Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1918-08-16
A Misunder-
standing
~T
BY WILLIAM ANGRY
esaeeeeeesssssssssssssssssscssessSssS
Copyright. 1915 by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate)
but you are not listening"
GN<H


Helen Fairfax turned her eyes back
to her lover with murlnured For
give me-" They We're earnest eyes,
shining with a tremulous love-light,
and she was a clever girl, with keen
mind and keener intuition, and he had
grown into the habit of talking to her
freely of his life, his profession, in
way that surprised himself.
But tonight her attention wandereh
Tonight Of all nights! Tomorrow he
was to sum up his great case. Surely
q woman should share the self-denial
Of a mans destiny. Was Helen, after
all, like other women--given to moods,
absorbed In the subjeCtive-when the
veil was lifted? They had been EN-
gagged six months each day had been
a fuller revelation of her nature. Was
this the nearer vlew7 All, no-banish
the thought. Helen was Helen--there
was no more to be said.
He took up the lines of the argu-
ment of his case and stated them to
her clearly, cOncisely. as though she
were a man. This time her eyes did
not wander from his face; they deep
ened, their pupils growing larger as
she gazed. How splendid he looked
How alert; how alive!
= How could she keep at this wide dis
lance. How incidental and how futile
sounded all that rapid flow of words!
When would he have done. that she
might throw herself upon his breast?
e. Don't you think so7" he asked her,
suddenly. fHeg, 49,! IN .a's??S'sEsssn-
"oh. Harold, did not hear what
you were saying"
mot hear what I was saying?
Haven't you been following? 1 never
needed your cooperation more. your in
tellectual sympathy more than | do
tonight. You know how hard I have
been working on this case; you know
what a notable case it is. You know
also, that the Seyes Of the legal world
are upon me. My summing up tomor-
row will be a crisis in the beginning
of my career. Could you not follow
me-help me by your sympathy-your
snterest?"
q He waited to see the flash of pro-
test In her eyes, for some little lance
that she would thrust to cross his own,
but instead she nestled her head into
the curve of his shoulder and whisp-
cred: "Forgive me, l am moody to-
night; very moody and absent-mind-
ed" 4...,.
ave have no right to be moody nor
absent-minded, dear" he answered
seriously, "where another's interests
are involved. 1t is a sign of weakness.
And there is something besides love.
A strong woman should keep even love
at bay when man has work to do
not lure him nor tempt him with 1t.
do not like to say it, sweetheart, but
i love you-and the wounds Of a
friend are faithful. l am disappOint-
ed at your failure to sympathiae with
my work tonight"
Two big tears welled in her eyes, but
she said no word. Had Harold Ford
been hero, a knight Of chivalry, he
would not have stopped in his quest
until he had found the source of those
two tears: he was, however, only q
very busy man Of today. Not that tho
two are altogether incompatible, but
that the combination is rare, and Har
old did not happen to he both in thC
fullest sense; furthermore. he was
deeply absorbed in an immediate prac
teal AFFAIR. 1t was striking II, anC
time for him TO leave her. Though HI
said no more, and his goodnight salu
tatiOn lacked nOthingrOutwardly, Their
was a mental reservation which, t,
the psychic sense of Helen, robbed 1
of It's fullest bliss.
ask o'clock tomorrow, dear" he re
peated as he went out the door. "Si
O'Clock tomorrow" she answered
Did her voice culver, or was it far
cy2 He was conscious Of saying t
himself as he passed down the steps
"Are all women alike. I wonder-ai
ter all-tears and moods"
The following afternoon, In the gait
ering dusk, he mounted the step
again. His attitude had changed TIL
stress and irritation of an absorbin
effort had given place to bouyant r,
action. He had won his case, and wo
It in so brilliant a way that the tr
umph was the smallest part of his sci
congratulation? Even the Judge ha
said words to make a young lawyer
heart take, courage. But what wei
the words, what was the triumph, VIII;
was anything, until he had shared
with Helen? He could see her in II
gathering dusk, as he waited, her eye
RIistening delight He could hear HI
vibrant "Harold" Poor child, had
hnan harsh last night? All, no. on