OCR Text |
Show "WHAT THE CARDS TOLD" : jj By N. 8. ZARICK. 8 A spring sun with early flowers und n sky overhead Ilka tho deep blue of n Delft plate may be very uttructlvo tm one uttuned to the loveliness of nature, but to a young mun with u wealth of money In his pocket, the beauty of the, Rcene, so out of accord with his feelings, feel-ings, comes with a sensation that Jan. Ho hnd been revolving tho situation In his mind; hnd carefully considered every point of tho question, imd tho outlook was unythlng but encouraging, Tho letter that ho held in Ills hand demanded an Inimedluto, reply. It was a short business note from u firm tit a distant city offering htm u position at a very smull Increase of salary. Ordinarily be would have dispatched the mntter after scarcely a moment's deliberation. To nccept the offer, 'would meun no nppreclublo rise In tho world, and it would sever certain cherished cher-ished associations. But that was Just the thing. Was It not tho purt of wisdom wis-dom to put distance between hint and an object that was unattainable To sectho woman ho loved, to bo brought Into almost dally contact with her beauty. and her thousand charms, was -simply 'to llvo in ti fool's pariidiso. To know that other men wooed her, laid their hearts' secrets beforo her, and at least stood n chance of winning ' her, was mnddenlng to him whose lips were scaled. How could he ask her to shore his lot? What hud he to offer her but a heart overflowing with tenderness? But why torturo himself with thoughts of the future? As for tho present, his mind wits made up. lie had written his letter accepting tho position offered him, and his preparations prepara-tions for departure were concluded. There was nothing left for him to do hut to bid 'some of his friends good-by. good-by. Ho wns ushered Into the little audio, where sho elected to paint when It milted her fiincy. Sho wus sitting near the buy window, win-dow, her hands clasped loosely In her lap, and her eyes n dreamy expression which showed that her thoughts wero far nwuy. She rose when she snw htm, nnd came forward to meet him. "I nin glad you have come," she wild. "I think I was about to give way to one of my moods. I don't like moody people, do you?" He looked at her. Could sho not guess that whatever phase of her character might be turned to him, ho loved her always? But they wero treading on dangerous ground. He told her that he wns about to go nwny, that he probably would not return re-turn for many years, und he tried to speuk lightly of the many changes that might occur before they would meet nguln. Wus It Imagination that made lilm think sho paled slightly at his words? "Isn't this a sudden determination?" she asked. "Why uro you going?" Sho hud turned her face away, und he could not cutch tho expression that hud suddenly stolen over It. "There aro ninny reasons," ho suld. "I doubt If you would bo Interested In u recital of them. I am afraid I urn growing egotistical. Let us talk of something else." And this they attempted at-tempted to do, but tho conversation lngged perceptibly. She, too, was unusually silent. At length ho grew desperate. His eyes fell on n pack of curds that lay In n table near her. "Why, I do believe," ho snld, laughing, laugh-ing, "that you were playing solltulro before I cumo In. You must have been very much bored." "That Is your own conclusion," sho replied. "I wns not playing solltulro. 'I enn explain tho presenco of (hose curds by telling you that I wus trying ,my fortune When you appeared In the doorway, I had Just discovered the pleasing fuct that I had a friend, a foo und n Journey to go. It's really a most edifying wny of spending tho time." Ho handed tho pnek to her. "Toll me my future," ho 'snld. "I nm going away. I should like to know what Is beforo me." Sho smiled. "I half bellcvo you aro skeptical. I wonder If I can convlnco you of tho wonderful truths that Ho hidden therol" Sho drew out a king 'of hearts as sho spoke. "You aro In love," sho said. Iler eyes met his for ono moment, then a wnvo of color swept up to her brow. Ho loaned forward for-ward eagerly. "Yes," ho said, "that Is true." And his volco wns husky. Sho was Idly turning tho cards over in her hands ono after another. "You leva a woman strongly, tenderly, it a man may love, and yet you will not tell her so. I can rend pride here, und this It Is that keeps you from It." Sho paused, but ho begged her to go on. 'Tell mo of her I Is sho fclr or dark?" Iler faco wns half In shadow. "Sho hns fatr hair," sho snld. "I.lko n wealth of gold," ho broko In. "And her eyes?" "They nro brown," sho replied, so poftly that ho had to bend forwnrd to catch her words. "tTJIorlous eyes," ho whispered. "Brown with nil tho lights of an nu-tumn nu-tumn sunt But tell mo that which I wish most to know. Does she love me?" A soft breath of spring flowers Btolo In through tho window. Tho cards fell In confusion to tho floor as his hands closed upo'i hers. Flo;' eyes had answered an-swered him and tho fortune was told. (Copyright, 19U. by tho McClure Nws- .. ppr Syndicate) |