Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-08-19

had gone back and kissed her--
At the memory an odd sensation
came over him, soaring him little.
| How on earth had he ever had the
temerity to do such a thing to her.
And, as he thought of this exquis-
! lite, slender, clear-eyed young girl
who had greeted him at the Paris
! terminal--this charming embodiment
of all that is fresh and sweet and
fearless--in her perfect hat and
gown of mondaine youth and fashion,
the memory of his temerity appalled,
| him.
Imagine his taking an unencourag-
Nor could he dare imagine encour"
| agement from the Rue Carew so
| amazingly revealed to him.
Out of what, in heavens name, had
| this lovely girl developed? Out of a
shy, ragged, bare-legged child haunt
| ing the wild blackberry tangles in
| BrOokholloW?
out of the frail, charmingly awk-
ward, pathetic, frecllled miIl-hand in
| her homemade party clothes, the
| rather sweet expression of whose
mouth once led him to impudent in
discretion?
| Out of what had she been evolved
this young girl whom he had left
| just now standing beside her boudoir
door with the Princess Uaia's arm
around her waist? Out Of the fright
ened, white-lipped, shabby girl who
had come dragging her trembling
limbs and her suitcase up the dark
stairway outside his studio? Out Of
the young thing with sagg1ng hair
crouched in an armchair beside his
desk, where Her cheap hat lay with
4so1~s II
crown? Out of the fragile figure
buried in the bedclothes Of a state
thin, bare arm in voice1ess adieu?
And Neeland lay there thinking,
his head on his elbow, the other arm
extended-from the fingers of which
the burnt-out cigarette presently fell
to the floor.
He thought to himself:
'tShe is absolutely beautiful; there
is no denying that. It's not her
clothes or the way she does her hair,
or her voice, or the way she moves,
or how she looks at man; it's the
business is miracle, that's all. Good
Lordi And to think 1 ever had the
nerve-the nerve!"
He swung himself to sitting pos
ture, sat gazing into space for a few
moments, then continued to undress
cigarette and regarding his other
foot fXedly.
That is the manner in which the
vast majority of young men do their
deepest thinking.
However, before 5 o'clock he had
scrubbed himself and arrayed his
we'll constructed person in fresh lin
en- and outer clothing; and now he
sauntered out through the hallway
and down the stairs to the rear draw
ingroOm, where a tea-table had been
brought in and tea paraphernalia ar
ranged. Although the lamp under
the kettle had been lighted, nobody
was in the room except a West High
land terrier curled up on a lounge,
who without lifting his snow-white
head, regarded Neeland out of the
Wisest and most penetrating eyes the
young man had ever encountered.
Here was a personality! Here was
dog not to be approached lightly
or with flippant familiarity. No!
That small, long, short-legged body
with it's thatch of wiry white hair
was fairly instinct with dignity, wis
dom and uncompromsing self-respect.
"That dog" though Neeland, ven
turing to seat himself on chair OPP
posite, "is a Presbyterian if there
ever was one. And I, for one, haven't
the Courage to address him until he
defgns to speak to me-" $780,.
He looked respectfully at the dog,
glanced at the kettle which had be-
gun to sizzle a little, then looked out
Of the long windows into the little
walled garden where a few slender
fruit trees grew along the walls in
the rear Of Well-kept flower beds,
now gay with phlox, larkspur, pop
pies and heliotrope, and edged with
the biggest and bluest pansies he had
ever beheld.
On the wall a peacock butterfly
spread its brown velvet and gorge
ousIy eyed wings to the suns
warmth; a blackbird with brilliant
yellow bill stood astride a peach
incessant melody full of fluted grace
notes And on the grass oval kit
ten frisked with the ghosts of last
months dandelions, racing after the
drifting fluff and occasionally keel
| ing over to attack it's own tail, after
the enchanting manner Of all kittens;
| A step behind him and Neeland
turned. 1t was Marotte, the butler,
who presented a thick, sealed envel-
ope to him on his salver, bent to turn
down the flame under the singing
silver kettle, and withdrew without
| a sound.
Neeland glanced at the letter in
| perplexity, opened the envelope and
| the twice-foIded sheets of letter pa
per inside. and read this odd COM
munication:
Have I been fair to you? Did |
keep my word? Surely you must
now, in your heart, acquit me of
treachery-of any premeditated vio-
lence toward you.
| I never dreamed that those men
would come to my stateroom. That
plan had been discussed, but was
abandoned because it appeared i'm
possible to get hold of you.
| And aIso--may I admit it without
being misunderstood?-I absolutely
refused to permit any attempt in
vo1ving your death.
When the trap shut on you, there
in my stateroom, it shut also on me.
1 was totally unprepared; I was
averse to murder; and also I had
given you my word Of honor.
Judge then, of my shame and des-
peration-my anger at being entrap~
ped in false position involving the
loss in your eyes Of my personal
honor.
| (To BE Continued)