Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-04-02

/ ly during our short engagement ana l
/ decided on leading life of celibacy l
( felt that Christie was quite indispen-
sable
Now. Christie. be if known, affects
great WOTldlincss and scorn of senu-
meut believed in her once, IN her
7 cyniciSm. coldness and self-suiilc!ency'
But that was a long. long time ago.
Christie was out when l arrived .
I That is very characteristic OF her: she
/ is invariably out when one counts on
her being in. She came home about y
O'Clock at night. and whirled into the
/ tiny dining-room. a brisk. breezy little
( person. who had never been pretty
/ handsome or indeed, anything out
4 barely passabla.
$50 dreadfully sorry. Kit, she said
shaking hands with me, and absentiy
putting her drenched umbrella iato her
favOrite arm chair. Il meant TO wait
7 i'm for you. but some iiresome woman
eo- iIl. and had to go ~ sit with her.
/ ! don't want YOU 10 think that / We oeeh
doing GOOD Samaritan. mind-out in
/ this heavy rain. too, Oh. dear no, But
she can help me with my new book II
she uleases. 1t isn't at all likely that
she viii. though; people never do help
YOU unless as q tit-fOr-tat speculation.
Anyway. I went and offered her tat to-
dav. purely as a matter of business.
/ Now. Kit tell me all about yourself.
/ So YOU are not going to be married after
AN. I hear2 ] sincerely congratulate
you my dear.
We sat down TO en- Unwholesome sup
[ oh
plum tart Christie's ideas OF catering
I for q guest are unique.
fixed my eyes upon my plate, ana
determined that ] would rather be
burnt alive than let Christie see me
cry.
cd have come to YOU I said calmly,
"b-cause / know that YOU can teach me
how To- lead busy. happy and useful
/ life"
Dear. dear, Is it so bad as that?'
she questioned i'm perturbation. Let
MS haul the table nearer to the fire,
shall we2 This cold is really intense.
Well Kit. We have 70 be very miserable
before we want to be busy and useful
-eh2'
Q was miserable-ro one more So
hut ] syoioally gulped down bread and
cheese and said nothing.
"Neu are such fools, commented
Christie. NO doubt YOU are we'll rid
of bim but slll-mayn't it be rather
pity2
Christie is habitually inconsistent in
harsh Little concentrations Of the
world and her kind Her CO1demna-
tions. therefore. never surprised me.
{ did not look al her. but only shook
my head
Some women Christie warned me,
"cant get on with nothing more salts
flying than q busy useful life. / can
I like fl. but then I am woman of so
who has no hankering after marriage,
and You. Kit are young girl C, one
aud-tweniy who has.
81 haven't" / denied, wrltlfuily;
pushing aside my plate Il wish to
Pa white slave TO no man, and II
won't. J told him So
take some salad suggested Chris
t'a. practically. "or get yourself another
plate and cue the tart. Bottled plums-
they wu1t be acid. bUt if they are, 'ust
cen for sCHe sugar; the girl is sure 10
have some somewhere. Has he jilted
yoU2'
"Juted me-" I cried in opeu-eyed
amazement. "Jilted me9-Tom,'
Hint grunted Christie with a queer
little hard smile. Not very unusual
conduct in q man. is it,
"Tt is very unlike Tom I answered,
as my hand closed on Toms last ieter
living unausWered-i1 my pocket. Why
are you bent on running men down to-
uight2'
Christie very seldom criticises the
steruer seX-she generally leaves them
severe IS alone.
TOMS letter. was burning my fingers;
the letter that pleaded with me in hon
est. manly fashion to le- him come back
10 me- so that ne might plead his own
cause. and teach me to fOrgivev and for
get Whatever faults Tom has, he does
not number sulkiness among them. /
have mo- patience with people who bear
malice. and won't make friends.
think it $50 wrong.
hCvuci az Christie, and promised
myself The pleasure of td.ring up Tom $
letter that very night. lew dared he
expect me To- overlook hiEhateful con-
duct Is a girl to haveVno proper
pr.je2
Chs.sri2-her attention, Wandering
was a6sently-mindly sprl tdns mustard
en- her bread.
"If ft isn't his f1Ult,' she advised
me at last. don't give him up If he
likes YOU and you like him, don't be
"a fool and let happiness slip by you,
just ont of pride.
"Why. Christie I laughed, banter
inelv. you are positively romantic to-
night, And what if it is his fault?'
"Oh. then decided Christie, philo-
s0phically. of course it can't be helped
tfev ALI Kit YOU know your own bust
ness best. Now. how foolish of me!
i've wasted this nice piece of bread;
ms wits have been wool gathering for
me 90 mistake the mustard for butter
Never mind. But even if there is no
way out of &c YOU are fond of him. and
vet have to keep him at arms length
ii won g make it scrap easier for YOU
10 feel that it was his fault more than
YOURS. You will feel 10 just the same
lecaus5-Oh. women are SO unreasOn-
able, Tn little things ! mean-little
things like the love worry Of yours
not in the serious affairs Of life. You
don't agree with me-
l pulled back my chair and went to
sit by the fire. put my hand as if to
shade my face from The heath reality,
I was only hiding from Christie
"I know Of tease. % said Christie, with
abominable cheerfUlness, where the
woman had 90 give up man she was
fidicClously fond of and she never re-
GREETED 't "a" repeated Christi. she
never regretted il.
-Oh!- ! mhrmured Imply. "didnt