Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-15


Inc honey.bee brown eyes that had
played such havoc with his heart years
ago wero raised suddenly. wet with
"oh," she said with a sob, "oh. Il
or the many answers which Fayer-
snam might havo expected to his ques-
disar,nas Sn; rns one S,s, which Mrs. Dundas gave
Something in her voice for moment
robbed him Of his self.control.
no ptterness OF the last years was
Stsmndr.a ptusned aside s and forgotten, and he
something of the old emotion and boyish
aii aao1rauon IN his voice, 'Lallie -
The tables were turned now with a
the suppliant, and yet for a fieeitnT mo.
ment Faversham no longer remembered
IN ne circumstances, or gave a thought
And suddenly. though he was not con-
scioas OF having made any movement
.oward her; she was In his arms, her faoe
rMsed ip ITO 70 his, his, and their lips had met
| brought with 1t realization. Faversham's
race was grim when he let her go, and
accusing eyea
But there was nothing save happiness
In her face. She looked UP at him.
brokenly.
s,n1S Miles, do you know how long 1t is
There was something very childish
and appealing about her. The woman
| OF the world had vanished and she was
once more the girl whom he had so
sa9red IN his early manhood, and who
had taken his love and thrown It aside
indirerently when 1t wearied her.
| Faversham looked down ut her happy
race, and the long sweep of lashes
against her cheek, Was she, after all,
more clever than he had believed him.
| seif to be? Was he to allow himself TO
| ner and beauty?
A sullen kind of anger rose in his
heart-anger for the happiness of which
she had robbed him: anger to think
that she still imagined him a weakling
TO be beckoned back when she chose.
he dlsengaged his arms from her light
sra erasp gently. He moved step away
You might have had all my kisses
II you had wished,' he said stifriy.
a Ticker of pain crossed her face. She
nodded seriously.
II know Oh, Miles. what a fool I've
been, wasting all these years It seems
| now as II 1t cannot really have been
me-or else that have been to sleep
when you and 1 met"
She was almost delirious with hap
pinees. Never in all her life had she
cared for any one as she cared now for
this man. With new humility she was
asking herself what she had done to de-
serve such wonderful gift She who
had played at love all the years Of her
Faversham was standing a little be-
| hind her, and she turned suddenly,
caught his hand in hers. and carried It
DO YOU think I am very fool!sh?"
she asked. her voice breaking on a sob.
| ''It'a Onlv that II ha haf
feel can never make II up to you for
all I did years ago"
Favershsm looked down at the hand
clnspins his, and his face burned.
and doing was genuine, he asked himself
| impatiently.
| His eyes were attracted by the rings
she wore; q magnificent diamond half
| wedding ring.
He touched It with his finger. releas-
| ing his hand from hers.
os,.sS sA0w long have you worn that?" he
| She looked UP quickly. her face flush
''How long? Oh. forgot--some day
will tell you all about It, Miles. but don't
look back. or even forward. I've got the
present-and it's enough
There was little silence. F'aversham
stared into the fire with gloomy eyes.
He knew that he had never intended
things to take this turn. His anxiety to
help Mrs. Tranter had been real. and his
| desire to punish this woman had been
all-compelling, but he felt that he had
taken a mean advantage of her. that he
| had been fighting her with unfair
weapons. with all his faults Faversham
was sportsman. and he loathed the
thought that perhaps Fate had taken the
issue at stake from his hands and was
| arranging 1t in it's own manner.
Che N hin, ha
| truth? There was something that was
almost q prayer in his heart that It
might not be the truth.
He had no love for her. He did not
want her. He had set himself out to
avert his friends marriage, and in some
measure to avenge the past Now the
fruits of victory were here, they tasted
bitter to his lips, and he no longer de-
sired them.
"You are very quiet" Mrs. Dundas
said. She rose to her feet and stood be-
side him. She was very slight and slim,
and her eyes shone with unashamed
happiness as she looked into his face.
What are you thinking, Miles?" sho
asked.
"of the future" he answered.
She laughed softly.
TT will be a wonderful future" she
said She waited. Say that you think it
will" she urged softly.
He answered Gvasively.
II am afraid to think of IL. Once be-
| fore built castle in the air. you know.
| and 1t came tumbling down"
Her lips quivered.
"You will never forget that--cr for
give me7" she whispered.
He looked wsy from her
SHOULD I be here IL had not--for.
gotten it?" no asked with an effort.
She shook her head,
~ suppose not. and yet - Miles
you haven't said yet that you love me-"
II suppose thought you would take
II for granted"
She pouted.
"I hate taking things for granted,
that, / mean" She laid a hand on his
arm. "You used to say was pretty,
Miles, years ago Do you remember"
1T remember everything"
"And---do you still think so?" she
asked There was no touch of coqustry
in her manner now. Only a sort Of pa
thetio wistfulness
Faversham's eyes scanned her face re-
luctantly--a sweet face, all the sweeter
for It's faint touch of anxiety, and no
WINGED as IL an actual physical pain
you used TO call my eyes honey.
bee brown, she said,, softly. DO you
remember that as we'll MilesT 81
II remainder everything I ever said
to you.--eyssythiins you ever. ever said to mo-"
It was the truth. Nothing of the past
had faded from his memory. II had
become little blurred and indistinct,
perhaps, but now II was as II she was
lifting a veil that had family obsoured
"And when we are married." she
went on softly, her eyes full OF dreams.
Faversham broke in almost roughly
.Lallie. have you forgotten Phillip
She gave S,s,s.Ii a little start ioohins UP az
"ForTottsn him2 What do you mean?