, 1897-03-12

sCu dhu SOu line NH, uOU [ Dg "A rnl
and let happiness slip by YOU. lust GU
of pique."
Why, Christie" laughed bantering
ly. you are positively romantic tonight
And what II it is his faultor
"Oh, then" decided Christie milo
sophically. of course it can't be helm
ed. After all, Kit, you know YOUR owl
business best. Now, how foolish of me
I've wasted this nice piece of bread. m,
wits have been wool-gathering for IN
to mistake the mustard for butter. Neve
mind! But even il there is no way gu
of it, you are fond Of him, and yet hav,
TO keep him at arms length, it won
make ii a scrap easier for you to fee
that 1t was his fault more than yours
You Will feel ii just the same because
oh. women are so unreasonable! In lit
tie things. | mean-little things lik,
this love worry OF yours-not in tn,
serious affairs OF life. You don't agre,
with me?"
pulled back my chair and went tc
sit by the fire. | put my hand as il tc
shade my face from the heat-in reality
was only hiding from Christie.
Il know Of a case" said Christie witt
abominable cheeriness. where the wo.
man had to give up a man she was ridi-
culo,sly fond of, and she never regret
ted it. No." repeated Christie. nOddjne
her head convincingly, she never re-
GREETED it,"
oh" | murmured limplv: '.d;dn't
she? Why?"
well, it was like this" Christie ex-
planned. eating the tart as if she really
liked it: this woman was engaged for
years and years to a man she was ab.
surd enough to sincerely care for He
was clever and book-wormy, so ia
please him-to make herself worthy of
him. she said-she became clever ton
| She worked all day. half the night mo,
because she liked il. but because he had
a fancy that when he was well enough
off 10 marry he would like his wife to
be on an Intellectual plane with himself,
After years and years-gooduess knows
how lopg-she did tell me but T am an
bad at figures,-she made n name FOR
herself, by-oh, by some work she did:
and he made enough money to be able
to offer a comfortable home But il
never came 70 ANYTHING. he was too hon.
orable TO ask for his release. but he WINS
| thoroughly tired OF her. and she. being
no fool. found this out. She was old
ish then. and the work which she had
lone for his sake had given her wrin-
kles ard taken away any traces OF come
illness she ever had. He had unite cons
ed to delight in feminine intellectually.
and was not quite clever enough to con-
ceal he fact. The end of ii was that
my little friend tilted him hear,lesslv-
| threw over the man who had. for her
sake, worked late n earlv-proyed
false TO The lover who for long weary
years had been only faithful to her. 1t
was a shameful state of affairs. and their
mutual sriends-not observation-disclosures
ed very indignant over her pitiless
treatment of a man for whose love anv
woman should have been only too
thankful. She got cut by a good many
people. and he married the girl"
What girlo" asked. with growinp
interest.
The girl he cared for" answered
| Christie. Didn't | tell YOU that nv
| friend was not an IDIOT She saw how
| things were, and-she had a stunid
owlish fancy that she would like II
spare the mans feelings. break off tbe
engagement, and so leave him free tc
be happv in his own way His con.
| science might have prjcked him Won
know. ii he had ever Guessed thar sbs
knew his secret"
.Wha1 a bruIe he mns, have baanr"
cried Indignantly ..Whv did he Ia,
himself fall in Iowa with INV ons also .
THE girl was very vounr" Christie
continued nIacidlv ..exiramalv nratrv
and nbenomenalIv foolish Just tbe
SORT of girl n clever man ljkes-,beir in.
rellpcts arc pot G, like,v n c,,sb,,
She belped herself IN mora tar, and
launched Rut 7 Ind nv snsnic,ons of
Christie,
"How do Won know tb,, ba woman
never regretted If allo" ouestioned
her "How can ,nv ona re,llv Lnow o.,