THE MEETING.
How different was the meeting between Cleo Ballard and Arthur Sinclair!
He had traveled over night from Kyoto, and because there were no
sleeping accommodations on the train he had passed a very uncomfortable
night. Consequently, when he arrived in Tokyo the next morning he was in
anything but a happy frame of mind. He had gone directly to the hotel,
and had followed his card to the Ballards' suite of rooms. Mrs. Ballard
was ill, as usual. Tom had gone out, and Cleo was waiting alone for him.
She had slept very little through the night, and there were dark shadows
under her eyes. She had stayed awake thinking of Sinclair, and of his
unkindness in failing to meet them. One moment she thought of him
bitterly, and of his seeming indifference to her, the next her mind was
thrilled with the wonder and tenderness of her love, which lost sight of
his every fault. And now his little card lay in her hand, and her heart
was beating to suffocation, for the footsteps that she knew so well, the
tall, athletic figure, and the deep voice she had learned to adore. She
had tried to steel herself for this meeting, telling herself that she
ought to punish him for failing to meet her, but as his tall figure
loomed up beside her she forgot everything save that she loved
him--loved him better than all else on earth, that she had come
thousands of miles to be with him, and that she would never leave him
again. For a moment neither of them spoke. They looked at each other,
the one with hungry, yearning love, the other with keen scrutiny,
together with an honest endeavor to call up some of the old passion he
had once had for her.
The girl's voice was almost frantic:--
"Why don't you speak to me, Arthur;--have you ceased to--to love me?"
"Why of--of course not, Cleo."
She went close to him and put her hands on his shoulder, looking into
his fine, fair face with beseeching, beautiful eyes. What man could have
resisted her, whether he loved her or not? Sinclair's arms closed about
her, and somewhat of the old passion did return as he kissed her, and
held her there. But she had broken down, and was sobbing pitifully,
hysterically, in his arms.
"Why, Cleo, what is the matter, dear?"
He drew her to a small lounge and sat down with her, putting his arm
affectionately about her, and drawing her close to him.
"Oh, I don't know," she sobbed; "but I--I--Oh, Arthur, I thought all
sorts of awful things about you. That you--that you did not love
me--that you did not want me to come--and--and--but I know it is not
true, now--and you will forgive me?"
She waited for his denial, almost longing to hear him reprove her
because her fears were unfounded. Instead, he merely kissed her, saying
she was a foolish little girl.
After Cleo had quieted down a little she began to tell him of different
home matters which she thought would interest him; but after listening
for a while to his monosyllabic answers she stopped talking and turned
her head away with the old pique and distrust. The distrust or pain of
one we love very dearly cuts like a knife and wrings the heart, but
where we do not love it irritates. It had always been so with Sinclair.
When, during their engagement in America, the girl had shown resentment
or anger against him for any cause, it had always had the effect of
making him nervous, sometimes almost unkind. On the other hand, when she
had put her entire trust in him, believed in and loved him
unquestioningly, he seldom could find the heart to undeceive her. Now,
as he looked at her pained, averted face, he felt only a vague
weariness, almost a dislike for her. There was a touch of impatience in
his voice: "What is the matter now, Cleo?"
"Nothing," the girl answered, proudly. "Only I thought perhaps you'd
rather not hear me talk. You do not answer when I ask you anything, and
I don't think you even hear what I say."
"Don't let us quarrel already, Cleo."
The girl melted. "No!" she said; and her feelings choked her.
"How is your mother?" he asked, mechanically.
She rose from beside him. "Come and see mother, Arthur. She is not at
all well, and was quite put out about your not meeting us."
They passed into the mother's room together, and Sinclair was soon
forced to listen to the querulous reproaches of the invalid.