The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-06-23

course the whole thing Is q miserable
failure. and It gee worse i! isn't that
f!nl is unkind to me; he IL rs kind.
anu good, and patiGn! as maa could
be. lie considers mo before hilusrii
there is nothing he wouldn't DO for inr.
bnt-bui-nc doesn't love INC. Tina; Is
the root Of the whole matter"
We'll" ho said, 40 quietly as hO
couldS"it 10 Il riddle, isp'tit? wish
could help you TO read It. Old Phil
must be Misunderstanding lesl than Il
Iunatic."
NO" Gwen answered, sadly, "ho Is
not luuatic-iar from it-but Iheru is
something dou't understand. viii
you do something tot mrH' shc asked /;
u know | can trust you. and you are
PhiPs oldest friend; but you must tay
ii you mind very much"
anything" he said.
Then" Gwen went on, TRY TO find
out from Phil what 1t Ia that has come
between US, and il | can do anything 10
put 1t right have tried, and failed.
But you may succeed. Will you tryit2"
Yes said Bob. just ad no would
have said 1t ii she had asked him to 60
TO the other end Of the world for hor.
That same evening he preached tho
subject 10 Phil. It was rather q big
fcuco 10 tackle, but ho shut his eyes and
rode hard at 1t, going straight to the
point 10 hls laundering, honest way.
Phil hcsitaied q iitllc ut irat, but in
the end no told tho truth.
You geo. old chap" ne said, ITS Ike
this. The whole affair is n chastity mis-.
take all through. l never proposed to
Gwen at Gtl."
Bob gave great start.
You never proposed 10 her at all ~
hc echoed. Then how. in Heavens
name. did you get engaged?
"Well." said Phil, addressing himself
10 tho ire. ut happened III this wav.
You remember Charley Thorn pson, OF
tno til? Well, | was staying down. in
Devonshiro with him last summer, and
there ! mot Gwen. She took my fancy
awiully ut first, and | seemed to taHo to
hers; 30 we started Irritation, aud that
worked all right until hsr sister Lily
appeared on the seue. When ! saw her
-Lily-l neau-I knew was done for.
| Sho'u-she's different from other girls,
epmuhev. Well, soon n,do up my
mind 10 AJAX her TO marry me, but was
q bit shy about it, and, like tool. be-.
fore speaking TO her thought would
try and find gu, from Gwen II there vas
chance for me-; but ! must have made
a. sH!nl idiot out OF hyself, Tor TO ny
horror. she thought was proposing to
her, and before | knew where wRs she
had accepted me. 1t was all UP with
me then. iclt queer. l can tell you,
| Bob; and when | found tnat shc had
really cared for me all the time, when
thought sho was only piayluS me at my
own game, hadn't the pluck to tell her
the mistake ehe had made. | was a
coward, l know, but l siteraIly could
not do it. just let things slide. and
trusted to luck to get me out o; the
scrape. You see the.resplt"
Bob thrust his hands deep in his
pockets end nodded his hoat with great
gravity.
Tell the truth" no answered, terse!y;
its the only thing you can DO. and you
ought 10 have done it long ago. Jove!
It's tight lit, though"
Phil fairly Groaned.
I'll ! thought Gwen had given up
caring ior me I'd tell her fast enough"
he rejo!nel; but don't think che mas,
and-and how can tell her? No, hang
II all! can't. shall have TO see the
thing through now, whatever comes"
Bob was client for moment or two
blinking solemnly at the fire.
"Tell You wha: it IT," he said at Last,
Miss Warrington has plenty OF pluck,
aud she's ms strliGh; az thav make 'ern.
You ought to be straight with her, Phil.
It seems to the that the more she cares
for you the more right she has to know
the truth. l may DO wronr-lm q
stupid sort Of chap, know-but that's
the way lock at it"
Good old Bob! His honest hear, and
simple mind had led him straight TO a
truth that wiser men have often missed.
Well, it wss only one day last week
that Bob said suddenly 10 Gwen:
~ say, do you remember what hap
| pcned year ago to-day"
And Gwen flushed little as she au-
svered:
ayes, OF course I do. I was in trou.
bic, and l asked you to help me-and
you did"
And l did," said Bob. and then be
put his hand over hers as it lay idly on
the arm ofherchair. Tell you whatitis, 4"
he went on. looking at her with all his
homes. heart in HE honest eyes, II
wiah you would let me 80 on helping
yon; through lie. l mean. Pm not
much good ct talking, but know what
I mean. and I'll always do my best for
you. Will you try me? viii you
| Gwen?'
Aud Gwen said, II will"
G., Z Z W. Hallway Excursions.