Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-10-22
CHAPTER VI.
Magic.

IN" next day after luncheon, as
stephen walked from hts club 20 hi,
cfi!c". h. lived over again his eve
u!nE with Margaret. II she cared
tor III. IL might be different" he
mus"d; and then, through eore per
N"fsi,y Of memory. Mhrgare;s pen
siv. smile became suddenly charged
Win emotion, aud he askcd himself
II hc had not misiutcrpr.t"d her in
noc"nt :rhnhncss? Even II sh.
cared. hc kucw that she would di.
rather than bctray her preference. by
~DrH or look Whether she
cares or not. and II is Just possible
that sh. does car. In n"r heart; she
Viii marry M. IL ask her" ne
thought, and decided immediately
that there WAS no necessity 70 act
impulslvely in the matter. III ask
her she Will pcrsuad" herself that
she loves me She vii marry M.
Just as hundreds OF women hav. mar
lied men In the past and We should
probably I've as long ana as hap
ply a. all the others" That vas
the way his father and mother Mad
married, and why wer. he and Mar
garct different from the generations
before them what variable strain
IN their natures impelled them Ia
lead their own separate lives Instead
Of the collective life o: the family?
suppose mother is riEh, as far az
she secs, III" admitted TO marry
Margaret and settle down would De.
IN" hest thing that could happen
10 rnr. Yet he had no sooner pu,
The thought into words than the old
feeling of SUnoratiOu rushed ovci
him a. II his hopes were smothcred
Ia ashes.
Yes n" would settle down. OF
course. hut not now. Mex, year. per-
haIs or tn" year after. he would
sincerely fal! in love with Margaret
and tacn everything would be diff
!cr.ut
I!e was passing through the
Square at thc moment. and while
h" played with the idea o! his mar
RAG" with Margaret. he found him
SER E!anc!ng cXpectan;ly al the car
which was waiting in from, OF th-
Governors door. Il wonder If sin.
Is going out he thought while a
superficial interest frightened The
dull hours before him. 1T would
b" u" more ;han she deserved II !
""r" 10 go ia and ask after her
an hi". In obedience TO the mock
luz Impulse. ne entered III. gate and
cached the steps Just as Patty cam.
out on the porch she was walk
and sh- wor. again til. red cape and
the lt;le ha, with red wings.
On" she exclaimed 1T is you
stopped TO ask after your an
kie." IA. reiorted with ironic Gaicty.
u am glad II doesn't keep YOU from
walking"
That's the new way OF treating a
snra!n.' she replied calmly. Haven't
YOU heard Of it,"
Yes. I've heard OF it" IL glanced
down at her stocking Of thin gray
SIR. i'ui thought even then tn.r,
were bandageS"
She smiled archiy-h. felt tina, H..
wanted To slap hcr-and glanced M
at him with playful concern The
Eray-Ereen rays were brighter il.
the daylight than hr had rcmem
hcred them and her mocking lip>
were the color OF cherries lie
thought of the thin pink curve %,
VI" rsarrts mouth and wondered If
me war had corrupted his taste.
its' Margaret was womanly. She
was well bred. she possessed every
"'trinute that in theory he admired.
yet she had never awakened hi.
p
which was punr"ntly favored viii.
surprise that hc could he so s;ran..
~ attracted. He could gaze an
moved by the hour on Marr,r.,..
smooth lovclincss hut tn. tan,nIiz
ing vision Of this other girls fac. nr
her cloudy black hair and her clear
skin and her changcablc eyes. with
their misty CLEAN like a nrcflv l.st
III Il spring marsh al! these things
were part not of the tedious ac-
tualitY. but Of that hidden cuuntr,
OF romance and adventure. For IN.
hrst time since his return from
France. he was carried far outside of
himself on the wave OF an impulse:
nc was interested and excited No,
for an instant did he Imagine thai
he was falling In love. His thoughts
ala not leave tho Immediate prea
cnt when he was with her: and n
part of the adventure was tho feel
ing that each vivid moment he spent
with her might be the last. Ii; was
he would have said had he under.
taken TO analyze the situation, mere
~ an Incident; but 1t was an Incl
dent that delighted xaim. He knew
nothing Of Patty VSch except that
she charmed him a rafnst hi, min.