The Tupelo journal., 1918-01-18
Without
Prcmeditation
By Susan clasget.
By Susan Claggets
1917. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate.)

john EuSllSl duSWcTeu Tic QucS-
ton absently, without turning his head.
'They are masked batteries, I be-
lieve."
"All of them?"
Something in the tone Of voice
caught his attention. He looked at
the woman standing beside the rail,
past her to the bay and the many is
lands dotting its surface.
Boston is we'll protected" he re-
marked casually.
"Of course" Rachel Baruch moved
so as to face him. II am a good
American" she said dryly.
"Yes?"
"Your tone implies reservation and
an Implication"
For an instant annoyance dominant
ed John English. Then he laughed.
1.-The times call for reserve. AS for
implication, 1 never imply a thing"
"Then why?" she waved her hand
outwardly.
Ignorance. 1 have never before
been in Boston harbor."
She looked at him doubtfully.
"My explanation is not s~atisfac-
tory?"
"Your pardon. There is something
familiar, yet l am sure l have never
seen you before. A chance likeness,
a similarity in tone"
81 am fortunate If / resemble one
who is a friend; it argues favorably
for me-" he answered idly.
"A friend! No. l disliked the man.
In fact, / am running away from him."
His eyes twinkled. 1.-THE obvious
reason?"
She did not reply. The swell, that
makes the trip to Yarmouth something
to be dreaded, was rolling the steamer
in a most unpleasant way and had
cleared the deck of all but themselves.
Isn't it very rough?" she asked, glanc-
ing about helplessly.
Il have been told this trip is worse
than an ocean voyage" Then he
glimpsed her face and was all con-
Germ.
ut is nothing" Rachel said hastily;
"a little dizziness that will pass, but
1 think I will go in"
"The air is best for you, and you
will miss the sunset" But she shook
her head and left him.
They did not meet again until a
week later. Lettering upon the piazza
of the Queens hotel, Halifax, he saw
her pass. His first thought was to
join her. His second, to wonder why
he should desire to do so. Such an in
clination belonged to youth, not to a
man who had long left sentiment be-
hind and found his most c%nngenial
companionship among his Csn kind.
His means permitted him IN live as
he pleased in the house bui t ~ some
forgotten ancestor This he FAD chang
ed little. The principal alteration had
been in the attic which he ! a. trans
formed into a billiard room. h. pleas
ATTEST plare in the house, anil this
room visualized itself with soNDs amaz
ing additions to the furniture as he
watched Rachel BaruCh's 1streating
figure. A bapy grand stood besite one
window My, he could not tel the
difference between Dixie and this SEX
tet from Lucia, and he realized the in
congruity OF a piano in his den, but
the oddly Of It's appearance disappear
ed in a greater aStonishment as he 10
ticed upon the hearth two pairs of
slippers. THIS in itself was not I'M
usual, but when he glimpsed n of the
rns, 10 rrn~I1roI xrI,+ bod hoDnornI
to him. Close beside his WORKOUT and
comfortable number mines was a wOm-
ans shoe, dainty and small.
A blast from a steamer at the pier
reused him, and he looked at his watch
as a porter approached with his grip
and rug, and with an Unconscious sigh
he came back to the business of the
moment.
That a man should have dreams is
not surprising. The surprising thing
was that this condition of mind was
brought about, not by a young woman,
but by one quite thirty-five or more
years of age. She could not even lay
claim to beauty, but in Rachel's face
was force and sweetness a note in her
voice that appealed to him. Analysing
his condition of mind later on, he
reached the conclusion he was in a
state bordering upon the idiocy Of ex-
IRENE youth; for the first time In his
life he could not constrain his feelings
to respond to his will.
He wondered why he had been so
short-sighted not to join her, to accept
the chance offered by the gods, and as
he dashed himself mentally owe his
failure to do so, something In the at
titude of a woman upon whom his Eyes
had rested unseeingly for some time
brought a sudden realization that, af-
ter all, fate was kind.
He made no move to join her. He
was content to wait, hoping she would
recognize him when, she turned. He
was disappointed. Once her eyes swept
nvor him rocro11v 90 ao cuo11v oc fhnv