The Mystery of Choice

d Rowden. She was gracious to Clifford, gentle to Elliott, and she took Rowden un

" she said gravely. "Monsieur Cliffo

as old as Jack is, and J

ck's superiority in all matters," sa

e what you find to care about in a man who clips hi

t the rim of the little stone fountain with her hands clasped behind her back. Elliott and Clifford were poking about

goes!" sai

etheart. "Jack must leave word with Joseph to g

following Nature," said Clifford, with an attempt at

lifford when he wants to be

o and picked up a cup of tea grown cold, "Clif

ll next make love to

, and pretended to sulk until Sweetheart sent him o

" I said, "every

, and the shoes from Rix's-O Jack, you didn

d, swallowing the t

ome hot tea in a moment," and she ran over and perched on the arm of

ring of lilacs, and she deco

across the gravel walks and flecked the whi

lock train, isn't

the station at eight-

e?" said Sweetheart shyly; "it's our las

I hope," said E

silent fo

Sweetheart to me; and in the same breat

"I suppose you have no id

ng of the magic second

ne, Sweetheart and

dusted. Bon voyage! bon voyage!" and all of a sudden my arm was caught by Sweetheart's little gloved hand, and she drew me back through the long ivy-covered alley to the garden where the studio stood, its door

said; "it breaks my heart to leave it. Only that mag

brought happines

. "Oh, if Jack is always the same to me as he has been

ittle frightened, but was dying to go there. Sweetheart had