The Washington herald., 1920-03-12

For a moment we stared at each
other. Travis Lloyd and i. Across
the hall the card players were quite
silent. absorbed in their engrsssing
game. The ticking of a tall, grand
father clock, immensely old. was
the only sound to break the ten
sion.
Tick! Took! Tick, Took!
How many centuries had heard
that sound?
Tick! Took, Tick, Took!
Like q death knell, was IL tick
ing away all the hopes Of one suf-
fering human heart?
A glance at the stony face of
Travis Lloyd confirmed that fact.
The moments sped away-on, on
Into eternity.
Had been cruel? Presumptous?
Interfering?
+ Perhaps all threei
A little wave of human compass
sion crept over me at last.
I-maybe 1 ought not to have
read it-but / didn't realize 1t was
the fragment OF IA private let
ter" I said lamely. IT found 1t on
the floor"
He turned eyes filled with misery
upon me.
'.'child, you don't understand.
And i can't EXPLAIN He flung his
hands out in an expressive gesture
that Indicated hopelessness. 'I just
can't explain-no matter what you
think-'
His habitually correct utterance
had slipped from him like a man.
tie. He stammered like school
boy.
"was-was that letter-wHtten-
recently?" A reaction had set in.
My tones were as harsh and con-
tiemnatory as those of a judge OF
the Spanish inquisition.
written yesterday-no-abo
four days ago" said my companion,
humbly.
"And you-you presume to come
here tonight, and be romantic"
hammered wrathfully. rising to my
feet. Go back to your Amy-who-
ever she may be-and tell her all
about your loneliness instead OF
send Checks and-and requesting
that she have every luxury My
voice broke on an indignant note.
And. for the future, leave girls OF
my my kind - alone-don't pre-
mem" / added scathingly, II des-
spise the lot of you! / do. indeed"
Saying which, gathered my
draperies about me. as though 1
couldn't bear the proximity. of this
man for another moment, and
without a single word of farewell
swept majestically across the hall
and up the stairs.
mot going off to bed already,
Helene?' Alice drawled lackadaisi-
L ,ally, as passed her chair. So in
tent was she upon her cards that
she didn't oven raise her eyes. The
little tragedy had passed unnoticed.
was half way up the stairs
when Nny foot caught in a dainty
.rill. ] tripped, staggered quite un-
gracefully. and fell. But-luckily-
he stairs were so heavily carpeted.
hat my fall made not a sound. Only
-glancing surreptitiously over my
Shoulder to see if anyone had no
iced my awkward exit. perceived
Mr.. Travis Lloyd looking up at me,
with a queer expression on his face.
/ was furious-after my success
,ul role of tragedy queen-that he
should have seen my ignominious
all!
But when my fury had evapo-
-ated just trife, I recollected that
iueer loo; upon his face.
There was misery in it. it is trne.
Bot something else predominated.
sriticism-and a kind of condemna-
ion. Was he weighing me in the
balance, and finding me sadly want
ng:
Maybe / was hard and cruel. But
-he deserved it.
I gained the safety of my own
'oom. was growing fond of soli-
iude these days. | liked to be alone
Ito think.
Vet sometimes ] was lamentably
frightened of the future-Jim's and
nine.
wondered vaguely what Jim's
mother would say. did she but know
he truth about her sons clandes-
ine marriage with myself? That
she was fond of me. to a certain ex-
ent. i already knew. But to well
some me as a daughter-in-law was
IN entirely different proposition.
She looked old-fashioned. And
ID been upon the stage" That
night be. in, itself, anathema, To
rave ones only. much-beloved son
,llied to an actress, was what many