"That will finish things for Helen,"
grinned Mrs. Catt
Whether or not Miss Flint had
really had this decisive jeffect, it was
very apparent that Wade Barber was
devotion itself to the widow. Helen,
fedling herself very much in the way,
always promptly left the room when
he called, and Mrs. Pickett did not
gfe insist on her remaining.
y One day Helen went into a Fifth
avenue picture dealer's, where two or
three of Barber's pictures were hung.
She liked his work and she wanted
the time to study thtsse alone quiet
ly. One held her motionless, en
, tranced. A young nymph came
dancing down through a maze of ap
ple blossoms. Her floating hair
seemed to catch at the blossoms and
bring them with her. Her feet scarce
ly touched the young grass, and the
blue-of her 'eyes was luminous iike
the sky. It was the very poetry of
spring. The glory of it drew Helen's
" soul to the artist who had created
the poem.
So engrossed was she that she did
not know a man in the doorway had
been watching her a long time. At
first he was only curious to know
who it was that was interested in
the picture. He recognized her and
waited. She stood so long before
the canvas he felt the thrill which
every artist must when his work is
loved. She drew him to her. He
went up to the girL She turned and
saw Wade Barber.
"You like it?'" he said.
"Like it?" she answered. 'That is
not the word. It is too wonderful,
too splendid a vision to tell you just
now what I feeL"
- "Your eyes tell me," he said. "It
is enough. I never had just such ap
preciation before."
They sat down and began talking
together. What came to both of
these souls suddenly revealed' to each
other must lie with themselves, but
what their faces revealed was much.
The lights went up in the gallery.
u "Oh!" exclaimed Helen with quick !
realization of the time. "Aunt Ethel
will be waiting dinner!"
"She will not scold, will she?"
"Never!" cried Helen. "Aunt Ethel
is a darling. I am so glad you like
lier!" Quite unexpectedly to herself she
was finding it hard to finish the sen
tence. "Yes, she is a charming, beautiful'
woman."
Helen had never heard her aunt,
called beautiful before. "Only a lover
could say that," she thought.
"Don't run away the next time I
come," he said as they parted.
True to her promise, Helen did not
"run away," but Mrs. Pickett en
grossed the young man's attention,,
sporadic attempts at conversation
between htm and Helen seemed to
be nipped in the bud, the girl began,
to be sure she was simply being en
dured and excused herself.
In- the quiet of her own room she
had a battle to fight. She knew now
that she loved this man. 'She also
knew that he loved her aunt and felt
for her only a friendly interest What
was more, she was convinced that
her aunt loved him. Even if she
could have succeeded in supplanting
any one in his affections, that one
must not be the one who had been
to her such a friend. Generally when
they went to the opera she was one
of the party, but the next time she
pleaded an excuse. It was best for
her not to see him.
Things went on this way for sev
eral weeks, then his visits ceased en
tirely. Helen supposed he must be
out of town, but as her aunt offered
no explanation, she did not ask. One
day she bet Barber at a reception. He
drew her into a quiet corner and they
had a talk. Finally she got up cour
age to ask him why he had deserved
them He begged her to let him an
swer her question some other time,
where they would not be interrupted.
It was out of the question for him to
call, so they arranged to meet the
next day in the park.