The Washington herald., 1915-09-26
"She married me-" said Binkley.

OF MS dIte-CdVc 4Hu WIlSSiSQ MS lOcs.
"I know how you feel about it." said Blink
ley. what else could she do? There were her
four sisters and her mother and old man Carr
you remember how he put all the money he had
into dirigible balloons? Well, everything was
coming down and nothing going up with em, as
you might say Well, know Edith as we'll as
you do-although married her. was worth
a million then, but I've run it up since to be-
tween five and six. 1t wasn't me she wanted as
much as-well, it was about like this. She had
that bunch on her hands, and they had to be
taken care Of Edith married me two months
after you did the ground-squrrel act. thought
she liked me, too. at the time"
"And now'" inquired the recluse.
We're bettef friends than ever now. She
got divorce from me two years ago. Just in
compatibility. 1 didn't put in any defense.
Well, we'll. well, Hamp, this is certainly fun
ny dugout you've built here. But you always
were hero of fiction. Seems like you'd have
been the very one to strike Ediths fancy
Maybe you did-but it's the bank-rol that
catches 'em, my boy-your caves and whiskers
won't do it. Honestly. Hamp, don't you think
you've been darned fool?'
The hermit smiled behind his tangled beard
He was and always had been so superior to
the crude and mercenary Binkley that even his
vulgarities could not anger him. Moreover
his studies and meditations in his retreat had
raised him far above the little vanities of the
world. His little mountain-side had been al
most an Olympus, over the edge of which he
saw. smiling. the bolts hurled in the valleys of
man below. Had his ten years of renunciation
of thought, of devotion to an IDEAL of living
scorn of sordid world, been in vain !? Up from
the world had come to him the youngest and
the beautifulest-fairer than Edith-one and
three-seventh times lovelier than the seven
years-served Rachel So the hermit smiled in
his beard
When Binkley had relieved the hermitage
from the blot of his presence and the first faint
star showed above the pines, the hermit got the
can of baking powder from his cupboard He
still smiled behind his beard.
There was slight rustic in the doorway
There stood Eth Carr, with all the added
beauty and stateliness and noble bearing that
ten years had brought her.
She was never one to chatter She looked
at the hermit with her large, thinking, dark
eyes. The hermit stood still, surprised into
pose as motionless as her own Only his sub
conscious sense of the fitness of things caused
him to turn the baking powder can slowly in
his hands until its red label was hidden against
his bosom.
Il am stopping at the nn,' said Edith, in
low cut tones Il heard of you there l told
myself that l must see you. l want to ask
your forgiveness l sold my happiness for
money There were others to be provided for
but that does not excuse ME. just wanted
to see you and ask your forgiveness. You have
lived here ten years, they tell me, cherishing
my memory! | was blind. Hampton | could
not see then that all the money in the world
cannot weigh in the scales against a faithful
heart If-but it is too late now, of course
Her assertion was question clothed as best
it could be in loving woman's pride But
through the thin disguise the hermit saw easily
that his lady had come back to hinl-if he
chose He had won golden crown-if it
pleased him to take it. The reward of his de-
cade of faithfulness was ready for his hand
if he desired to stretch it forth.
For the space of one minute the old en-:
chantment shone upon him with a reflected
radiance And then by turns he felt the man
" sensations of indignation at having been
discarded, and of repugnance ct having been
-as it were-sought again. And last of all
how strange that it should have come at last
the pale-blue vision of the beautifulest of the