Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 June 1909 — DISPOSSESSED, [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DISPOSSESSED,

The New Owner Secured More Than the Old Home. By JUANITA ALVAREZ. [Copyrighted. 1909, by Associated Literary Press. 1 It was early in the morning—so early, in fact, that the dew stood in big, opalescent drops on hedge and blossom. Marjorie ran quickly up the short flight of stone steps. She stood for an instant, her breath coming and going In a little jerky fashion. She thrust a cold hand 'lnto her bag and fumbled tremulously for her latchkey, A second and her trepidation had passed. The high paneled door yielded Instantly, swinging noiselessly back on Its hinges. Marjorie drew a long breath of satisfaction as she glanced down at the familiar things at her feet, the rich old rugs of oriental pattern scattered here and there among the high backed chairs; the masterpieces bung sus-

pended from the walls, the statuary Just where It had stood on the night she went away. With a deep drawn sigh of relief Marjorie, threw herself Into a chair to rest and collect herself before proceeding to her own room. After all, she reflected, it was a whole lot better to be at home with one's own people than to be sticking it out alone somewhere else, whatever the temptation or inducement She had stuck it out and won. Others had tried the same thing and lost. The result was pretty near the same in any event, she argued, flushed now with the mere Joy of her homecoming. She wondered vaguely if her parents could by any possibility fail to forgive the waywardness which had taken her away to do battle, single handed, in the great world of need and struggle? The parting had been very bitter, so bitter that she tried not to recall it any oftener than she was forced to. The surprise, the triumphant results she was bringing home to them, would they compensate for her disobedience? During the two months Just passed she had heard little or nothing from either of them in her continued passage from place to place. Had she confided the real motive behind her desperate ambition things might have been different, but there are some soul secrets too dear and' too sacred almost to be held in communion with one’s own thoughts. All at once a whole army of clocks began to strike 6, and Innumerable whistles In every key shrieked a peremptory warning of the hour. Marjorie started from her reveries In alarm and, quietly crossing the length of the hallway, moved up the deep carved and carpeted staircase. The door of her sitting room stood ajar, and she entered noiselessly, depositing her bag and parcel' on the familiar little spider legged table that held the student’s lamp. Then she threw herself down Into the old fashioned rocker that stood Invitingly near and began to draw off her gloves. For the moment a rush of feeling dlmf&ed her eyes so that she could not see. But In a little while she pulled herself together and glanced about critically, noting that nothing apparently had been disturbed. Everything was Just as she was accustomed to have it—every picture, every book. She bent toward the reading table with a sudden heart throb. There lay a fresh supply of the current periodicals, a newspaper or so, a paper knife she was sure she had never seen before and a half smoked cigar. “Poor, dear papa,” sighed Marjorie, with a little tremulous smile, “he will forgive me, aftet all. He must have cared very much to do this. I’m afraid I wounded him more deeply than'l dreamed.” She put forth her hand in a mqphanlcal fashion. and lifted the paper knife from the table, touching it softly with caressing fingers. It was Just a common little affair of steel and Ivory, but two initials showed roughly on the handle, as though carved there in some absent moment—"R. L.” “Richard Lassiter!” Marjorie's Ups nnconsciously framed the words. She looked up. half frightened, and glanced about her quickly. Almost at the moment the door leading Into her room was pushed open softly from the other side, and Richard

Lassiter himself stood on the threshold. / “Miss Wlnthrop!” Marjorie was on her »feet in an Instant, pale, embarrassed, bewildered. For once In her life all self control had abandoned her. She took an unsteady step forward, groping with one hand before her for suppprt. “I’m awfully sorry,” began Lassiter apologetically. “There has In all probability been some mistake. I thought you knew.” Marjorie regarded him half dazed. “My father and mother,” she broke in appealingly, “what has become of them?” <

“They are perfectly safe and well. I can assure you of that much. As soon as possible—as is practicable—l shall send you to them. Your father speculated heavily. He was unfortunate, but he did not lose everything,” he went on, answering the unspoken question in her eyes. “A long expected lift from fortune made me independent, placed me where I am—here.” When he looked down Marjorie was crying softly, the tears slipping down her cheeks and splashing unheeded on her hands. “When f learned that the place was for sale,” proceeded Lassiter after a silence, “I wanted more than anything the world to come here to live. It Seemed like—well, like being nearer to you, somehow. You don’t mind me saying this. Mar—Miss Winthrop?” Marjorie’s tears had ceased suddenly. An exquisite tint of carnation had crept up slowly under her skin, and the lids closed over her eyes like pale white globes over blue lights. “I would rather it were you—than any one else—here,” she replied presently in a low voice.

Something In her tone, in her manner and more than all in the swift avoidance of his eyes made Lassiter suddenly bold. He went and stood at the side of her chair, his hand resting on the back of it, his gaze, impassioned enough now, fixed on the shining brown waves of hair that intoxicated him with the delicate hreath of perfume. “Marjorie,” he said hurriedly, “let me tell you—everything—now, won’t you? It Isn’t the time nor the place perhaps, conventiohally speaking, but I can’t let you get away from m® again. I think you must have known, dear, that I have always loved you—you did know It, didn’t you? But you knew, too, that you were rich, while I was poor and that because of it my lips were sealed. But I was working night and day, day and night—working as no one ever could have worked before, for no one ever had so sweet and dear and precious an incentiveworking to make myself worthy to ask you to be my wife.” He paused, out of breath from sheer emotion, the veins of his neck throbbing. He bent suddenly and took her hand in his. Marjorie felt the quick quivering and yielding of her fingers and knew that with it was the giving up of her whole self. Minutes passed and neither spoke. After awhile she glanced up, with a slow flush deepening vividly on her cheeks, and Lassiter broke the silence. “I have succeeded,” he said quietly. “Will you come back home, sweetheart?” Marjorie did not speak, but presently she lifted her other hand and gave that, too, Into his keeping.

"I HAVE SUCCEEDED,” HE SAID QUIETLY.