Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-05-21


better. Actually, Guy, I'm Engaged
two years before Tn ont
Guy vas leaning against iEee. look
ing very sulky.
sTm quite ia earnest. he growled;
'sbut i you're only going 70 make fun Of
lyon are going, that Is 70 say. you're
going tomorrow. but not just this min-
s;oh, Juliet / and do Jon really love
met"
Il don't want 70 say ysu, and I don't
want 10 say no.
''But yOu won't 60 marrying any
other fellow while I'm away 7"
ssThere Il no other fellow that know
Of III write and tell you & one turns
up.
"And you're the sweetest girl n the
world"
'sGuy, Tn positively growing vain. I
wish Franlefn thought the same.
own yon be In earnest. Julietf I
know you'll never marry me when
you're grown up. You make fun Of
everything, and you win turn ont good
for-nothing hirt.
There was 8 rause, and I tried TO look
forward into the future. / glanced at
Guy. His dark eyes were melancholy,
ludicrously so, perhaps, but I was
touched. He looked 50 sincere, and /
felt unworthy of the adornation ex-
pressed so plainly In his face. was
perky, odious. and hated myself
ssAre you sure you mean what you
say" / asked hesitatingly.
'sYes, he said simply, and knew he
was speaking the truth.
'sAnd IL you meet prettier and nicer
girls than I am, you won't like them
better than me 2"
"YOu are the prettiest and incest girl
in the world.
ST don't want you to say that; want
you to promise never 70 love any one
better than me.
81 shall never love any one half 90
we'll.
And so the romance Of my life began.
When was seventeen my father gave
his consent to my engagement with Guy,
and we were to be married when was
twenty. The course Of my love ran
very smoothly; Guy took honorB at
Cambridge in his third year; was
eighteen then, and was taken 20 town
for my presentation. / stayed with
Connie, but / made not the slightest
sensation. ] was not pretty, and with
one exception, 1 positively hated and
feared young men. was forOuche and
conscious Of being quite the plainest in
the family. Little Ismay grew more
beautiful every day.
How she is growing up r. IL was
Guy who spoke, and he was referring TO
little Ismay, who was crossing the step
ping stones to come to rs. I sat on the
river bank, and Guy lounged at my feet.
Something in his voice made me glance
down at him.
ssShe Is the flower Of the flock. Every
one says so. Far prettier than Connie"
'sThen You don't include yourself In
the beauty competition, Juliet 2" and he
laughed.
ssI never thought of comparing myself
with Connie, and ahe is nothing ct the
side Of Ismay."
"But you are far away the best Of
the three, Ju."
81 feel annoyed at your remarks.
wish people would never allude to my
looks; and, above ell, that they wouldn't
try to console me for my lack of beauty
by telling me that am amiable (which
isn't true) or that have the beauties Of
the mind, or stuff of that sort.
Ismay came up and seated herself by
Guy. Two more beautiful faces could
not have been Imagined. His. clear.
dark and classical; hers equally perfect,
with golden hair, and dark. gray lustrous
eyes.
81 hope am not de tr0p, she said
calmly, settling her muslin skirts, shut
] thought JUS voice sounded somewhat
cross, and / am come TO make peace. "
s'More likely to create discord," /
said impatiently. Guy looked mp
quickly, and then murmur0d something
about the golden apple.
ssD0 you remember Paris and the
apple r. asked Ismay, looking straight
into his eyes. ssIf had been there,
think it would have been given to me.
/ was accustomed to hear such remarks
as those every day, and only laughed;
but Guy had not seen much Of Ismay
during the last twelve months, and he
stared with establishment at the auda-
cious beauty. She returned his gaze
for . few seconds, and then cast down
her eyes. That was only acting. What
ever lsy-sy was, she was not shy.
I tried TO talk to Guy as I did when
we were alone. Then used to chatter
by the hour together, rigmarole he used
to call tia presided conversation on
every imaginable topic which / knew
interested and amused him, although he
rarely spoke, but was quite content to
listen in silence. But ] felt somehow
constrained with tina graceful, white
figure beforemy eyes, and when / looked
aE Guy, he was looking at Ismay, and
had apparently forgotten me. rose to
my feet abruptly.
ssWhere Is Juliet going ?" asked Is
may Of Guy. He raised his eyes LAM
guidIy.
ssAre ron tired Of the river 2"
Eyes, and turned to go. he rose
also.