The Washington times., 1894-10-16
p Couple Of Calls.

home?"
Katy thought she was. but was not sure.
She would go and see. While she was gone
David Carpenter sat down and thought over
for the twentieth time the good fortune which
had come to him that day. He felt like boy
who had won pocketful OF marbles.
"Well, Mary, I've got my wooden bowl at
last!'' he cried, as Miss Owen came into the
room.
"What do you mean?" Mary paused half
way between him and the door.
81 mean that I'm corporation counsel Of
the B., B. and F., with salary of $1,000 a
year."
I'm sorry to hear it." said Mary.
Davids smile died away. He felt that he
had asked for a fish and had been given q
stone. He tried to smile again, and looked
yexed instead.
That's kind thing to say" he observed.
'What mean is this. said Mary, her large
gray eyes looking steadily at her old friend.
There's no fear that you won't succeed in
time. You're the most talented man | ever
saw, except Edward Caithrop, whom you af-
feet to despise SO much. But don't think
you've had trials enough yet. Why, you'll
never know what it is to struggle with pow
erty any more; that's pity, great pity.
You see I'm perfectly frank
Il certainly don't thing you've been over
| anxious to spare my feelings
Mary smiled. She had large features and
very expansive ones. When she smiled it was
as much as two ordinary smiles.
Nonsense she said. What good does it
do to spare each others feelings? We were
put IN this world to help each other along,
not to tell each other we'd gone far enough
| already
''You don't approve OF kindly slap on the
| back once in a wbile?"
ayes, when mans down; but you're up
.1'm not up now" There was a pause.
The pleasant light was gone from David S
rather dangerous-looking black eyes. He had
a face that looked rs if it had been chiseled
out of granite. AS he leaned forward and
! spoke to Mary child might have seen that
the B. B. 4 /. would get their moneys worth
in man like that.
ITO tell you the truth, Mary" he said,
after looking at her in silence till she Won
! dered if she could look at him any more, his
ewes were so stern, II think you've been talk
! ing like fool. l came in here happy as a
| boy, and, as you say, on the top OF the wave,
| and wanting my old friend TO wish me Joy Of
my new place, and in five minutes you We got
| me back to my hard old matter of fact self by
saying something which you think rather
! fine, and which any one can see Is extremely
unkind. I'm seldom in good spirits, and
| when | am shall know where not to go I'll
tell you one OF my rules of business; it, this:
Don't say anything unless good is going to
come OF it. What good could come of your
! remark is something which I'm glad haven I
| got TO find out. You're one of my best friends.
! Mary and l think you're really attached to
me; but when / want sympathy should as
! soon think of going out in front of the house
and contiding in our old stone post"
The tears came into Mary's eyes. She was
silent.
! 1t was at this moment. perhaps an oppor-
| tune one, that Mrs. Owen came into the
room:
What Mary, not ready for the theater
yet?'' she said. ITS almost o'clock. Why,
! Mr. Carpenter, I am so glad to see you! I'm
| sorry We haven't an extra ticket 1t looks so
! inhospltabe," and she ratified on.
Mr. Owen came in. too, and Mary went up
stairs TO put on her things. When she came
back Mrs. Owen was still talking, David pre-
tending to listen and Mr.. Owen reading the
| evening paper. Then the three theater-goers
| went out with more apologies, and when
/ their footsteps died away David went out
! after them. He tripped on something at the
threshold and fell down the front steps, tear
ing his clothes. When he got up he laughed
dismally at this unnecessary excess of mis-
fortune.
''Wnat a successful evening"" he said under
! his breath as he walked away He was light
| hearted when he entered the house, irritated
and cross when he came out. 1t makes very
! little difference at the end of mile run how
! you felt before you began.
As soon as David had heard the theater
mentioned at the Owens he had thought:
''Then I'll go to see Violet Anderson"
So in spite of the triangular tear in his
trousers, which was after all but microscopic,
| he found himself walking toward the Ander-
| son house without any conscious volition. It
was warm evening in May. Fret as he might,
the peaceful stiffness. the breath OF spring,
| the kind glances of the stars just appearing in
| the not yet darkened sky could not fail to
| have an effect on him. Pleasant thoughts
came back; the struggling past. the successful
| present, the glorious future Violet would not
receive him as Mary had done. He rather
| thought he liked Violet better than any girl
| he knew; Violet or Mary, and Mary's ideas
were too much like a mans. She had splen-
did mind, but after all it is nice to have wo-
men feminine. And they ought to be fond OF
| musicl Mary could not tell one tune from
another, whereas Violet-perhaps she would
sing tonight. When a man was married II
would be nice to have someone to sing to him
when he came home from battling with the
woodland beating it, David added, throw
ing out his chest. He did not want to
come home and argue and get cross
and be told that success was bad thing.
| Sulleu dl ILLS last luCdy anu dlsO az q
pleasant contrast which suggested itself
| next.
Violet was sitting on the steps of the front
porch, near her father and mother, when
David made his appearance. He smiled as
he saw the perfect taste and elegance of her
| simple summer dress, and contrasted 1t with
some unfortunately inharmonious colors
ing hands all round, he sat down next
to Violet. Mr.. and Mrs. Anderson
set out to make a call, leaving the
! young people alone. The gentle south
wind carried to them the fragrance OF
the lilacs in neighboring garden. In the
next street children we're still playing, though
it was high time they were in bed, and their
voices were waited to David and Violet
softened by the distance. 1t twas one OF those
evenings when somehow one finds no diff
Guilty in loving ones neighbor. David found
none
How did you like staying at the Col
lamores?" asked David. "Are young married
people agreeable at homer
II didn't have an especially good time, "
Violet replied; ''but they did. Do you know,
l rather envied them, and wished was mar
ried, or engaged or something?"
If something stood for "in love" David
began to feel as if he were something"
1t was pleasant to sit in silence; but it was
pleasanter still TO hear Yiolet's voice on the
night air. So he spoke to her again, merely
that she might answer him.
1.-The only trouble with being married OF
engaged is that you must be married or en-.
gagged to some one."
And you think shall find difficulty ir
bringing any one to that point?" she inquired
smiling.
He could not help being embarrassed. ''No
/ don't mean that. Only l thought you
might feel like being in love, and yet moi
know any one you cared for in that way"
She half rose from the piazza steps
and adjusted her dress so as to sit more com