Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-06-11
CHAPTER LVI
Copyright, 1917, Star Company.

Copyright, 1917, Star Company.
"Hello!" Tom greeted us as we
drew up at the veranda steps. Have
you had a nice ride.
"Delightful!" my companion re-
piled, this saving me the necessity
of an answer. so pleasant. in fact,
that we came back home around the
long way-by the wooded road. Help
Miss Dart out, Tom, and 1 will take
the car back to the garage"
"I'll take it back. father" the boy
offered.
NO" Mr.. Norton said, "I want to
give an order to James. He is prob
ably asleep. and might be cross if
you woke him up-but he won't be
cross with me If l arouse him from
his slumbers.
He did not get out of the car as l
arose, nor did he apologize for not
doing so. There was no need of 1T,
for Tom and Hugh Parker stood on
each side of me as 1 sprang to the
ground.
THE moonlight makes you look
awfully white; Miss Dart" Tom OBJ
served
1T always makes people look
pale" Hugh Parker remarked quick
ly.
I wondered if he wished to draw
comment away from me. but l was
too tired to speculate much about 1t.
Goodnight" my employer said,
lifting his hat, then starting the car.
"I'll see you all in the morning"
I'm going right upstairs" l re-
marked to Tom, who had followed
me up the front steps.
AS my eyes met his l noticed
again the intent look that I had seen
in his mothers picture. How much
he was like her-the first wife of this
man who had asked me to marry
him! remembered the lads re-
sentiment when he spoke of his
fathers having forgotten the woman
who had borne him his only son.
felt all at once that 1 wanted to beg
this boy not to be angry with me if
I should marry his father. 1 was
fond of Tom. 1 could not bear to
lose his regard.
The Boy Is SoIicitous
What's the matter, Miss Dart?"
he demanded. What are you think
ing of? You look as if you had rec
objected som ething miles away"
He smiled, and l tried to smile
back at him.
Il did just happen to recollect
something" 1 told him. You were
right in that guess"
Can I attend to it for you?" he
asked. Where is tor what is it?''
It's nothing that you can attend
to for me-just now," / rejoined.
Thank you just the same. Good
night"
held out my hand to him, and he
gave it a boyish grip. 1 longed to
drop my head on his shoulder and
cry. He seemed suddenly like my
very own brother. l turned away be-
fore the rising tears reached the sur
face.
Goodnight, Miss Dart" Parker
said.
Goodnight" I returned. hurry
ing past him into the house.
A second later l wished I had
shaken hands with him. 1t would
hurt me to have him think I had
sighted him. I had ignored his out
stretched hand because 1 had been
afraid to pause lest the tears that
were rising overflow. And to seem
unhappy would be fatal. l must get
into the habit of acting as if nothing
had happened.
Mrs. Gore called to me as I was
on my way from the second to the
third floor. She came out of her
room.
"Ihave been listening for Grace
but she has made no sound that
have heard" she informed me. Did
you have a nice ride?"
THE moonlight was wonderful" a
evaded. Thank you for listening
for Grace. Goodnight, Mrs. Gore. "
1t was not until l was in my own
room that let the tears of reaction
and nervousness overflow. But ]
did not cry long. To yield to such
weakness now would make self-cofl-
troll harder later on. And why was
| crying? What a silly girl l was,
| was not forced to marry man just
because he asked me to. 1 had
promised nothing-except to try to
love him.
To try to love him! Why. now
that / had promised this, did all
glamour fade from my thoughts of
him? Was that always the way with
a girl? Did the mere fact that a
man wanted her to marry him make