Page:Barbour--Peggy in the rain.djvu/115

 should have anything she wanted, anything in his power to give. Of course, in such cases, the woman sacrificed more than the man; all the wealth in the world could never quite make up for what she yielded; but it was the woman's lot to do it, she always had and always would while the world spun. And "respectability" couldn't keep a woman from growing faded, couldn't give her beautiful things, couldn't save her from loneliness and heartaches, couldn't even provide bread and butter!

At the broad window he paused and threw aside the heavy draperies impatiently. Below him a little space of grass showed the first adventurous spears of the crocuses. Beyond the grass stood a high fence of ornamental iron. Beyond that was the side street, rain-beaten, puddled. The Avenue was visible for half a block. A big touring car swept by, its curtains closed tightly against the pelter of rain. A hansom followed, one of the few survivors of a dying race. Behind the half-drawn glass Gordon caught a glimpse of a man and a girl. Something that was almost a shiver went over him and his pulses raced furiously for a moment. If only it were he and Peggy there in the