The Great God Success

d intermittently, teased him to look her up. He was amazed at her hold upon him. At times th

he congratulated himself. "It wasn'

new many people and knew them well. They liked him and some of them sought his friendship. These w

pent wholly among books. That life had trained him not to look to others for amusement, sympathy or counsel, but to depend upon himself. As

ree; and he was careful only of his personal pride and of taking no advantage of another. What he had said to Alice about marriage was true-as to his intentions, at least. A poor woman, he felt, he could not marry; a rich woman, he felt, he woul

o such constant freedom of access, no such intermingling of daily life. Her he had seen at all hours and in all circumstances. She never disturbed him but was ready to talk

e best that there was in her and showed

rike-riot in the coal regions of Pennsylvania. He was there for three weeks, active day and night, interested

New York, Alice had

ck at the door. He hoped that it was some one bringing something interesting or coming to propose a searc

nge in her face-a change for the better but also for the worse. She looked more intelligent, more of a woman. There was more sparkle

ands were whiter and her pink finger nails had had careful attention.

. "I'm glad, very glad to see you. Fo

I came this afternoon. I must have been

ad luck that has f

een saving up to come. And when I had enou

been a

hed. And her fingers played m

er," she said at last in a low voice; "I'

face, saw her steadying her expression to meet his eyes. Whe

ee you. I was sick of all those others-up there. I've never had-had-this out

ights and shadows of the leafy Square. When he turned ag

hy not? Put on a street gown and we'll

She put one of her arms upon his shoulder-a slender, cool, smooth, white arm with the lace of the wide sleeve slipping aw

to see you," Howard s

was determined for

in desultory fashion and got a few things printed in the magazines. He led a life th

ed that he should be so satisfied, so non-resisting in a lot in every way the reverse of that which he had marked out for himself. If he had been chained he might, probably would, have broken away. But Alice never attempt

lars a month," she said, "and I'm sure I could manage i

g never to yield. But although Alice did not speak of her plan again, he found himself more and more attracted by it, caught himself speculating about various apartments he happened to see as he went about the streets. She must have been

hat she had the same good taste in those matters that she had in dress. She took all the troubles and annoyances upon herself. When she invited him to assist in the arrangement, it was

nt and happiness, he found himself master of five attractive and comfortable rooms, his clothing, his books, all his belo

period of passionate love which extends into married life until it gives place to boredom, or to dislike, or to some such sympathetic affection as he felt for Alice. "It is just this that holds me," he thought, i

howed it. She had no friends, and he often wondered how she passed the time when he was not with her. Whenever he inquired he got the same answer: She had been busying herself with their h

e looked in upon her life or

of this life: "Something is worrying you. Is it

you. Tell me, Miss Black-Hair, do

it until I am twenty-five bef

sometime? It is unjust to you. When I think of it,

, looking straight at

have no

what do I want

always having to explain you away, always having to act as if I were ashamed of this, my real life. At

nd I understand. Why should we bo

have been going over it carefu

nt of her gown and hung glittering in the meshes of the white lace. She crept into his arms and

he repeated, patting

her head i

ng that this was the very first time

r head and put her cheek against his. "It makes

not-

-I will not-ri

me. You will have

-yes. But

not I,

omething about you? The way to keep you is to leave you free. I do not want your n

ot as good as

body until I saw you. I shall never care for anybody else. I ne

ugh, "and then, 'Oh, dig me a grave both wide and dee

tly went on: "Do you remember the evening

sed to me?" Howard s

it all out that night. I intended to come b

his hand ov

you would never marry. Not so clearly as I understand it now, but still I-understood. And you have been teaching me ever since, t

studied her face, surprise in his

better than I ever knew any one in my life, have had you very near to me day and night

u would look at me again," sai

is the little girl I knew, the litt

s. She proposed to you and, wh

ard went on. "Why not? It is

is against it. Some day-perhaps. But not now, not now. I want you. I want only you. We are together out her