Show t saadi A double by GEORGE T PARDY copyright by W G chapman it would be a difficult matter to ay just what started the argument between alice ray and her fiance roland averett they differed on a point of view ad as both were self willed neither cared to admit be ing in fault you are absurd roland said the girl petulantly just because I 1 don t agree with you I 1 m to beian aused of selfishness and obstinacy it anyone Is it certainly ceita is yourself deiy likely responded her lover perhaps wed better not talk of the matter any more the t vo young i eo ie ei e seated on the bianda of a country house embowered in creeping vines and commanding a wide view 0 the hudson river and the mighty hills through which it winds the bummer air was full of the fragrance of new mown hay and the drowsy ir of insects lulled the ear while ever and anon a by the brook ripi led into mello v song everything spoke of leace except the two in whose hearts by right the perfecting glory of love should have given the culminating touch for they were engaged yet it so happened that a dispute in itself had become and embittered att er the sad human way until both the man ind girl were in a state where any moment might bring forth some act or word which the rest of their lives would be spent regretting aft cr roland s last remark there was sl lence toi several minutes he leaned back in his chair and looked grimly down at the river while alice having turned from him with a swift move ment stared nervously across the hills and blinked the tears from her eyes when she spoke it was with a aneas ared coldness which hid the hurried beating of her heart if we have only been engaged a week and have already found a topic on which we must be silent tor fear of quan eling I 1 think there surely must be cometh ng wrong you can say such a thing as that alice there surely is replied her lover hoarsely then then there s nothing to do but she stopped abruptly and glanced at roland but he still stared she started as she real zed what she was LOOK ng for at the river and scarcely seemed to have heard her she sprang to her feet ana an angry color dyed her cheeks I 1 m sorry I 1 ve been so slow to un der stand you roland she exclaimed it s evident we are not suited to each other the best we can do Is is to forget we vo ever been engaged roland stood up and looked at her pale as she was flushed do you mean our engagement is broken he asked here is your ring and she tore it off and hand d it to him it your love for me cannot stand a slight disagreement mice doubtless you are right he looked at the ring and then put it slowly in his locket alice turned away and began to arrange magazines on a table A moment or two passed then roland without another word strode down the veranda steps and mounting his horae which stood hitched a the foot galloped alice listened to the beat of the hoofs until they died a vay then she went lowly into the house and up to her room she felt as though she were carrying carri ing a great we and almost staggered as she reached hei door tears blinded her as she entered the of the roses he had brought her that coining sweetened the air there stood bis photograph manly handsome with the smile in his byis that she knew so well roland roland roland she sobbed and threw herself into a big arm chair in passion of tears how can it have what was the matter with usa you know I 1 love you poland yes and I 1 know you e me and yet if we had hated baci other we coulden couldn t have been more cruel can t a love like ours cast out misunderstanding and vanity and sel I 1 would die gladly if my death im save him from pain and yet I 1 could not yield a w worthless orth less point to him to him who is worth more than the whole world to me ve did not mean we said and yet we have given each ot ie a deadly wound have insulted our love have tram pled a holy thing in the dust the hours klippel by and at last alice aroused herself she sat up feeling absently at the fourth finger of her left hand she stained as she realized leali zed what she vas looking foi even my finger misses him she ghisi ered with a pitiful smile behind the house a narrow winding path made its way between the apple trees and past a yellow field of rye through a green wood and over a a by a rustic bridge beyond that point it wandered on with many a lovely turn giving now and again an enchanting glimpse of the great river i antil a mile or more farther it joined the highway it had been the custom of the lovers to meet at the little bridge every evening and then to saunter along the path and home by a short cut across the golf links alice knew that the hour when she generally started for the trysting place was at hand knew hesitated and finally arose he won t be there to night she murmured and I 1 think my heart will break but I 1 will go 1 cannot stay away the shadows were long under the apple trees as she walked out and the robins fluted joyously the even ing seemed too lovely to belong to earth meant for heaven it had some how lost its way and dropped by a fortunate chance on our world As alice moved slowly along the fragrant path seeing in the sky the wonderful erfil ever changing shades of rose and green and purple hearing music from a hundred happy birds breathing the balmy air an indescribable peace en her troubled heart what though anger and misunderstanding lay be hind she knew it was all right now roland would be walling for her wait ing with a look of perfect comprehend compre hen sion and she would not even need to speak but speak she would and as she never had before to tell him how deep how great her love was and that never more should a shadow dar ken it never never the birds sang always more sweetly and the wind among the branches made tender har monies that chimed with the love in her heart and now she passed the yellow grain and now entered the woods and there indeed midway on the bridge where the sun sent a mellow gleam through the overarching branches stood her lover awaiting her A wave of surged over her taking her breath for an instant she stopped and then ran forwald with hands out stretched calling in a voice low but of piercing tenderness my dearest I 1 knew that I 1 should find sou I 1 knew you would be heie it you had not I 1 think I 1 should have died in a moment they were in each other s arms and ai his kiss the last doubt or lingering veil of bit berness it any there was passed ut telly out of alices heart and it seemed to her that in that instant for the first time she knew happiness supreme divine have you waited long rolanda she asked not long dear and you forgive me the fault was as much mine as ours alice he whispered and after all there is nothing real except our love with their arms about each other they sauntered on down the path the dying radiance of the sun made a glory about them the trees whispered and swayed over their beada and it keened to alice as though he carce ly touched the ground what indeed was real beside their lovea these lovely things about her these singing birds and tr agrant flowers and mur leaves they were only a sort cf picture a reflection of the happi ness in her heart As long as this beautiful happiness lasted and she felt as tho gh it could never end so long too wo id this delights de lightf il blos coming orld ur round then the n it must always be glo ious s amer where they two were |