Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-09
THEY BOTH STARTED.

ture and position whom she met constantly,
the comparison waselways In his favor. When
the ball or theater party was over her thoughts
never fingered long on the merriment Just past,
but before the carriage door fairly closed she
was living over again those delightful summer
days. and when she laid her head on her pillow
her last thought was of the earnest eyes that
had so ofte looked into hers, her last prayer
for him who was SO far away in the little
seaside town. Finally the longed-for day ar
rived She had sent no word to her friends of
her coming, for she wanted it to be a surprise.
All during the journey she had pictured to
herself how he would look and what he would
say when he first saw her. As she drove
into the town she looked eagerly for his
face, and then she saw him stroll
ing down one of the quiet side
lanes with a tall, stylish figure beside him.
She couldn't see his face, but somehow a sink
ing feeling came over her and something
seemed suddenly to take her breath away. All
that evening she waited with restless impa-
tie nee for his coming, while Aunt Betty told her
all the news, describing at length the coming
OF beautiful young widow among them and
the young doctors devotion to her. The next
afternoon she saw him again driving with the
beautiful widow. Then he had forgotten her, and
the mingled pain Of wounded pride and sorrow
was almost crushing her heart. That evening
she received a telegram from her aunt that
made both her and Aunt Betty start for New
York early next morning, leaving the old house,
keeper TO pack the household goods. She re-
membered SO well the.years spent IN Europe.
How she had said to herself over and over again
that he did not love her, was not worthy of her,
that IL was all over, and yet how she found her
SELF stul Axeaming of that first summer and still
loving him, and how, finally. this battle be-
tweeDuoDe pride and love had ceased and her
heartache was cured. But why had her hear flut-
tered SO when she saw him standing by little
Jims bed. 1t could not possibly be that she
loved him now. She was only a school girl
then, an inexperienced child, but now che was
a woman, and considered a remarkably fasci-
mating woman. Would she waste her love on
the man who had caught her girlish fancy?
Alb. no, 1t could never be now she thought. with
half sigh. But when she awoke next morn
ing her first thoughts were of the children's
ward. and all day long the dark face, with its
earnest eyes, fitted before her.
Little jim was right, something did all his
doctor, for that evening as Percy Lagrange sat
In his little bare room his books and papers
were untouched, and when at 2 o'clock one OF
the night nurses came to ask for some special
directions he was still up. His thoughts, like
Muriels 8, had flown back to the dear, delight
ful summer when first she had come
into his quiet life. All, what castles in
Spain he had built in those bright daysI What
dreams he Greamt, only to wake to the sting
ing reality that he was poor and unknown:
that the path before him was a steep one. But
youth Is courageous and not easily daunted,
and so he determined to wait and work until he
should make his name one worth Offering her.
When the autumn came she went back to her
city home. How bright her life there would
be In COMPARISON to the poor life of this little
town! All through the dreary winter he was
tormented by the bitter thought that in the
midst OF all the gay scenes he would be forgot
ten or she would learn to look down on him
and his poverty, He found no sympathizing
spirit among the rough fisher folk among whom
his work lay, and as he went on his daily
rounds and looked out on the cold gray sea and
the barren hills and saw only poverty and suf-
fering in the lowly cottages his heart grew
heavy and his courage failed him.
Late In February. when winter was beginning
to loose its hold, new face was seen in the VIII
iiage and new chapter In Percy lagrange
lite opened.
At the age of twenty-seven Gertrude Lenain
found herself in an extremely comfortable
position In the world. A widow Of three years
standing she was possessed Of princely in