Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

My dear boy" said Caruthers. sare,v
you could stand the addition of a considera-
Die number Of Van Eibber's good points,
ana not be overburdened with a super
| fluffy"
mo doubt" said Travers. undaunted. Il
WIN say this for Van. though: He keeps the
coolest head with 1t all that ever saw 1
suppose he was born SO, he added. in a med
tatlVe tone, which induced a somewhat sar-
castle perhaps" from Caruthers.
| van bibber pursued his way down the
avenue unaware of the favorable opinions
OF MS fellow beings. For eight or ten
docks he walked at a somewhat rapid
pace, then suddenly brought I'D with a
start at a corner house.
he hastily crossed the street and walked
| down two blocks more, whereupon he i'm
medlately recrossed and returned to the
| corner house.
After doing this. with variations, for the
rang the bell, sent up his card, dropped his
nat and subsidized into a chair
| Presently the pOrtieres were pushed a side
ana ana young girl entered. She had clear.
gray eyes ana wore her hair drawn
| smoothly back from a rather broad fore
| mead AT sight OF her a slightly embar-
rasseo AIR which Van Bibber had worn dis
How DO you do. Mr.. Van Bibber?" she
said, cordially: 1T is pleasant to see you
sarnnt, i mad begun to think that you had
| a
| eere note in the voice which went well
| with the gray eyes.
,, Inc conversation which followed was
| tne last new play. Through 1t ali Van Bib
per scarcely maintained his part with his
ss &C. ease 1t was apparent that
scn,t s or were elsewhere. AS it is diff
nSutl Ior one TO make a converse ton, pres
ehtly q silence fell between them
II was broken by Van Bibber He got
'front.' of the girt 80
Helen, he said. slowly, 81 didn't come
h hs 'ooay 10 talk about theaters and
s o0ohs ana all that l came here to tell you
| love you" ''' @'e''
IS She started up suddenly, and stood fac
gan; TREMENDOUSLY. '
90, walt moment, dear. please" he said.
w NM m.i you to hear my side Hrst. and then
II TOT mot with hopeful little smile
! ar siri bowed her head silently.
wsn, nave thought it all out" Van Bibber
tnat this Is the best way-to tell YOU, and
men not let you answer me at first Be
ab oSe' gear, ! want you to understand all
Ynm INT, lnrroduced us l began to love you
a 10Y were somehow so different from the
actly ex Id khoWn az my life. l can't ex-
sweet and quiet, your hair wasn't rough
and surled ike other eiris'-iast smooth oa
| i
much for you. darling. and we could be so so
, tel yyEu" = he said smiling how happy the
In the winter We would live here in New
nork' anc In the summer we would 20 to
ZONE quiet little place. not Newport or
| little town where no one would know ' ns
| Ana we would take long walks and drives
rssd , JUST you and j. And we would
| NE 10 be better sort of fellow, for dear );
ne went on humbly. I'm not good enough
| Tor you. I'm not what / ought to he bnt
oh Helen. If ever a man tried to he We pu,
YOU "0i'hs OF
Then We could go abroad " he con,,r,oa
with boyish enthusiasm, you have meyer
peer. have you, Helen? i would show Won
ssv nd 81 and oh. it would be so joilyl
and all that lot. would just envy me SO
t nat, they would sc, and do likewise. oh.
It's your duty. IL only to conyince those ' fsI
| the best one?' 1911
And now. dear" he said graxa,v .r
want you to tell me just how Won feai
about II; II you don't love me now. W. Won't ont
please. dear" beseechngly, don't tel Gih =.
| that there is no hope for me-" ' '''e
| The girl. during all this time baa s.,
with bowed head Her hands We're locker
together in her lap: only the neryoiSs in
s eras,n G,; or the fingers had shown signs of
her head. Her eyelashes were wet.
MI. Van Bibber." she said, brokenly, Il
ought ought not to have let you tell me ali this
thought Aunt Eleanor had told YOU / Rave
been taking 1t for granted that you knew
| that in my own home there is someone TO
whom l have promised myself "
Van Bibber had been standing with his
nand resting on small table near-by
That hand involuntarily clinched now. and
| the muscles of his face stiffened and then
relaxed. He did not speak for a moment
When he did. 1t was in the even tones Of
| mis- ordinary converse ton.
| viii you tell me little more about him
Helen?" he said, gently
The girl flushed quickly, oh he is so
good she said, eagerly, FAR too good for
me- He is preparing to enter the ministry
the Presbyterian Church. He has loved me
SO long; we have been engaged three years.
We expect to be married as soon as he gets
church." she said. softly. That is ALL
except" impetuously, II can't tell you how
months and what your friendship has been
to me-"
Well perhaps not She could not tell him
that her tastes and thoughts and feelings
had become so interviewer with his that life
without him somehow seemed blank
that every word he had just uttered had
torn her heart,a at the same time that 1t had
filled her with a wonderful happiness.
No. she could not tell him all this. Away
up In that little New England village was
bound herself Surely, this was sV enough Si Ao
| Van Bibber, listening only to her last
words, knew nothing of what her heart
was trying to tell his.
| He raised his head with determined air.
Helen" he said, 'if the time has passed
happily for you. am content. Dear, don't
| look at me so pitingly, had he known tina
1t was not all pity for hint shall get
along all right, somehow. But there's just
one thing / want you to remember, Helen.
| If / ever amount to anything in this
world. II will all be owing to you"
And now l viii say goodbye, dear. 1t
will be better So
He took her hand and held 1t for mo-
, ment, looking down at 1t tenderly.
Il wonder" he said slowly-a flush rose
to his cheek, and he looked at her almost
kissed 1t just once?'
The girl, with long, half-sobbing breath
held her hand toward him. Van Bibbel
raised 1t reverently, then suddenly put /,
away again.
Il forgot for a moment" he said with 9
brave smile. "He-that other fellow, YOU
know-mightnt like it. Goodbye, Helen,
, and he was gone
She did not go to the window to watch
his retreating form with sckening sense
Of loss. That Is not good form on the ave
! nue.. She went to dress for dinner, and
after dinner she drove to the opera with hel
aunt and sat out five acts
. AS for Van Bibber, he walked slowly VI
the avenue, wondering how the way of
certain New England clergyman and hi.
wife could best be made smooth. There
was food for much meditation in this.
Half unconsctously he turned off into
side street and walked for number o.