Show FEM RIAL STORY THA WERE RAI 14 E A BY alma martin estabrook author of my cousins patricia PICTURES BY A WEIL 1 copyright by J 13 lippincott co S the story opens with a L it at a box party miss henrietta sister of bishop IVin stanley overheard banker ankony ankeny propose to barbara hemingray whose brother dan was in his employ dan was one of the towns popular young men he showed allowed some ner ausness when attorney tom twining told him barbara refused ankony ankeny ankony the following day summoning twining accused dan of looting the bank twining refused to prosecute barbara persuaded ankony to postpone starting prosecution twining learned of the onga engagement ga gement of ankony and barbara he congratulated both he visited miss Ilem ingray and found her almost in tears he flo told her lie he had loved her but feared prematurely announcing his affection fec tion by actions alone aba told him she reciprocated mrs airs anson dines weal wealthy tIlY widow proposed a marriage by proxy with bishop the latter ter consulted with twining the bishop had been paying attentions to miss streeter St recter dan consulted twining saying ills his sister was determined to marry ankony ankeny nc claring she actually loved the banker though lie he could not help believing slid she was waa making a sacrifice flee to save him from jail miss Wina finding a pressed rose in the bishops book scented a love affair mrs airs dines sailed tor for america miss informed twining that mrs dines was intent upon stopping the marriage marr lago of barbara and ankony mrs dines arrived and ankony ankeny s immediately set about to sail gall with bar 1 bara tor for europe the following day in ory ier it seemed to avoid mrs dines mrs airs f dines confronted ankony ankeny with evidence of df his peculations speculations while attorney for the a late mr dines she told him that if he persisted in marrying barbara that day that silo sho would prosecute him finally lie ho reed to he her proposition that he should give up barbara as the price of mrs airs 1 dines silence ankony notified barbara is of the necessity for breaking tho the engagement dan was informed also CHAPTER XI continued Every things all right at last tom he cried 1 I dont deserve it but im down on my knees giving thanks for it just the same rind and if ever he lowered ills his voice looking over my m y shoulder at some one who was approaching pro aching if ever I 1 got get any of you into such a muss again may I 1 be hanged banged oil oh its been awful never know but its over thank god and now its up to me to make good and what lm im going goffig to do old nian man who is this confounded fellow coming I 1 wanted to talk with you a minute but ill look in after dinner if youre to be at homo home theres a deal to tell you and he was off an ecclesiastical looking gentleman mounted the steps with me inquiring for the bishop while I 1 went in to miss she was flushed and smiling and bright eyed did you think 1 had forgotten you bless you no but there has been so much to do we only left lef t barbara poor child an hour ago there were messages to be sent for her orders to countermand and then she going with him I 1 broke in oh ob did you think is it possible you gave her credit for so little it if she loved him 0 she caught me up sharply of course she love him I 1 always 1 l told you that but you would go on in r your stubborn unbelief in my intuitions you foolish foolish follow fellow my w tut but she was gallant though she had bad me almost bewildered at first but the moment she found that she could have done with all pretense and that her fancied obligation to ankony was at an end then how she changed I 1 it was pitiful to see her one under stood the terrific strain she has been under im not pretending to say whether or not she cares for you mr twining for you to find out for yourself you know but I 1 think it Is only fair to tell you that she never has cared for ankony thank god I 1 devoutly murmured she patted my arm and made funny little dabs at her eyes with a dot or of a handkerchief she is going out of town to stay with some friends until the storm of the broken engagement has blown over she told me they go tomor to mor row she and dan he will stay with her a fortnight until she is a little recovered for in spite of her wonderful courage and poise silo she is tremendously undone by all this and is there nothing nothing just yet she smiled smile d now let me tell ell you what dan and 1 I are going to do you remember that I 1 have some undeveloped mining pr property op in montana experts have given me a good deal of encouragement over it but I 1 have been waiting to find just the right man to put at the lead head of the work and now dan Is to undertake it oll oh at my glance it a philanthropic scheme the boy will give me excellent service if it is a good thing for him its a better thing for me and im to go out with him to launch the enterprise ive no notion of being in the way when my brother and his wife return but your brother cant do without YO you u you will always be as necessary to him as his wife later perhaps but not just at first she said we dont know much about honeymoons you and 1 I mr twining but im sure agree with me that no man wants even his beloved sister underfoot at that time S so 0 dan and I 1 are off in a fortnight good I 1 approved and if things dont go well with me ill come along may I 1 CHAPTER XII barbara was away several weeks and then one day mrs dines meeting me on the street told me that she had come back to town and that she was well and entirely recovered from the effects of the unfortunate publicity of her broken engagement 0 I 1 went to see her that evening it was just after dinner and the maid told me that miss hemingray was going out but that she would ask lf i alio would see me for a few minutes As we stood talking barbara came down doin the stairs she wore a rather rathe r scrumptious gown of white one from her trousseau I 1 imagine and the hope went over me that it might yet fulfill the purpose for which it had been designed her cloak was white too a velvety thing that I 1 had not seen before it became her wonderfully with its bewitching folds and curves and richness and her brown head lifting itself with all its charming poise above the new loveliness thrilled mo me while the eyes that looked down on me were more like the eyes of the barbara I 1 loved than they had been for a very long time oh you she exclaimed from the landing where she paused an instant at sight of me going out I 1 asked lightly as if idere I 1 were not dazzled and to a very small affair at the Ave averilla rills why not come along because im not asked but you will give me a minute before you go c 0 I 1 pleaded she glanced at the hall clock yes I 1 think so hord averill Is coming for me but it time tor for him yet annie said I 1 to the maid it if mr air averill arrives show him into the drawing room and let him wait you are very urgent barbara said eaid with a rather uncertain smile I 1 hold held open the library loor door and she enle entered red she did not sit but stood halt turning to me leaning against the corner of the table near the fire place where a low fire burned I 1 had nevor never san her half so lovely nor so adorable we have abused our friendship and treated it if shamefully I 1 said at once and now perhaps I 1 am about to maroon it but I 1 must take the chance forgive me it if I 1 have come too soon dear but t f can walt wait no longet longer I 1 must know now that you are free to tell me whether I 1 can ever hope that you will care for me do you know all that has happened she asked she was as white as her gown and her eyes only half lifted to mine yes barbara dont mind dear part of it I 1 guessed and the other part had to be told me but I 1 am glad that there is nothing for you to tell me nothing but the one thing I 1 am i so eager to hear hea r yon wont keep me waiting any longer will you after all that has happened you still want me for your more than ever a thousand times more than ever I 1 cried 1 I dont understand how you can she said ohp turned her face from me leaning heavily on the table the soft firelight over her could you ever be sure of me I 1 have deceived you so long you must deceive neither yourself nor me now n ow I 1 said seriously 1 I want the truth whatever that is be honest dont try to be kind to me you have had to make pretense so long think only of yourself now I 1 waited for her reply but it was long in coming so long that my heart sank if I 1 am to be honest she mie began 1 I must tell you that talat that yes dont be afraid dear I 1 va my waiting is over I 1 breathed that it would be foolish foolish for me to to try to to care for you for I 1 dont bont try to go on I 1 cried 1 I see I 1 have been a fool to expect it A little sound of pain escaped her I 1 pulled myself together with an effort you worry I 1 said dully 1 I cant blame you heaven knows I 1 have you come to me unless you love me you know that and J would rather go on alon e than have you give yourself to me through pity oh ye yes yes she cried I 1 stared into the fire I 1 had thought I 1 was prepared presently she began to speak again wont you let me finish please I 1 I 1 want you to understand it would be foolish for me to to try to care for you because because oli oh dont try to ease it for me I 1 broke in 1 I must learn to bear it forgive me for being so long getting myself in hand youre not to bamo bame yourself dear you never gave me any reason to hops but I 1 did I 1 told IllY myself self that I 1 but I 1 did even when I 1 thought ankony was going to carry you oft the next day I 1 still hoped it 11 seemed to me that heaven meant you should belong to file me and that I 1 must have you but there 1 l xa lt l t 1 l all lm therel there dont look at me like anat s and dout dont 3 1 I am going to finish she said resolutely lot mo me go on 1 I wish you I 1 urged J she sat down bending to the fire I 1 J could not see her eyet eyes but I 1 knew yf they were misty and the softness of hi i her voice was indescribable 1 I try to care for you be fe cause because be C au 60 I 1 have hav e been havo have ja been fighting for months to to quit caring oil oh why why will you be so dense barbara I 1 cried bending over f if T 4 her 7 she put up A a futile little hand han d be v tween us but I 1 laughed in the rap ture of the moment and caught her in my arms walt wait she pleaded pleada d my waiting is over I 1 breathed oh ohi lo 10 look ok at me dear one and let me have the testimony of your eyes im afraid of your lips p i foolish whispered she lifting a her eyes to mine and then but oh you are torn tom tom you are crushing my beautiful new gown and it it did cost such a pile with a lit 1 tle tie breathless laugh f there will be plenty of other gowns I 1 exclaimed but never an 1 other moment quite like this A tile the fire did its best to be up to the SJ situation it crackled in a sudden f noisy glee and threw enchanting shad aws over barbaras head as I 1 looked T down on it dans rheumatic old spaniel who haunted the library awoke from his nap in the corner at the moment and coming to stretch J himself on the hearthrug hearth rug observed something unusual going on and look ing up inquiringly brushed against barbaras skirts to attract her atten 71 tion the maids light stops passed down the hall and I 1 heard the outer door open and a mans voice in the vestibule its Ay averill erill I 1 said 1 I shant so much mind having to give you up to i him now but he did not seem to enter into 7 the moment nent with her oh it has been so hard edid she whispered a little halt half sob breaking tho the sweetness of lier her voice there were times when 1 I thought I 1 should never never be able to stand it and I 1 felt her shiver in my arms 1 I know my brave one I 1 whispered back 1 I know she lifted her head a moment later and looked at me and my heart bowed beneath the shining of her eyes and the tremulous beauty of her dear face but it matter now nothing matters now she said thrillingly TUE THE END 1 |