Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-16

ing u long, delicious
foretaste Of spring"
To Jacks way Of thinking the Sprits was the
most exquisite thing ever created, Angie YER
rinam excepted. Twas scarcely fair to COM
pare them, for the Sprite was small yacht
while Angie was young woman; each, how
ever, was the very best Of her class; the boat
had never yet found a superior, and Jack was
sure that Angles equal could not exist on the
face CT the earth; world with two such wo-
men would be so much like heaven that people
wouldn't know the difference between the two
places.
Still, there was great difference between
the two ideals Of Jacks Imagination. The
boat belonged entirely to him; Anglo he felt
justified in calling his friend. bat beyond that
he did not dare make any claim. although he
most earnestly wanted to- He was twenty five
years Of age; Angie was two years younger.
They had known each other since they had
been children together in school. and always
had liked each other. but when there came q
period in Jacks life in which his liking devel-
oped into more earnest sentiment Angie did
not seem to reciprocate his regard. He never
dared ask her why, for he saw too many
reasons which seemed to him sufficient.
To great many other young men she
seemed az charming and desirable as she did
to Jack. and as the boys Of the Whitway family
had been brought ND to believe that girls had
a constitutional right to select their own COM
panions, all Jack could do was to make himself
as attractive he could and trust time to
mako things even in the way that time gen.
orally did with the young people of whom he
read in books.
Time, however. seemed to be in no hurry
Time has way Of bis own in such matters and
he mover Is In . hurry unless ne chances to be
in company with his old friend Death. or with
. collector Of bills. Jack had been to number
less parties with Angie, he had taken her driv-
in md linz md nrrsts he had de- hor
presents, such as old friends might exchange.
and several times he had been "best man" at
weddings at which she was bridesmaid, but
never had he been able to get beyond tho be-
ginnings Of love making. Some girls seem in
no hurry to take kindly to love making, and,
by strange coincidence, they are
the very girls with whom men think
Themselves most in love. What is most wor th
having is hardest to get; this seems one Of the
earthly rules to which there are fewest excep-
tions. Why this is true is n subject upon which
SO much is to be said upon both sides that the re
10 no room for it in this short and truthful
narrative.
Jack hurried down to his breakfast, thinking
a thousand times as much about his darling
little yacht as of the fact that the day was Ess-
ter Sunday. The Sprite had been out Of the
water for six entire months, covered with can
vas and some times with snow also, but not a
day OF the half year had passed without Jack
looking lovingly at q water color, made by q
local sign painter, and hanging where it would
meet his eyes when they first opened in the
morning. Right under it was a picture o.;
Angie; 1t had been gwen to one OF his sisters,
but Jack, although honest about most things,
had stolen il. and he had made such fuss
when detected that his sistor had told him to
retain 1t IL he thought it would do him any
good. He never left his room or entered it
without blowing . kiss to the picture-a
ceremony which seemed to give him Q great
deal OF comfort. He also had a way Of confess
ing to the picture if he had done anything
during the day which at night he did not think
was entirely right and he woald explain to
the picture that could he ever be entirely
would do anything which would be anything
but exactly right. II may have been very
silly-to any one who did not chance to know
both Jack and Angie, but for one don't blame
him, and wish that every young fellow had
some divinity in mind to whom he felt always
obliged to make his daily life seem entirely
right.
Jack ate his Easter breakfast in great haste
There were lot of colored eggs on the table
and his little sisters wanted him to 60 through
the customary Easter-egg ceremonies with
them, but he explained that he was in a ire
mendous hurry. The Sprite was to be put
into the water that morning. She had been
carefully caulked. her rigging had been care
fully set and tested, two or three of his friends
had como from the city to help him launch
and sail her, the weather was exactly right, and
i. never would do for him to keep his friends
waiting-aud the tide, too So he was out of
the house just before the clock struck 9 and
on his way to the yard" where all yachts in
the vicinity ''laId up for the winter.
Whom should lie meet, as he hurried toward
the bay, but Angie herself. All girls look
pretty in tho springtims, but it seemed to
Jack that no creature as pretty as Angie looked
that morning had been seen on earth since the
last time the angels came down, whenever
that may have been. She had on new gown
of course, and also an Easter bonnet. but Jack
didn't notice them; all he saw was Angles
honest, pretty face, and nobody but a miillner
or modiste will blame him for not looking
farther. 1.-The tailor makes the man." NAV be
true about one sex, but heaven makes girls. as
any young fellow knows il his heart is in the
right place, 80 Jack raised his hat with as much
reverence as admiration. Both young people
stopped; the town was NOT big enough to have
been given over to city manners, SO any young
man and woman who were acquainted could
stop for . chat in the street without excit-
ing public curiosity or uncovering . now vein
of gossip.
Now that I've seen you Easter has become
ITSELF"
II wish could return the compliment" the
girl replied, but can't You're not dress
as if this were Easter or any other Sunday"
mo, suppose moi" said the young man,
clothes, but the truth is my boat is to 60 into
tho water today and make her first sail Of the
season. You ought to see her; she's as pretty
and neat and dainty and graceful as any girl in
town-cxcept you, of course. just imagine, il
you can how she wants to be in her native
element again and making everything else
wildly jealous. / suppose you can't, though;
you're too much like her in one respect
nothing Of your own kind ever equals YOU"
Don't be silly, Jack. Isupposs You will be
done the sail in time to come to church,"
"Oh. Angie! never knew you to tell fib
before, but you certainly told one then. You
don't really suppose that any fellow with any
soul in him would stop the first sail of the sea-
son for the sake Of being preached to, do
you2"
"No-not il that 10 all he could see in going
to church. never imagined, though, that you
were 90 stupid a. all that How long it does
take for girls to know how thick-headed some
young men are!
Jack hung his head and bit his lips; then he
raised his head and looked indignant Girls
and their ways we're all very well, as long as
they did what was pleasing and right in the
eyes of young men, but Jack had his opinion
Of girls who said cutting things. His look of
indignation seemed to make no difference to
Angie, though; perhaps she did not under
stand what it was meant for for she continued
"You had q great deal more sense about
church going when you were ten years younger.
wonder why young men forget SO much which
they knew when they we're boys? II they 90
on doing it. wonder whether they will know
any thing at all when they reach middle age?"
This was little too much, for Jack had
spent two years ct an academy and four years