i§9s.]
A Study in Human Nature ,
“ I suppose you fixed a date with her,” said Tom.
" No, but you bet I shall.”
When Miss Nellie Weldon returned from Philadelphia she
found a note from Theodore Sercombe saying he had business in
Madison soon, and asking when it would be convenient for him to
call.
She replied that the next Friday night he might find her ‘‘ at
home.”
As Sercombe’s only other business in Madison consisted in buy
ing two or three cigars, he was prompt in keeping the engage
ment.
He had ordered a three dollar tie for the occasion, and he had
every reason to feel well satisfied with his personal appearance
when he stepped up to ring the bell at 712 Asbury avenue.
She answered the bell in person. Sercombe was dazzled. If he
had been charmed at first, now he was entranced. A dainty dress
of soft, dark fabric, tastily trimmed with lace, rendered her
dark beauty simply irresistible, the rosebuds in her hair seem
ing only back-ground reflections of her bewitching lips. She
gave him her hand with such a trustful, happy little air that Ser
combe was at once her complete and willing captive. He took
his eyes from her face long enough to observe that they were in a
large, well-furnished drawing-room. All the surroundings tended
to confirm his favorable impressions. When the evening was
spent and he was on the Stanmouth train, he had a confused
recollection of two short, happy hours, and vaguely remembered
how beautifully she had played the piano for him; but oh, how
vividly did he recall that last, slightest possible return pressure
she gave his hand! and when he found himself giving his only
remaining ‘ ‘ Chancellor ’ ’ to the conductor he concluded that he
must truly be in love.
Of course a second evening had been arranged; another fol
lowed, and so the fall passed, until finally she became the subject
of day dreams as well as those of sleep, and Sercombe began to
realize how deeply he was getting into the mesh.
Naturally Tom Pearson heard a great deal of Miss Weldon, but
some of the things Sercombe had told him he could not exactly
understand. After one of his visits Sercombe had said to him:
" Miss Weldon’s father must have kept her awfully close. At
first I expected to meet a lot of people, for such a girl must
have oceans of friends, but I haven’t met a single other person at