Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-03-07
Gwen went on in a low, hurried

4 OO-NA ~ ~ N-AO1As ~ L
J don't know why. l only wish | did.
He seemed fond enough of me before
!, I'VE were engaged. but now-welI, of
course, the whole thing was a miser-
able failure, and it gets worse. 1t isn't
! that Phil is unkind to me; he is as
kind and good and patient as a man
could be. He considers me before
himself; there is nothing he wouldn't
do for me, but-but-he doesn't lore
me. That is the root cf the Whole
matter"
Her voice broke with a pathetic lit
tie culver that went straight to Rob-s
heart. He looked down at the child
iSh, forlorn figure, half lost in the big
leather chair, and felt a wild imp Use
to take it in his arms. But he re
strained the impulse somehow.
WELL" he said, as quiet as he could,
its a riddle, isn't it? l wish | could
help you to read it. Old Thil must be
a lunatic-nothing less than a lunatic."
No" Gwen answered, sadly, The is
not a lunatic-far from it-but there is
something l don't understand She
looked I'D at Bob again. and laid Ter
hand lightly on his arm. Such a pretty
little band. 1t looked like a SHOW
flake on his rough coat sleeve. "Will
you do something for me- she asked;
Il know I can TRUST you and you are
Pills oldest friend: but you must say
if you mind very much"
Bob turned his eyes away, for he
dared not meet her eyes just then.
But he took hold of her hand and
: squeezed it hard.
"Anything," he said.
"Then," Gwen went on, ''try aud
find out from Phil what it is that has
come between us, and if | can do any
thing to put it right. 1 have tried and
failed. But you may succeed. Will
you try?"
Yes said Bob, just as he would
have said if she had asked him to go
to the other end of the world for her.
The same evening he preached the
subject to Phil. 1t was rather a big
fence to tackle, but he shut his eyes
and rode hard at it, going straight to
the point in his laundering, honest
way.
Phil hesitated a little at first, but III
the end he told the truth.
"You see. old chap" he said, cts
like this. The whole affair is a CHASTITY
mistake all through. I never proposed
to Gwen at ALL
Bob gave "a great start
you never proposed to her at all|'
he echoed ''Then how in heavens
name did you get engaged?'
"Well,' said Phil, addressing him.
self to the fire, cit happened in this
way. You remember Charley Thomp-
son of the til? Well, I was staying
down in DevOnshire With him last
summer and there l met Gwen: She
took my fancy awfulIy at first and
[ seemed to take hers; so we started a
Irritation, and that worked all right
until her sister Lily appeared On the
scene. When I saw her-Lily, I mean
[ knew I was done for. She's-she's
different from other girls somehow.
! Well, l 0 o made up my mind ITO ask
her to marry me, but I was a bit shy
about it, and, like a fool, before speak
Ing to her, I thought l would try and
l1llu OuU 'NCh IL 1Cl q u
one evening, and tried to ask her to
chance for me. I mentioned it to her
put in 6 good word for me; but | must
have made an awful idiot of myself,
for, to my horror she thought | was
proposing to her, and before | knew
where I was she had accepted me. It
was all up with me then. | felt queer,
I can tell you, Bob; and when | found
she had really cared for me all the
time, when I thought she was only
playing me at my own game, | hadn't
the pluck to tell her the mistake she
had made. | was a coward, [ know,
but [ literally could not do it. I just
! let things slide, and trusted to luck to
! get me out of the Scrape. You See the
result. Luck deserted me for once,
and here | am-stranded. I've behaved
like a fool and scoundrel all round,
and the worst of it, no one is satisfied.
[ am miserable, so is Gwen, and 50 is
Lily-&nd all through a misunderstand-
ing. Is there anything [ can do to put
things straight, old chap?-without
behaving more like a scoundrel than
than ever, I mean. What would you
do in my place."
Bob thrust his hands deep in his
pockets and nodded his head with
great gravity.
"Tell the TRUTH" he answered,
tersely; tits the only thing you can do,
and you ought to have done it long
ago. ,rove! it's a tight fit, though"
Phil fairly groaned.
eff l thought Gwen had given up
caring for me I'd tell her fast enough"
he rejoined: 'but [ don't think she
has, and-how can l tell her? No,
hang it all! I can't. I shall have to
see the thing through now, whatever
comes"
Bob was silent for a moment or two,
blinking solemnly at the fire.
''Tell you what it is" he said at last.
"Miss Warrington has plenty of pluck,
and she's as straight as they make
'em. You ought to BE- straight with
her, Phil. 1t seems to me that the
more she cares for you the more right
she has to know the truth. I may be
wrong-I'm a stupid sort of a chap, I
4 know-but that's the way I look at ii"
Good old Bob, His honest heart and
simple mind had led him straight to
a truth that wiser men have often
missed.
The story is quite an old III now.
1t all happened last year, and Phil and
Lily are going to be married next