The morning call., 1891-05-26
TWO WOMEN.

I'm not going 10 see Such goo0 IeIloW
waste his affections on a heartless c0quette
like Vic RoSsitur." said Ferd Favor to HIM
self, and he walked across the piazza to where
a handsome young fellow was standing and
tapped him On the arm. Lincoln" he
said, 81 want you to meet Rachel Verne :;
here she comes now"
A pretty group came up the lawn path,
consisting of four children that had ar
ranged themselves in little flight OF stairs
from to 10 years of age. With them. hold
ing them In check with gentle hand, came
young girl. She was years younger than
Vic Rossitur, but she had eyes that bad
been wet with tears and lips that had quiv-
cred with grief, and all that heaven could
bestow upon q mortal shOne 1orth IL
lovely face.
a heavy mass Of silken brown hair waved
itself in A natural couture from her low fore
head. and unconfned fell over the snowy
shoulders that peeped from their covering
of black grenadne Eyes blue and deep. a
heaithful glow, a happy face made Kay
Verne's beauty, and Stephen Lincoln saw
and hOnOred it.
"VicP7 Fcrd Favor impatiently pulled the
lace Of her snowy shawl that night, and
beckoned her very near the window ont oil
which Lincoln had that moment stepped.
well, what is it?" she asked, drawing
near. 49,,
Are you really going to marry LincolnY
Ibid he hire yen you To ask meT
"Hrel 1t sounds like him"
No, it does not! Well, yes, think l
shall marry him. He is better than any Of
the rest of you. And he has more money"
mot 50 much as Perrin, yonder."
"He IS finer looking. Perrin is an idiot"
"Vic, Lincoln is too good for you"
HE Will not be ten years hence, If he
? AVa.H no 4tsautc ma
room, gathering her laceS in tieecy cloud
about her; and Ferd. tue confdant of the
world at large, who was supposed to know
everything and say nothing, sat back and
hummed an opera.
Ten mnu es later Stephen Lincoln had
the hand Of the angeiic-faced eX-gOVerneSs
upOn his arm, and led her past Miss ROS-
situr without a glance toward her from his
splendid eyes.
"Whats the matter, FerdP Areyou going
to have a FTP" asked EIlingWUOd, Just
then.
pack. You can bet your pile on me.
EllinEWoOd went of III disgust, and so did
Vic RgsSitUr, before the drawlng-rOom was
emptied. She had been very sure OF win
ming but for that idle, gOsSlplng tongue OF
hers, which had been set in motion by Ferd
Favor. She wondered very much that alter
that night he avoided her; or gave her when
he gave the sex, and no more She had been
too successful III life to doubt her power, or
believe that a rival could exist, and 50 she
first believed him jealous, and in her old
81 l. iigted and thought to wound him.
The summer was well nigh past, and she
was thinking one afternoon, leaning on the
piazza railing that Lincoln was too deeply
wounded, and that something must be done
or she must lose him, when teTd Favor
came up.
Come down to the little house at the end
Of the walk, Vic. l have something to tell
you"
She had nothing else 10 do, so she put her
hand on his arm, and walked down.
1t was a cosy place, quite covered on TWO
sides By an old grape vine, and 1t was
well-knOWn retreat Tor lovers, As they
neared II Vic drew back and held Ferd
firmly.
That quiet-faced girl, Ray Verne. was
sitting there, cTOCheting gayly coiered
mass If WurstCd into some lncOncelYable
thing, and Stephen Lincoln's hand was
resting for the moment on her head.
How busy you are, darling. Are these
fingers never Weary?' he asked.
This is not WORK. This is play"
You make play Of everything All. pet,
there are SO few like you IN the world:
There was no earthly reason WHY he
should have kissed her just then, but he
did, with an at-home air that was an evi-
dence that il was not for the first time, aud
Ray only flushed a little and looked prettier
and happier than ever before.
"Why did you bring NE here" asked
Vic, with bitterness.
Ferd laughed a little.
"Tn show you that all men are not fools,
and that there are other women in the world
besides yourself"
rs this all you wished to ssy?"
Yes. Isn't il enough?"
yes. quite"
She never fOrgave him. for, said she,
Had it it not been for him l might have
been in Stephen Lilcoln's carnage to-day.
instead OF that bread-and- butter Ray
Verne"
1t might have been so, but heaven, or
Ferd Favor, mercifully ordered it otherwise,
to the lifelong happiness Of Stephen Lincoln
and his wife Ray.-Selected.