THE AWAKENING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 47, 20 March 1909, Page 4

THE AWAKENING.

(By 11. llicto,.) Edith Bertludon. was attracted to Xormaii Whitbeck by the. force of the man's personality. He was good-looking in a way, but Edith was not one to place stress on a man's personal appearance. .She was a handsome girl and rather proud of her beauty, but had been heard to rcnuirk that it'was a man's part to put brains into the partnership of matrimony and a wife's to furnish the beauty end."

Norman Whitbeck was certainly a mail of huge ideas, doing to business as a youth of sixteen, by the time he was thirty-live years old he had amassed a comfortable fortune, and was settled in London as the representative of a mining ««»W . »•'"** stretched like a giant crescent. Mc company had been formed and financed, almost 'entirely by Mr. Whitbcck's unaided efforts, and lie was justly proud of its immensity.

Kilitli Berthelun was the lirst Irivoluus interest that had ever L-ntt-r.-.l his lilt. He had been rather afraid of women l'i his vouu"e.r fa vs. but the crust of reserve acfUinulati-ii through .veurs of business endeavor n- bl.-.l away tan-all. this {.'ill's tactful graciousiics. Of course. Ilii'.v il'll in love immediate lv Edith determined upon tlli-s course 'this lirsl time she looked into Norman s clear eves. "Do von know thai you are rcmaiA,iUl.lv attractive for a rieh man?" she asked him one day. alter they had pas„ed the cuntussing stage, and he was wondcrin", for Hie 'nine hundredth time, ■how it was possible she eould care for him. Mr. Whitbeck laughed over her words at the time, hut the speech occurred to him later when lie was alone. "Can it lie possible that my money lnin iinv inllucnce with her?" lie thought. .lie brought the subject up again the next' lime tlie.v were, together. "Supiiosc I had never been .stung with ambition into making a place for myself in (he world?" lie asked. "Supiiosc I was just one of those meek and humble gentlemen who are content wit.li: the. nooks into which they are crowded by other .people, anil earning, say, ,t'2W) a year, would you care as much for me then'!" Miss licrthclon regarded linn dreamily. "What a i|«eer iipiestiou," tdte said. "1 cannot think of you as being like. other men. you are so vivid and intense

and piclurosipic. Still, vou would have the same dear eyes and nose and mouth. Yes. I suppose I should have cared lor you just the name, no matter bow little

Vou amounted to." ' Now Norman Whiitlieek was not so much satisfied with this reply as it seemed that be should have been. KiHtli had become the controlling passion of his life. He loved her as only a man can love whose affections have been starved through early youth. lie did not want to win affection by his money; but be. resented still more the thought of heing admired for his eves anil nose and mouth. ' As he tried to explain to her one day after she had teased him into a storm of wrath and then kissed him out of it

"1 care so much for you, beloved, that there, is no other thought in my mind. 1 think of vou and dream of you and live for you.' I want you to be so much wrapped' up in me. Unless I represent the joy of all the world ill your sight, then our love means nothing." (if course, Kdith promptly declared that be meant all and more than this to her. and they varied with mutual

I tenderness. I Nevertheless, now and then a qualm of doubt would pierce the man's happiI She was so completely mistress of herself, so ready (o do the right thing, 5" tactful in her behaviour under all circumstances, that he wondered ivhere tic real sincerity lav beneath all this welltrained gracefulness. due ni"lit, unexpectedly, be ran acioss |,is cousin (ii-rnld. They both stared at first, and then rushed i.npfllsively upon, one another, for years of separation had not erased Hie memory of happy boyhood day* together. ••You look just as much like me in ever." said Herald. "1 imagined, some-, how. thai success might alter a man." ■■What have you been doing?" e»-

quired Norman. The other shrugged his shoulders and turned the palms of his bands outward with a deprecatory gesture. "Nonfiling much, 'CX'ci'pt to look on a. little hit at the rush of life and record a few of 1111- impression-. There are a couple of talk- on the market bearing nil' name mi the title-page. and. si range to' sav. people buy Ihein occa-ionally.'' "f 'congratulate you. old man." -aid. Vieinaii.'lieiirtilv. '"l'm a horrible duffer, and quite out of tbe reading line., or doubtless 1,-houbl have heard of your name long ngo. lull 1 am engaged to a; girl who'will, be sure to know your! work, for she reads everything worth

'Hie nexl evenini; Nornia'i look lus cousin to call on T.dith. The jrii-1 started when Ihev ciileved the room, t'lieir resemblance to one another was so pronounced. '•Which of vou is which';" she e-,H|Uireil. liiiiithinnlv. "I feel ii- if 1 were seeing double." ' , I Din-in..' tin- eveiiiiiL' florald's 1 l;s| came nniler discussion. K.lith had read and liked (hem. and the two went wan,leri loa« the pleasant by-naths .-.i literature, as hookworms will, while Norman wah-hed them. keen, iinxmn". and feline; liimself 11 coinpli'le outsider. Herald invited Mi-* llerlhelon to f!" with him In nil exhibition the nexl aider and -lie accented with -irlish ca.'erness. Xoiiuan tli-siiiiiilnLeil- liis real I'eeliiifVs and smiled an approval. For the nexl month Whitbeek plunw.l into work with a recklessness bom ol '"lie' never ipieslioucd F.dith. and all way- aciniesceil in any ciifrafrcinciil >-''■' | made wilh his cousin. I

line dav. however, he received a pvemptorv note from his betrothed. -Come Io uie this eveniiij;. aloae. 1 niiisl speak (o iwi." lie found Kilith 11 trill.' pale, bill looking verv beautiful. She did not heal I,bonl Hie hu«h. "I am iifraid. Norman, that we have made a iiiMiiVe." He winced, and shielded his face with one hauil. "lean see." she continued, "that 1 do not satisfv vim—that mv companionship is not snllicient. I could no! hear to see (lull T wa- merely tolerated." "Wliv don't you' snv what you mean''" sneered the man. ''You fnul (ierahl so much more ransenial to yonv (asle. Hint vou .aunot fnllil vour promise to marry me." 1 The trirl lisped, (hen -he broke into ringing laiif-'htcr.

"Vour cousin Herald is a very charm-1 iiig young man. and he is attractive because he looks so much like you; but it you must have the truth, I think him lis linieky and nervous a* an old man. who wrote books, no matter how good they were. It does not seem to be a .man's work, somehow."

"Then what do you mean by saying that, we had made a mistake'!'' queried .Norman, bewildered.

"I meant, vou old goose, that I was very properly incensed by the fact that vou have not tried to see me alone once for three whole week*, and I do not intrad to stand such treatment." For an answer he took her in bis arms.

"Vou shall never again have cause for complaint, sweetheart," he said. Herald Whitbeck objected vociferously because his cousin gave him no more opportunities with Hiss llcrthcloil. "I know, old man., it must come pretty hard on you," said Norman. soothingly ; "l(iiil. vou see, it's lor your own good. .1 can see that vou are more than half in love with Edith now, and it won't do for vou to go on plaviug with lire." (ierald stared.

"What are you talking about'!'' he cried. "Why, 'f'ni engaged to the sweetest girl ill ilie world, down in Kent. I was making a study of Miss lierlheloii for my new novel, and it is mighty shabby of vou to interfere." "till'.".said Norman. "I don't see how you can want to be with her when you love another girl. I couldn't look at anybody cl-c." "Hut I am a novelist," said f.erald, Willi a conscious tone of superiority. When Edith heard of this conversation she looked meaningly at her lover. "I'm glad, dear, that you are a business man," was all she said.