Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1918-07-26
never ASK ner to come BACK again. And
he hadn't. And they never met nor

ne naQn'L ana tney 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 pfl-
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 a 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
NOlISd UP AL llSI eyes anu DOulCu uO"H
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
tice that it had grown very dark out
side, and that there were footsteps
coming through the hall. Then came
the sound of a voice that seemed ia
miliar.
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 a 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
face was white and strained, but her
blue eyes shone like twin stars. The
man started back with little cry of
unutterable establishment.
elaine! Good God""
"Listen," she said softly, her hands
outstretched. "Let me humble myself
while / can. I need you, Richard-I
want you-you and the little house."
"Elaine-Elaine-' The man could
but whisper her name. for the sudden
sight of her seemed to have dazed him.
"Elaine-why did you conner
Quite suddenly all the fear and pride
seemed to die out of the girls heart.
Because loved you" she whispered
softly. Because in the old empty
house I came to understand that ]
could never be happy without you,
When I stood in the little room that
we had planned together"-her voice
lbroke-"Richard, forgive me"
She was in his arms, sobbing out
the words she could not speak, and his
arms were around her as he murmur-
ed: "It's for you to forgive me, dear
est. My little girl And thought that
you did not carel"
She chung to him, even as he held
her, as he kissed lip and brow and hair.
He could not let her go. He would
never let her go again. my dearest"
he whispered, mot for long will 1t be
the Empty House."