| Show wi by daily story pub co carlston Darl ston stood gazing wistfully at the windows of the alne old house across the avenue wondering it alice were not stationed at one of them alice and he had been everything to each other before he had marched away to the strains of the girl I 1 lett behind me happy in the faith that she would wait for him until having served his country well he should re turn and win for himself a name and fortune which she would be proud to share but it was all over with now he reflected bitterly the dream was ended and he felt that he had poured out the treasures of his heart before an empty ihryne he had been a very paragon of constancy but somehow she had lost faith in him influenced probably by mercenary motives she had betrothed herself to a dissipated political celebrity old enough to be her father on the very eve of carlston Darl ston return from two years of fighting in tte philippines the society columns of a newspaper which be had read that morning at breakfast had furnished thia fragmentary outline and his 1 agitation agi nation lad rounded it into soul torturing completeness how carlston Darl ston got through with the realities of the black hours that tol lowed he never knew he felt like a lain about to be shot from the gibbet into eternity it seemed to him as though the world held nothing now but despair and misery he seemed to feel faith in everything human and divine slipping away from him but calm reflection caused a revulsion of fee ing and in a measure restored his faith in alice he tried to feel that the light in which he had been led to regard her was a one probably the influences brought to bear upon her bad been more powerful than he rould conceive her father might have coerced her into the betrothal if he had carlston Darl ston told himself grim ly there would be a strenuous day of reckoning for the pater on the mor row he had to ight against the im pulse to see her again but some evil fate had drawn him almost to the threshold of her home isow as he stood there a cab drew up before the house and a man came out he car ried himself pompously and looked overfed and arrogant the cabman s obsequious your honor was not required to reveal to carlston Darl ston his iden city As the vehicle whirled down the avenue he turned away in an agony of jealous despair his ne erless alice bound tor 1 fa to that affected dissipated looking boor the thought sickened him such a flee should never be consummated it he could prevent it whatever it cost he must see and speak with alice again that very night he saw her some friends had found him out and per him to join a theater party when they found beats carlston Darl ston about the densely crowded auditorium espied her sitting directly opposite him she as dressed in white with a bunch of scarlet blos at her throat he could see the beautiful poise of her head the carh hair so tastefully arranged the deli rate outline of her averted face but her eyes were turned away from him all the mis of pride and pain and passion which they might haye held were unrevealed no one save tier sister amy was with her and wondered vaguely at the ab sence of her betrothed once her sis ter spoke to her and she replied but no smile broke over her face it was a revelation to carlston Darl ston to see her thus he had imagined her atrium oyer her conquest decked with the world held nothing now but de and misery jewels smiling brightly the willing affianced of a wealthy distinguished man but such sadness such alon A mist came into his ees as he watched her every bitter angen erous thought that had possessed his mind gave way before the hopeless sadness of her face and manner and more firmly grew abe conviction in his heart that after all she was not entirely to blame A great tide ol 01 compassion rushed over him the fictitious strata of bitterness began to slough away and love looked upon him through a less tragic mask after all might not he have been mistaken M not the parties mentioned la the society note haie been strangers to hima but no the words we are happy to announce the approaching nuptials of miss alice bradford the accomplished daughter of stephen Pr adford the speculator and benator william stanton etc etc the atmosphere of the jalace waa as soft as human breath but it sud denly seemed unendurable to darl ston he leaned back weakly but his eyes never wavered from her face senator stanton fastidiously at tired and wearing a gloating self sat isfried smile entered the ladles box darmon his heart rising in anger and hot resentment saw the halt veiled look of repulsion that flitted over alice s face as she beheld him he looked across and recognized him closed his eyes to tho scene he felt that it he watched the little tragedy being enacted in the box for a moment longer he should do some thing desperate he was aroused from his lethargy by the sound of voices in the box be hind him A man was speaking you are still on the mercury Charles 7 yes replied a doleful boyish voice but I 1 guess im boohen tor an envelope tomorrow I 1 do society ou 1 now last night I 1 was sent up to interview senator stanton concern ing his reported engagement with one of the misses bradford he admitted that the report was true and the mer cury got a beat on the story the old man got his this morning I 1 sup pose get mine to morrow how s thata asked the man while carlston Darl ston strained his ears to catch the balance of the conversation his heart beating madly in his breast stanton told he was engaged to amy bradford while I 1 got the business mixed and reported him be brothed to alice her sister the words were almost inaudible but they ell upon carlston Darl ston s ear like a benediction from heaven the cli max on the stage was approaching but carlston Darl ston had no eyes for the play ers then as the curtain tell alice looked across and recognized him with her heart in her ees |
