into a chair. II have
i,iisd not to 60"
rMay l ask why?"
certainly you may ask" Alice as
,.1 him with small show of grace,
@rt ' must decline to answer, for |
,.rsvp that after a minutes medita-
y. p' rour own memory will save me
NV Nv trouble and answer you more in
nrcently and less dispassionately
@,H 0 possibly could under the cir
nn8tanceS.
aAl this is Greek to me, Alice"
sid Charley, a surprised, hurt note
! his voice. Suppose you tell me
n about it|
q can't do it without emotion and
will not cry and let you laugh at
me-" Alice slowly pulled the gleam-
mo circle of diamonds from her fin
cpr and laid it on the table between
Sem. q give you back your free
dom"
nSee here, Alice" said the man,
ternly, "you owe me some sort of an
gplanation. What's the matter?
Have | done anything that displeased
yu%
no. You have your freedom.
Now enjoy it%
There was fnality in her voice
and without even glancing at the
ring on the table, Charley Lanier
old good night and left her.
He was stunned, he was humiliat-
ds he stepped into his car and or
lred his chauffeur to run out on
he river road.
Ten miles from town, the stiffness
t the country and of the eternal
bills smOte his inner consciousness
With peace and the anger in his
heart for the girl he loved died and
left only sense of loneliness. Life
could be made too great a thing to
waste any hours over tickle wom-
m He told his chauffeur to drive
back to the Havemeyers' garden par
:. If Alice could give him up for
1me foolish, abstract reason, he de-
tmined that he would forget his
burt by mingling with people.
We'll, Pm glad to see you here,
Vharley" said a pleasant voice, as
Dc turned away from his hostess.
I've been looking for you. 1 want
you to take Thankful Morris around
With you and have her sing. She
has wonderful talent"
lie turned quickly and saw one
a his mothers best friends and be-
soe her the beautiful girl whom he
aa taken motoring in the afternoon.
twas when party of guests had
s'ne INTO the house, into the hand
%ne music room, to hear Thankful
MOTHS sing, that Charley first saw
alCe standing with a group of men
'uG u cOVertly watching him. The full
ItlloV voice Of the singer had the
naery trllls of nightingales in it
'uu Inc sweetness of her own flower
Seu'ed south. Under the sound of
music the mans heart began to
hE aiaiIy, de8pairingly. He turned
a fellow clubman and asked him
provide an escort for the visitor,
% 'u moved quietly through a
MI SuVn window out on the vine-cov-
w. veranda where the moonlight
n'tpga ~ the leaves showed in patches
the floor.
s was alone there and he leaned
h ugad back on a chair and closed
n. FeS' listening to the pleading
0m sung that seemed to mock his
Ar. Paln' He had never known
M N 10 De much given to moods,
e,,. aSdln he wondered what had
W ~ Inc change in her. He was
%epy interested in his own
Do,s;sI $l'S' so absorbed in planning
n, tis at. solutions for possible prob
gpps+, Da' he did not hear the merry
M s ;n.I RaVe the music room to 90
h ~t0 aas9 The garden, nor did he hear
pOEs 'I' 4, footsteps of the girl. She
D r,. 10 nlm before he knew that
os wy Wy, Sense of justice made me fol-
Eli3S III mere to offer an explanation
I'M | denied you two hours ago.