to her and her mind seemed almost normal. Earl now sought to
complete the work by letting her know that things had at last been set
right and that the color of a man's skin was to no longer be in his way.
Standing over her he whispered:

"Eunice, the American people have decreed that the door of hope shall
not be closed to any of their citizens because of the accident of
birth."

A strange glow came into Eunice's eyes.

"When will the duly authorized power see to it that the states live
according to this decree and apply one test to voters of both races,"
asked Eunice so quietly, so intelligently, that hopes sprang up in
Earl's breast.

Stooping, he kissed his wife, saying:

"I can't say, my darling; but it will surely come in time."

"Time!" shrieked Eunice. "Same old thing! Time! Bah! We shall all die in
'time.' Earl, are you turning against me, coming to me with that old
word 'time?' Ah! Earl, are you a Southerner? Time! Earl, can't you
persuade the people to let justice do now what they are waiting for
'time' to do?"

Jumping up she whirled round and round until from sheer exhaustion she
fell into her weeping husband's arms.

"O thou of little faith, counterpart of my own darker days, Eunice,
awake! Awake! The currents are forming that will sweep the caste spirit
out of the political life of the nation. Awake, my Eunice! Awake!"
plaintively spoke the grief-stricken husband to the unheeding ears of
his wife.

While hope thus wrestles with despair, we visit another parlor.

* * * * *

In the parlor of Tiara's home Ensal sat awaiting the coming of the girl
that he had loved so long and so ardently, on whom he had now called for
the purpose of asking her to link her destiny with his.

[Illustration: "Without any pretense at delivering any one of the many
thousand little preliminary speeches framed for the
occasion, Ensal bent forward and kissed Tiara."
(290-291.)]

Ensal had delivered many speeches in the course of his lifetime, but he
could hardly recall one that had given him as much trouble as the short
speech which he had sought to prepare for Tiara. Form after form of
approach came to him, but they were all rejected as being inadequate to
the occasion, so that when the beautiful Tiara appeared in the parlor
door Ensal was absolutely and literally speechless.

With love-lit eyes Tiara walked unfalteringly