Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-06

Neckties, ribbons, belts and the several
little fanciful adjuncts which add touch
Of distinction to q womans costume should
be kept In dainty boxes Of their own.
These Women Were Friends.
From London Black and White.
In a room. half study. half bed ROOM two
women were talking. They were both
young, both moderately good looking and
both. in q different way, had intelligent
bright eyes that observed much and be-
trayed little One woman was a small pas
| sionate little person with a delicate mouth
| and she was called Isabel.
The other woman was a small passionate
person with full pale lips and an agrees
sive chin. She was called Lillian.
1t was a cool summer evening. after din
ner. but the room seemed hot to both Of
| them. owing to the point in discussion.
Isabel spoke.
Eyes. 1 have done with him altogether.
Are you really surprised?'
mo. MT in the least. 1 was surprised at
the beginning Of your friendship, but l was
quite prepared for the end. You never un-
derstood each other"
That's just 1t, and in consequence con-
| tinually Quarreled. And continual argu-
ment il 50 tiresome. I assure you for
months I have felt quite worn out"
"And he"
"Oh, he" The woman's face softened. II
| am very sorry. but fear l must have been
| trial Lillian. / alternated between trying
| to act up to his idea Of me and ruthlessly
tearing it down. The curious fact is that
| he never had any instructive recognition of
my real SELF
Were you"-Lilian Strengthened her
| small person and arched the pretty pert
chin-''were you ever really engaged, Isa-
| bel?'
The other answered rapidly:
"Oh. no! How could We be? am so poor,
and he earns very little. Now. If 1t had
been you. with all your money. 1t might
| have been different Still, l did look for
ward to marriage, when he would be teal
GUS no longer and should be all his And
| then l was jealous. too"
| You! Who were you jealous of, dear?'
| wasn't 1t absurd, Lilian?-of you-and-
| of others"
Well did know him long before YOU"
| 'Oh. he consulted me about everything"
Isabel. trembling a little. About me?"
Well yes. about you-sometimes.'
| How horrid Of him.
| There was a pause. Isabel paced the
| room, and large tears appeared in her gray
eyes. which she did not allow to fall Lillian
mad two malicious dimples at the corners
| OF her mouth, and in distinct contradiction
| to their presence she sighed.
suited"
How could we be-" broke out the other
passionately. In all his love for me he had
no trust: in all my love for him there was
| a certain amount Of fear. ! am morbidly
sensitive. and he wounded me day by day
and my wish to have him all to myself, to
rob him from his too numerous lady
| friends. seemed absurd in his thinking. He
refused to believe in the depths Of my feel
I ffYvrfd nf
them. wanted him to understand me by
instinct. and a man so often lacks that"
He Is very clever and has plenty Of
tact"
Isabel stopped short and faced her COM
panion. Tact is an elastic thing In his
case 1t was onesided. and only applied to
s mis- dealings ea with ,s certain natures As
Well" Lillian smiled and then sighed
again. IT'S all over now"
And I remember" continued the other.
as II she had not heard. 1.-The first time I
saw him. remember the curious thrill, the
curious certainty that came over me- that
he would play some large part in my life.
! wonder II he remembers too. I wonder If
he remembers his first impression of me.
l was horribly shy-and know he thought
me pretty
He is a great admirer Of female beauty,
| certainly" admitted Lillian dryly
"Wir you-shall you see him much now %
Surely. my dear Isabel. you can't expect
me to give up an old friend just because
you nave QuarreIeQ with him.
But still he might talk Of me-"
81 don't think so. And II he did can de-
cline to discuss the subject"
The other suddenly knelt down beside her
| friend. In her small face. in her gray ewes
there was a hungry wistful expression that
Lillian could not be blind to and it gave her
an uneasy pang.
| LII, dear. Tell me. Do you think havs
| been very unwfse?'
mo. Whyr'
Because my heart is aching till I can
scarcely breathe Because I am longing
just to know what he is doing not to be
wholly shut out Of his life. Because - IL y
am miserable"
"Oh! This is only for tonight. You will
soon get over It,"
with child-like submission the other ask
ed simply, Shall I?'
"Of course you will"
ILL. do you think I should be very stupid
II tried to make 1t up?
Her friend laughed harshly and a little
nervously. quite mad" she said.
do you? I am not sure. 1 am so terri
bly, lonely. He seemed my destiny. I miss
him every hour OF the day. and his letters
by every post"
You are quite maudlin. Isabel"
What! The woman sprang to her feet.
what did you sayT'
this man. who didn't love you. and who
never will: who never understood you and
who was never appreciated by you in re-
turn. The sooner you forget him the bet
1T can't forget him."
You must"
There was another pause. Isabel walked
to the window, drew back the curtain and
threw II open.
81 am suffocating," she cried
The other arose and stealthily seized her
cloak from the bed.
IT can't forget him." Isabel repeated. .'I
love him. ! want him now-always
must write to him at once. I must
Lillian, what is the NATTER"
Of YOU. You can't have him back"
"Why. how do you know? What do you
mean? How dare YOU?
II mean that he proposed to me today
and I accepted him"
She slipped her cloak and tripped
down stairs, and the other woman who
had been her friend. knelt silently by the
open window with face that seemed to be
] slowly growing old.