The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-12-24

willing VICTIM" Her tone was hard
and cold, and Lu bit her lip, and then
she said, quite lightly and cheerfully:.
IF did capture him, what would
you do, Beth, sueme for alternating his
affectionsW And, to LUIS surprise
and chagrin, Beth burst into tears.
One day, Jackwas helping tine girls with
their embroidery, that IS he was sort
ing the skeins OF silk and getting them
hoplessly tangledin the process. Luray
lett the room for missing patterns,
and Beth, to prevent an extraordin-
airy silence, which she always feared
when alone with Jack, leaned toward
him with a petulant little pout:
ooh, Jack, you have got them all
tangled, give me that basket before
you get them any worse"
The little out-stretched hand prov
ed too much tor Jacks susceptible
nature; he took it in his own, he drew
the yielding, graceful form nearer and
nearer until the pouting lips were
sisted.
The spell was broken. Beth stood
with wild eyes and burning cheeks,
saying, plteOuSly:
ooh, Jack, why did you do it!'' and
saying in her heart all the while, "He
would not have dared to do that if he
had not meant everything"
Poor child. When Luray came back
with the patterns just then she found
Jack as placid, bland and UNI uffled as
ever.
Was Jack deliberately trihing with
these two hearts? Not at all; he was
absolutely serious. He never had been
before, and it was rather an uncom-
Portable and unnatural feeling for
him. He was so much in earnest
that he actually thought he would be
unhappy if he couldn't marry one Of
these girls; but that was just the
trouble-which one should he choose?
Luray was a witch, and kept fellow
wide awake. Beth was sweet, and
those eyes had q way of going right
through you and following you home
afterWard. 80 .#.
One night he had an inspiration: it
probably came through the cigar he
was putting on his walk home from the
Sidneys'. ."
IVY Jove!' he calculated, stopping
suddenly under lamp.post, ''I'll
toss up for it, twice out of three
times" .s.a
He selected a bright new coin and
balanced it carefully; it spanked a
second in the gaslight and fell with a
silvery chink on the pavement.
Heads for Lu," hesaid before pick
ing it up, "and tails for Beth"
The coin said tails. A second time
it flashed and fell-heads. Jack held
his breath; he realized that the fate of
three lives depended on his last throw.
He balanced it carefully and long; he
shut his eyes as the coin went spinning
off into space. When it fell he would
not look at it for a minute, but let it
lie where he could see it shining at his
feet, and then he slowly stopped and
picked it up. Heads had won. He
took long breath and went home to
bed.
Luray had decided to 20 home be-
fore Christmas. The evening before
she left Mrs. Sidney gave a party.
Luray wore green gown and Jack
said she looked like a nymph clothed
in ocean spray. This was moment
Gus occasion for Jack; he had decided
to give his liberty, life and happiness
into Luray's hands that night. He
realized that it was ota little o resign,
but he had determined to make the
sacrifice. A little skillful vancouver
ing on his part made a cosy tete-a-
tete in the library possible, and as
he progressed With his story could not
but feel that Luray, in her sea-green
gown, leaning back comfortably in a
big easy chair, bore the honor thrust
upon her with tantalizing calmness.
1t was rather a shock to his cool com
placency. and not in accordance with
his ideas OF how g. girl should receive
a proposal from him. When he had
finished, and the end was somewhat
abrupt as those cool, gray eyes fixed
upon him had a disconcerting effect,
Luray slowly arose, and, taking a few
steps toward the door, said, stilllook-
ing directly at him:
"Jack, there is an element in human
nature, which, to me, is more essen
tlal than love, certainly without it
love means merely an hours amuse-
ment, with it woman's life is crowned
with happiness; and peace, security
and trust fill all her days. That ele-
ment is .constancy, and you are not
constant, Jack. Come, let's 20 out
and dance''
Jack was shocked to the verge of
speechlessness. He joined in the dance
without saying word. What afool
he had been, he despised a couuette
above all things. He could see
now he never had really cared
anything about Luray; how light and
shallow she was, and there was dear
little Beth Waiting with that mourn
full looking German, who called himself
a baron or something. It was Beth
he cared for all the time; he would
have the next waltz with her, and all
the waltzes for the rest Of the evening.
But he found he couldn't have them
all; in fact, not even one, for they
were all taken, and he only found her
alone for a minute before he left that
night. He made the most Of that
minute, however, and said, tenderly,
holding her hands and looking down
into her eyes. :
"Be5h, little girl, I've wanted to ask
you something all the evening and
am coming tomorrow to be made