THE CONQUERING HERO IS DISPOSED TO BE HUMAN.
"Her lips are roses over-wash'd with dew,
Or like the purple of narcissus' flower;
No frost their fair, no wind doth waste their powers,
But by her breath her beauties do renew."--_Robert Greene_.
The dusk of an autumn afternoon was closing in on the well-filled
library of Mrs. Standish Tremont's Beacon street home. The last rays
of sunlight filtered softly through the rose silk curtains and blended
with the ruddy glow of fire-light. The atmosphere of this room was
more invitingly domestic than that of any other room in Mrs. Tremont's
somewhat bleakly luxurious home.
Perhaps it was the row upon row of books in their scarlet leather
bindings, perhaps it was the fine old collection of Dutch masterpieces,
portraying homely scenes from Dutch life, that robbed the air of the
chilling effect of the more formal rooms; but, whatever was the reason,
the fact remained that the library was the room in which to dream
dreams, appreciate comfort and be content.
At least so it seemed to Anna Moore, as she glanced from time to time
at the tiny French clock that silently ticked away the hours on the
high oaken mantel-piece. Anna had dressed for tea with more than usual
care on this particular Saturday afternoon. She wore a simply made
house gown of heavy white cloth, that hung in rich folds about her
exquisite figure, that might have seemed over-developed in a girl of
eighteen, were it not for the long slender throat and tapering waist of
more than usual slenderness.
The dark hair was coiled high on top of the shapely head, and a few
tendrils strayed about her neck and brow. She wore no ornaments--not
even the simplest pin.
She was curled up in a great leather chair, in front of the open fire,
playing with a white angora kitten, who climbed upon her shoulder and
generally conducted himself like a white ball of animated yarn. It was
too bad that there was no painter at hand to transfer to canvas so
lovely a picture as this girl in her white frock made, sitting by the
firelight in this mellow old room, playing with a white imp of a
kitten. It would have made an ideal study in white and scarlet.
How comfortable it all was; the book-lined walls, the repose and
dignity of this beautiful home, with its corps of well-trained servants
waiting to minister to one's lightest wants. The secure and sheltered
feeling that it gave appealed strongly to the girl, who but a little
while ago had enjoyed similar surroundings in her father's house.
And then, there had been that awful day when her father's wealth had
vanished into air like a burst bubble, and he had come home with a
white drawn face and gone to bed, never again to rise from it.
Anna did not mind the privations that followed on her own account, but
they were pitifully hard on her invalid mother, who had been used to
every comfort all her life.
After they had left New York, they had taken a little cottage in
Waltham, Mass., and it was here that Mrs. Standish Tremont had come to
call on her relatives in their grief and do what she could toward
lightening their burdens. Anna was worn out with the constant care of
her mother, and would only consent to go away for a rest, because the
doctor told her that her health was surely breaking under the strain,
and that if she did not go, there would be two invalids instead of one.
It was at Mrs. Tremont's that she had met Lennox Sanderson, and from
the first, both seemed to be under the influence of some subtle spell
that drew them together blindly, and without the consent of their
wills. Mrs. Tremont, who viewed the growing attraction of these two
young people with well-concealed alarm, watched every opportunity to
prevent their enjoying each other's society. It irritated her that one
of the wealthiest and most influential men in Harvard should take such
a fancy to her penniless young relative, instead of to Grace Tremont,
whom she had selected for his wife.
There were few things that Mrs. Tremont enjoyed so much as arranging
romances in everyday life.
"Pardon me, Miss Moore," said the butler, standing at her elbow, "but
there has been a telephone message from Mrs. Tremont, saying that she
and Mrs. Endicott have been detained, and will you be kind enough to
explain this to Mr. Sanderson." Anna never knew what the message cost
Mrs. Tremont.
A moment later, Sanderson's card was sent up; Anna rose to meet him
with swiftly beating heart.
"What perfect luck," he said. "How do I happen to find you alone?
Usually you have a regiment of people about you."
"Cousin Frances has just telephoned that she has been detained, and I
suppose I am to entertain you till her return."
"I shall be sufficiently entertained if I may have the pleasure of
looking at you."
"Till dinner time? You could never stand it." She laughed.
"It would be a pleasure till eternity."
"At any rate," said Anna, "I am not going to put you to the test. If
you will be good enough to ring for tea, I will give you a cup."
The butler brought in the tea. Anna lighted the spirit lamp with
pretty deftness, and proceeded to make tea.
"I could not have taken this, even from your hands last week,
Anna--pardon me, Miss Moore."
"And why not? Had you been taking pledges not to drink tea?"
"It seems to me as if I've been living on rare beef and whole wheat
bread ever since I can remember----"
"Oh, yes, I forgot about your being in training for the game, but you
did so magnificently, you ought not to mind it. Why, you made Harvard
win the game. We were all so proud of you."
"All! I don't care about 'all.' Were you proud of me?"
"Of course I was," she answered with the loveliest blush.
"Then it is amply repaid."
"Let me give you another cup of tea."
"No, thanks, I don't care about any more, but if you will let me talk
to you about something-- See here, Anna. Yes, I mean Anna. What
nonsense for us to attempt to keep up the Miss Moore and Mr. Sanderson
business. I used to scoff at love at first sight and say it was all
the idle fancy of the poets. Then I met you and remained to pray.
You've turned my world topsy-turvy. I can't think without you, and yet
it would be folly to tell this to my Governor, and ask his consent to
our marriage. He wants me to finish college, take the usual trip
around the world and then go into the firm. Besides, he wants me to
eventually marry a cousin of mine--a girl with a lot of money and with
about as much heart as would fit on the end of a pin."
She had followed this speech with almost painful attention. She bit
her lips till they were but a compressed line of coral. At last she
found words to say:
"We must not talk of these things, Mr. Sanderson. I have to go back
and care for my mother. She is an invalid and needs all my attention.
Bedsides, we are poor; desperately poor. I am here in your world, only
through the kindness of my cousin, Mrs. Tremont."
"It was your world till a year ago, Anna. I know all about your
father's failure, and how nobly you have done your part since then, and
it kills me to think of you, who ought to have everything, spending
your life--your youth--in that stupid little Waltham, doing the work of
a housemaid."
"I am very glad to do my part," she answered him bravely, but her eyes
were full of unshed tears.
"Anna, dearest, listen to me." He crossed over to where she sat and
took her hand. "Can't you have a little faith in me and do what I am
going to ask you? There is the situation exactly. My father won't
consent to our marriage, so there is no use trying to persuade him.
And here you are--a little girl who needs some one to take care of you
and help you take care of your mother, give her all the things that
mean so much to an invalid. Now, all this can be done, darling, if you
will only have faith in me. Marry me now secretly, before you go back
to Waltham. No one need know. And then the governor can be talked
around in time. My allowance will be ample to give you and your mother
all you need. Can't you see, darling?"
The color faded from her cheeks. She looked at him with eyes as
startled as a surprised fawn.
"O, Lennox, I would be afraid to do that."
"You would not be afraid, Anna, if you loved me."
It was so tempting to the weary young soul, who had already begun to
sink under the accumulated burdens of the past year, not for herself,
but for the sick mother, who complained unceasingly of the changed
conditions of their lives. The care and attention would mean so much
to her--and yet, what right had she to encourage this man to go against
the wishes of his father, to take advantage of his love for her? But
she was grateful to him, and there was a wealth of tenderness in the
eyes that she turned toward him.
"No, Lennox, I appreciate your generosity, but I do not think it would
be wise for either of us."
"Don't talk to me of generosity. Good God, Anna, can't you realize
what this separation means to me? I have no heart to go on with my
life away from you. If you are going to throw me over, I shall cut
college and go away."
She loved him all the better for his impatience.
"Anna," he said--the two dark heads were close together, the madness of
the impulse was too much for both. Their lips met in a first long
kiss. The man was to have his way. The kiss proved a more eloquent
argument than all his pleading.
"Say you will, Anna."
"Yes," she whispered.
And then they heard the street door open and close, and the voices of
Mrs. Tremont and her daughter, as they made their way to the library.
And the two young souls, who hovered on the brink of heaven, were
obliged to listen to the latest gossip of fashionable Boston.