The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-24

shine. splashing with Roman gold a corner >of the Kermanshah, stood a flat mahogany desk. Selma thrilled at the sight of 1t, for Lane had often described it to her.
 He had whitten his first play upon tEis desk. She got up and approached it eagerly. It was dustless and or derly. In bronze tray lay briar and calabash pipes. There was a can mister of tobacco nearby-cigaret matches.
 nalia of the smoker, sensed impend- ing disaster. Here was his desk just ss he had left it. dustiess and ready. Whose care? Doubt, which she could no longer trampie or smother, menac- ing. armed with daggers. formidable. Dustless and ready
 She threw up her head truculently and stared boldly at this menace winch she could not see. Almost im- mediateiy she relaxed. longing to touch the pipes, the pens and pencils in the rack. longing to sit down in his chair, lean upon the desk and conjure up the man as he had sat AHcft III lut IulI DlpOtf1 Ol Ills edTlleSl and most beautiful dreams.
 Dustless and ready She under stood. An insane desire to laugh seized her, but she strangled 1t in her throat
 Someone Approaches
 Selma had no time for further cogitation. She turned suddenly, sensing rather than hearing the ap. proach of some one.
 Mrs. Lane crossed the room There was E smile on her lips, half curious, half friendly, She held Selma's card in her fingers.
 Really. you must pardon me-" said Mrs Lane as she stepped into the sunlight, but I can remember neither the name nor the face.'
 Selma could not repress the little gasp of astonishment at the effec- tiveness of this passing from maheg any shadows into the light Never had she laid eyes upon more mag nificent woman-tall, deep in the bosom. with pale, flawIess skin and blue eyes streaked.with fine golden threads like lapis. lazuli
 "He is right" said Selma mechani- cally.
 T beg your pardonl Who is right ?"
 The attitude of this beautiful stranger and her irrelevant remark puzzled Mrs. Lane.
 Did I speak aloud2 Perhaps your coming so suddenly into the sun shine confused me-"
 Selma's intake of breath was deep and long. She felt like swimmer unexpectedly overtaken by weari- ness. with the shore still far away. What q pit her deviltry had dug for her! And now to get out of t with as much dignity as she could. No doubt my name and face are unfa- miliar to you. To the world I am known as Lena Cagiiari..
 You? Here?" Mrs. Lane dropped the card as though it were an un- clean thing, and to the other woman, the act was equivalent to blow in the face.
 Wait" cried Selma. marshallng all her gifts. Before you surrender to the natural impulse to show me to the door, hear me-
 "But the supreme insolence of this visit,.' , 2 "No! Call it the supreme sacri- | flee. I love your husband with all ny Suut. bc WOuiu never come DdCh to you. and your pride would never permit you to send for him. Such is his loyalty"
 Loyalty? You speak of his loyalty"
 True; I believe he owes none to you. Such is his loyalty to me, then, that by the slender thread of it I could hold him until the end of his days. And yet, I come to you to ask you to take him back"
 When I entered your door, I had an interior purpose in mind. . have none now. Why? I saw his desk-his-these pipes. There has seen terrible mistake Somewhere. But something tells me that it is neither his nor mine.
 There is the happiness of three peo- pie involved: yours. mine. his. l am guilty of no vulgar intrigue. T did not take him from you You let him go l have pictured you as z woman with heart of crystal, cold and clear, without warmth, without the least understanding of the man.
 "Ah. how many times have Seen him in fancy at this desk that ought to be your shrine.-writing writing, pouring his soul out on pa per because God so willed it. and then running tosyou to read 1t. and you. careless. bored. indifferent, without understanding, without try ing to understand"
 Hel1 Her fv,