The Washington times., 1922-11-26
Grains of Dust By Anthony Carlyle


than ever guessed II would be
possible for me to love any manw
Ensued an interval during which
Billy conjured with this new and
wholly astonishing discovery, and
finally fell to blinking happily at
the deepening shadows.
Fancy, stirring at 'ast, reached
up a hand and touched his smooth
face tentatively.
BILLY! What are you think.
ing about?" she asked.
He did not answer Immediately.
Then he gathered her close, and
broke into an irrepressible chuckle.
IL was Just thinking" he re-
turned-"that we can be sure he'll
be like me In one respect. He's
pretty nearly certain. to be bald"
CHAPTER xxxV.
TN the hallway Sally stopped and
stood hesitating. She was sud-
. denly aware of an intense
weariness, a dreary desire to break
into tears. And in a sudden panic
she turned towards the stairway.
But Dams hand was on her arm,
"I-we've got to 60 through
with this" he said quietly, and
after q moment the girl bent her
head. She stood for a space think
ing, then led him through a de-
serted, warmly scented conserva-
tory, and on into her own little sit
ting room beyond.
Turning her back upon him she
crossed to the window, and stood
looking with unseeing eyes at the
rallied green square Of lawn below.
To each the silence was growing
intolerable when Revell broke it at
last. He did not follow her, but
stood upon the threshold, near the
closed door.
Sally" he said--"do you-can
you believe what l told Fanshawe
just nOw?"
The girl leaned forward and
pressed her hands hard upon the
sill. A little tremor shook her, but
she did not look around.
"Yes," she said at last; and
added: ut is not that-which !
have doubted"
He looked at her quickly, and
a flush rose over his face.
"You-mean! he asked.
~ mean" she retOrted quietly,
"your reason for asking me to
marry you! You-did not love
me"
Dan jerked his head back and
slid his hands into his pockets.
"No," he said levelly. 81 did
not love you" He saw her
quiver as though he had struck
her, and, in a couple of swift
strides he reached her side. But
he did not attempt to touch her,
. and when he spoke his voice was
low, full of q very real regret.
sally" he said gently-"before
we part I'm going to tell you the
truth - unvarnished - and un-
softened. I've been at fault all
the way through. / came back to
England with the dream Of four
years loneliness obsessing me-the
dream of the woman ] loved, and
had continued to love all through
those years. You know what had
happened. You Known
measure-what happened when ]
learned the truth. | pleaded with
her, strove with her-did all in my
power to make her promise me the
love for which l had hungered.
And-she resisted me. She had
struck a bargain with Billy Fam
Shave; she gave me to understand
that she was not going back on
the promise she had made him.
She had Fate on her side that
night had to go-and she mar
ried Fanshawe."
Sally stirred, but she did not
look round. Presently he went on:
But l told myself that I loved
her still. I told myself that /
would always love her. And when
I found that Chance had brought
me under her very roof, made
up my mind that-Id still keep
her love for me!'
Again she stirred, and again he
WINGED As he saw q quiver pass
over her.
Her very attitude toward me
famed the madness of my desire.
She was cool, aloof-and I could
not understand. l could not be-
lieve that she felt differently to-