Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-21

That's past hoping for. She can't be a
fool"
The two men sat like criminals awaiting
the death sentence-sat half hour in
silence. each absorbed in his own thoughts.
A knock at the door broke the spell. and
brought both to their feet.
| Come in," said the youth. though he had
to force his voice to make 1t audible.
Come anP' the father roared. savagely.
| "Lettah, sah," said the waiter.
Phil snatched it, looked at the address,
hurried under the gaslight and handled the
envelope with trembling fingers. His father
followed him. looked pityingly at him. and
| finally said:
Courage, dear boy! You meant well.
You'n always have the honor Of having ad-
mired her with your whole heart"
Then he turned away and wiped his eyes
| Boys will be boys; he had been one himself;
but why should time be remorseless enough
| to wreak such cruel revenge? The sins Of
| the parents might descend to the children.
| but why mere bunders? What should he
do to ailay as quickly as possible the pain
| of the blow? A dozen plans hurried into
| his mind. and he resolved to try them all,
If necessary He would even give UP busi-
| ness for year, at no matter whatever loss
| to himself so as to be his own sons con-
slant companion. Fortunately. the boy
| never had outgrown chiidhood's fondness
| ways tried to keep himself young for his
childs sake. Now he would go back to
| rowing or sailing; he would learn bicycling
and he would go to all the ball games.
| him than sitting on a bench as spectator
while other men did the playing. And how
earnestly he would pray heaven to be as
| merciful to the son as 1t had been to the
| father-to let the proper girl cross the boys
path and make him happy.
! Meanwhile. he turned his head and
studied the boys face Why. there was
good stuff in Phil. Junior: he was taking
| his disappointment b-avely. Still. there
! were women who could say no" so grace
| fully and tenderly as to take the sting from
the word. He could easily imagine Marian
Raybright such an one. If
Accepted" shouted Phil.
Trewitt's face became iron and his eyes
| flashed as he Kissed between his set teeth.
"What?'
Accepted" the youth repeated. To Phil
juniors establishment Phil senior dropped
into a chair, and looked the picture of per-
picked imbecility. Phil was really sorry
for his father, yet SO full Of joy that he
could not help displaying the air OF superb
| GRITTY which any young American feels to-
ward his ancestors to any number or gen.
| erations back. Still, he would be generous
yes. he would not exult; he would merely
impress gently upon his father a fact of
which all middle-aged parents seemed OBJ
livious, SO he said:
Father perhaps don't seem as young to
her as to you. You tell me sometimes that
although I have twenty-one years. and six
feet Of stature, and mustache. that I'm
still your little boy. She has seen me only
GS a man, and
Phil" interrupted his father. regaining
possession of, himself. and rising from his
chair, are you sure she accepts you?"
"Sure?" Phil echoed, the instant the word
dropped from his fathers lips. why, lis
ten to this-where is it! Oh. Heart and soul
I am yours; / have never loved any one
else Isn't that plain English? AS to her
age. about which you said some things
which 1 still think very unfair, she says.
dear girl, My life has gone backward rap
idly year by year. within a few months
Father. you said this morning that I had
known her but short time. but you oC6ht
to remember that time Is eternity to lovers.
She knows 1t. for she writes: You have
been In my heart so long What an in
tense. poetic nature she has. There are
some passages here which ] can hardly I'M
derstand, well as ] know her. 1t would
seem as II she had loved me years instead
Trewitt turned pale and then red Sud-
denly he astonished his son by snatching
a newspaper from a table and tanning him.
self vigorously.
Father exclaimed young Phil, with
some show Of Indignation do you think
al! this extraordinary demonstration is
called for? You continue to act as II 1t was
the most wonderful. inexplicable thing in
the world that Marian has accepted NE
Won't you please stop? l know you don't
mean any ofense by 1T. but really 1t makes
am a man. I am willing to always re-
nam a poy TO You, In almost everything:
put DO think you might recognize me as a
man, on this day Of all days. 1 don't like
see any more In me than you seem to see:
yet she's accepted me, and you don't seem
20 nnd anything in your son that could
have justified her choice 1 should think
her own words In this letter would explain
all to you: but
The father. who had been pacing the
noor; with wrinkled brow and ciasped
hands. stopped abruptly and interrunted
| his son by saying:
Excuse me- Phil. I've not meant 70
unoer-rate you. nor have 1 done So Try to
me.trust me to read her answer"
Ihe young man yielded the letter.
Inc Iather read It slowly to the end. and
how did you sign your-proposa,o"
Phil Trewitt;-the only name She knows
.,, Didn't ID you add Junior to your sigma
If i So; think not: indeed. know didn't
" r rpaft; But ,. why do you ask"
which IT. race took on an expression
father replied: "ore' as MS
Because, my poor boy. Miss Bavh-,.,,
stead s ie Of poS me-Philp Trewitt senorHin
.E What" saspsd the young man.
sten. Phil" said Trewftt, rapidlv .r
wh hee s love TO to her before you were born
1 was younger than you are now FL. ana
me- her IN more than twenty vea III. NJ,
o Quaint mve =, talked to her only as an ae.
Sorh,aS,.S ~ .ne iaSt Few hours buf nm
u uoe she thinks your letter was frnr,
arnisir hao hoped that I might not ha We =,
: t,d 70 you what happened SO long ago.
you are hurt!' my ooy' now
Young Phil was indeed the n,ct,r. -.
rse.y Inc proud glow of his fac nj
o naueo INTO ashy pallor as his father nay
S,ea. 20 MIN the puzzling parts Of MIS-
ia uaiSppIisnts letter. He snatched the FATS
~, pit OF paper fercely from his fathere.
t t,a.ios ana read 1t once more his face chan.
~ G win ehe sentences. He tried to male
tton nia ownIto forget his fathers explanas
rn.ano pelieve that Marian had NOT been
SSistaken as to the writer of the 49,.
SSuooenIy he thought he saw a 1lea =;
nope. 30 he asked e'eam OF
do you really imagine she could ,n,s,.r
NY NY lpenmanship for yours? There's NOT fhe
sAsntese resemblance between them
one not seen mine in more than tventv
years. my dear boy. Besides. in those Sa,,s
! fancy that ! wrote about as YOU now A..
uvsihess hurry hadn't yet taken the f,onr'
lsnes from my PEN" Then the father vent
oyer the letter aloud explaining. with nnch
me manner OF penitent offender. some NJ
me, passages which had mystified vonne
fnil, who finally stopped him by ssvsnss
Win tne most manly look his father had
ever seen in his face: "ei hao
noure right; there can be no douht NJ n A."
MS rather looked at him sorrowfuiiv
tenderly, but the boy continued ranidIv.
never mind me; you shall see no1v ho,,
mucn OF man am! Do think of Marian
tnougn. poor girl! She must never knour -
this awful mistake" '" VI