Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-08-25


 course would have been as plain as though signboarded at every step. He must have gone away at once, leaving the field free to his rival-aye, and have staid away, holding down all hope with strong hand until such time as his rivals fate should be decided beyond all question. This he could and would have done as the natural outcome of honor and manhood; for it would have been an ignoble thing, and cruel and treacherous one besides, to seek to snatch the solitary flower of hard and barren life before it was clearly proved that the flower could never deepen it's roots and grow and flourish into larger life.
 But this necessity of abnegation had not arisen. This woman whom they both loved was free for both to strive for; no past tie bound her to one more than to the other; there was no treach cry, no theft, no breach of confidence involved. They started almost even in the race, moreover; for if Dan had gifts of mind and manner and position, An thony had those of person and wealth and priority of acquaintance.
 Yet, because of a feeling that he had, that to come to mans house and par take of his hospitality and then enter into rivalry with him for what perhaps he valued most in life, was not exactly the thing for an honorable man to do Dan determined to bring his visit to a close, and to cancel his business engage ment and leave the neighborhood as soon as his host should return.
 Ned's manner had changed to him of late-had grown ftful, sometimes al- most surly He would have talk with Ned and explain exactly how matters stood, what he had done and what he proposed to do, and how the affair was beyond his control and must be submit ted for decision to higher power. He would be quite open and fair and frank with Ned, as became good men and true who had stood by each other squarely in time of danger. Then, after all things were made straight with his host, he would leave the house before he should seek Mrs. Beverley, which of course he must do before quitting the neighbor- hood.
 Having arranged all this in his mind, Dan felt moro in harmony with nature, more lifted to her level, as it were, and capable of enjoying her. He moved his chair more forward into the moonlight and opened his cigar case; then he turned himself so that his face was toward the opposite side of the ravine and his eyes could rest on a tiny point of light which streamed in reality through the nursery window, but which he thought came from Mary's.
 He was not very much afraid of An thony's rivalship, and it had only been the decision in regard to his own con- duct toward his host that had occupied his attention. Vanity and himself aside, he felt very sure that Anthony had made no serious inroads on Mrs. Beverley's affections. She was too considerate, too carefully courteous in her treat ment of Anthony to admit of the sus- picion of any large or turbulent emo- ton. Then, too, Dan had noticed how consistently she had contrived to throw Ned with her cousin, how delicately she had maneuvered that he should be Elias escort on their little expeditions, should stand beside her when they sang, walk beside her when they strolled in the evenings and be associated with her in- timately in the thousand ways which have tho alchemist's power of convert ing friendship into love- He had helped along tho little comedy, knowing it to
 be comedy. and suspecting that Ella shared his knowledge, although she
 played her part with spirit. He was amused at Mrs. Beverley's absorption in her scheme, and the ingenuity she dis played, and the trouble she took tc
 spread nets and place honey for the beal
 who never even saw them, and whose - whole thought was on the hive.
 ''I think MT. Anthony admires Ell3
 very much," she remarked one evening
 complacently, after watching shim givt
 her pretty kinswoman a banjo lesson
 which seemed to involve proximity ant
 some contact of hands. "He pays he1
 a good deal of attention, and she is pret
 ty. Don't you consider her uncommonly
 pretty?-a little anxiously.
 "Quite so," he assented readily. "Sh'
 is clever and vivacious, too, and knov
 she amuses Anthony immensely. H.
 says that she is all around the jollies . girl he knows, and has no nonsense abou !" her."
 Mary did not know exactly what thi !, comprehensive form of masculine com " mendation meant, and to her ear sounded too free and easy to be speciall, " complimentary. To her mind the phras
 "has no nonsense about her. implied tn ,o absence of some qualities which sh sSe knew very well that men greatly value ,1 and it was not one that she wished t = think representative of Anthony's stat I of mind about her cousin. It was en - tirely too practical to be suggestive o ', much romance. Still, Anthony was al y eminently practical man, and she re ;. fused to loose her hold on hope, in spit Ie of tolerably extensive acquaintanc le with masculine nature.
 re Anthony's position in the matter wa T, summed up by himself in a few word rs in subsequent conversation with Stew to art, of which the Henderson girls, an m particularly Ella, were the theme. Bot to men agreed that Nan was a lovely littl ~ creature, just the sort of woman mos In men-themselves excepted-would dc as sire for wife. Of Ella, Anthony said: D. "She's a rattling good sort, that's wha ed she is. Just the woman for chum, fo
 she's up, to everything that you are an - knows how to give and take-hit you
 sc.l,A