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Show II afterWawd'sHI y CLARISSA. MACKIE. I (Copjrrlht, nil, WriWrn Nfwippr Union.) Miss Electa Dayton came down the wldo stairway and paused for an Instant In-stant In the front door. She made a very beautiful picture. The fact that her abundant hair was saowy white did aot detract from her 'beauty, for her coloring was delicately pink and her soft eyes as black and expressive as they had been In her girlish days of perhaps, twenty years past jtW looked through the wire-Sjppjjiaed wire-Sjppjjiaed door into the garden with lis, psttfaws of boxwood, smelling wares, assftfifBgent after the light show aetata. ae-tata. 8he, smiled a little sadly;-'if turned awsjjftWb the cool parlon- "It vrnfltfm afternoon like this thst he wealway," she murmured wistfully. It was a very restful room, with a faded Turkey enrpet on the floor and old mahogany furnlturo scattered In comfortable confusion. "J get tired of waiting sometimes," she murmured to herself, "but he said he would come back some day, and I know he Is not dead." -For twenty years she had been waiting wait-ing for the return ot this adventurous lover ot hers. He had fared forth to seek his fortune and five years afterward after-ward his letters had suddenly ceased. Since then Electa had heard no word from him nor of him. Her parents had died firm In the belief that Robin Gaines hsd deliberately dropped outfit their daughter's lite, and they begged Electa to forget him and marry another. an-other. "He will come back some day," she said with the faith that only a woman' can hold. Perhaps It was this belief in his return re-turn that kept her from growing old. Now, she was more beautiful than sho had ever been as a girt A handsome touring car rolled away from the village hotel and turned down a pleasant elm-shaded street Beside tho chauffeur sat a middle-aged man of distinguished bearlug with a pair of bright blue eyes set In a bronzed countenance. Be glanced at the pleasant village homes set In the midst of the green lawns aad flower beds, and all at once hlfgase contracted as though he hsd been suddenly reminded ot something. At a word from him tht machine "What place Is thlsr' he asked of tha chauCtur. vV "Stonedga, sir." v "By Jove Stonedger . The maa looked apMd ddwa-.ti Uriet'saay. tag the houses with a hew laterest la. his aa eyes. Old memories appeared to bo straagUag for recognition, for his face' changed rapidly. "rased to Uve here, Peter," ho said to the maa. "Yea, sir." "My father was rector ot tha anarch and I lived in that little brick house adjoining the church see It there halt hidden by IvyT for Ave years. Jove I I had forgotten all about 8ton-edge 8ton-edge hsen't thought about It (or years." "It's a pretty place, Mr. Gaines.? "Mighty pretty, Peter. Drive slowly till you come to the corner and then turn to your right along the river road." - As the car moved noiselessly'alongi Robert Gaines scanned the houses with questioning eyes. He looked a little sadly at the village that had harbored a few years, of his happy yeattsvfNew , ho was ae loager happy1 ho had draak his all ot adventuring and travel- and now, la middle age, he had. come back fto his -owa land to feet himself r strsa-ger strsa-ger there. 9k river road brought back ano&er memory. With the sight ot the long, low, red roof thst hsd sheltered Electa Dayton came a queer pang of remorse. He had forgotten Electa until today. Fifteen, years sgo he had written her a letter la which he had told her not to wait for him, as he hsd failed la bis quest for a fortune It was tho day ho had lost everything. She had never replied and he had put her out of his mind and, full of the spirit of adventure, he hsd forgot- ' ten her. He had never cared .for any other woman. Peter had stopped the car In front ot Electa'a.gst. Robin looked wistfully through the mist ot green leaves. He wondered If Electa was alive If she was married! Perhaps that little lad playing In the street was Electa's boy I He leaned' from the car and spoke to the child. "Who lives In that houser ho asked. "Miss Dayton," was the child's startling start-ling reply. "Miss whor asked Robin, almost harshly. "Miss Xecte Dayton," answered tha boy, aad he sped Joyously away with the silver coin Bobla tossed to him. "Walt for me, Peter. I'm golag in. side to see aa old friend," directed Robin, and he left the car and entered the garden. When his foot grated on the front plassa Msja Electa came to the front door. For a brief instant they looked at each other through the screen door. "Wectal" he said hoarsely. "Robin 1" shs criedJoyfully. "I know you would corns' back some Peter, la tb autoboblfer saw Ms .master. klsngUftjpTwalto. hatred woman. |