The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-05-09

she had turned out the lamp and
crept YEARLY into bed she knew what
1t Ia to be utterly spent. She vas
too tired to move a finger.
When she awakened the room was
bright with sunlight. She was lazily
and dreamily contemplating the mud
walls of this little room when she
remembered where she was and how
she had come there.
How great a shock she had been
subjected to was manifest In a SEN
sation Of disgust that overwhelmed
her. She even shut her eyes to try
and blot out the recollection. She felt
that she had been contaminated.
Presently Madeline Hammond again
awoke to the fact she had learned
the preceding night-that there were
emotions to which she had heretofore
been a stranger. She scarcely remem-
bered when she had found 1t neces-
sary to control her emotions. There
had been no trouble, no excitement,
no unpleasantness in her life. 1t had
been ordered for her-tranquil. luxu-
rious, brilliant, varied, yet always the
same.
Then Madeline heard Florence rap
on the door and call softly:
Miss Hammond. Are you awaken"
Awake and dressed. Miss Kings
ley"
Presently there were slow. reluctant
steps outside the front door, then a
pause. and the door opened. Stewart
stood b~areheaded in the sunlight. Mad
eline's glance ran over him swift
as lightning. But as she saw his face
now she did not recognize 1t. The
mans presence reused in her a revolt.
Yet something in her, the incompre-
hensihle side of her nature, thrilled in
the look of this splendid d~ark-faced
barbarian.
"Mr. Stewart, will you please come
in?" she asked, after that long pause.
81 reckon not" he said. The hope
l~essness of his tone meant that he
knew he was moi fit to enter q room
with her, and did not care or cared
too much.
Madeline went to the door. The
mans face was hard, yet it was sad,
too. And it touched her.
II shall not tell my brother of your
your rudeness to me-" she began.
1t was impossible for her to keep the
chill out of her voice, to speak with
other than the pride and aloofness of
her class. Nevertheless, despite her
loathing, when she had spoken so far
1t seemed hat kindness and pity fol-
lowed involuntarily. 81 choose to
overlook what you did because you
were not wholly accountable, and be-
cause there must be no trouble be-
tween Alfred and you. May l rely on
you to keep silence and to seal the
lips of that priest? You will spare
me further distress, will you not,
please?"
His hoarse reply was incoherent, but
she needed only to see his working
face to know his remorse and graft
tude.
Madeline went back to her room /;
and presently Florence came for her,
and directly they were sitting at break
1uSI. Muuellue Ilul1llUuu , llupTeS-
sion of her brothers friend had to be
reconstructed in the morning light.
She felt a wholesome, frank, sweet
nature. She liked the slow southern
drawl. And she was puzzled TO know
whether Florence Kingsley was pretty
or striking or unusual. She had a
youthful glow and flush, the clear tan
of outdoors, a face that lacked the
soft . curves and lines of eastern
women, and her eyes were light gray,
like crystal, steady, almost piercing,
and her hair was a beautiful bright
waving mass.
A sharp knock or the parlor door
interrupted conversation. Florence's
sister went to open it. She returned
presently and said:
"It's Gene. He's been dawdlin' out
there on the front porch, and he
knocked to let us know Miss Ham
mond's brother is COMM"
Florence hurried into the parlor,
followed by Madeline. The door stood
open, and disclosed Stewart sitting on
the porch steps. From down the road