The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1918-09-20

her, telling her that she would live
her life without him, and that she real.
lied now that 1t was mistake to ex.
pect an outsider-a plebeian--to un
derstand the ways of her kind Of
people" Even now, after three years,
Elaine still WINGED as she thought of
those hasty words of hers. How she
must have hurt him-and all the time
she was hurting herself as well; and
he had let her go on without word
of protest, In the end gravely agreeing
with her, and saying that he would
never ask her to come back again. And
he hadn't. And they never met nor
| wrote.
Elaine's eyes were opened now, but
of course 1t was far too late to give In
and acknowledge herself in the wrong.
Three years of time had rolled be-
tween them, the bar of passionate
words on either side keeping them
apart.
She started once more on her pill
grimage through the rooms. First
the dining room, with the familiar pa
per, which she herself had selected.
He had not been so well-off then, and
had insisted upon living In the style
that his own earnings would entitle
them to-but he had worked hard to
give her as many as possible Of the
luXuries that she had been accus-
toned to.
$50 small thing to mean so large
a loss" murmured the girl to herself.
She had read those words somewhere,
and now they came into her mind. She
stood for time looking out through
the clouded windows. Great tears
welled up in her eyes and poured down
over her face-as If the barriers were
suddenly let down to allow tides Of
memory to flow In and engulf her.
She had never allowed herself to
think in this way before, but the spirit
Of love seemed to have come back to
the dusty little room from which he
had flown three years before. For her
time passed unheeded.
Darkness fell Outside, James felt
very cross. The idea of anyone spend
ing so much time looking at an empty
house! He folded his arms and went
half asleep. Down In the basement,
the care-taker, having finished her
supper, came up and, forgetting all
about her visitor, or, thinking that she
had surely gone, away long ago, closed
the door and went home.
And Elaine dreamed on-for how
long, she knew not. But suddenly she
awoke to reality with start, to no.
tlce that 1t had grown very dark out
side, and that there were footsteps
coming through the hall. Then came
the sound of voice that seemed ia
mlliar.
Hold the light low there, please. I
wish to see all the rooms. There,
thank you; that's better"
Elaine had crept to the door, and
was listening with white face. She
had a glimpse of the two men as they
passed the door one, evidently the
night Waterman, holding the lamp, and
the other the man she had sent away
three years before,
$50 he, too, has not forgotten,
thought Elaine, bitterly.
She wondered If she should speak
make her presence known - but each
time she tried to her courage failed
her. She looked again. Yes, there he
was Standing in front Of the open
fireplace. Once more she peered
through the open door. "How changed
he was.' she said to herself. "How
much older and grayer."
Her face was still wet with the
traces of her recent tears, but she did
not even know 1t as she went up and
tapped gently on the wall between the
two rooms. He turned round suddenly
with great start Then he came to
the door and opened 1t wider. Elaine
walked into the room.
All the light from the lamp seemed
to shine on the slender figure, standing
there so erect and proud. The girls
saoo u,os White and stroIned hrt her
hno aros shnno lilo twin storS Tbe
mon started hoc, with a ,IttIe crv of
mnmttoroh,o oston,Sbmo,t
"p,o,ne, Good Godw
TJsten" 4" sbe said softly ber hands
outstrotchod "Tat mo humble mvsa,f