The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-10-06
SELECTED STORY.
The Two Lovers.

Daubly. Jubt DeCdueo VIC hhNo huOWu
each other 80 long is not the least rea-
son in the world why you should pre-.
sumo to dictate to me as to my friend
ship. It's mean of you"
Jim sorry, Mabel" replied Jim
Todd, humbly, "but l was only think.
ing of you, and l don't like Reginald
Bulwer, and"
She cut him short with scornful lit
tie laugh.
81 am sorry / cannot be guided by
your likes and dislikes. but if papa does
not object to my knowing Mr.. Bulwer,
don't see why you should take me to
task"
"No," replied Jim YEARLY, 81 don't
know why should; only not 30 very
long ago you never used to snub me
when ventured an opinion upon any
subject, even upon your acquaintances.
II seems things have altered"
Mabel Courthope made no reply to
the remark, and after glancing once
into her face, Jim babe her goodnight,
and refusing the half-hearted invita-
ton to him to "come in for half an
hour, as papa would be 30 glad to see
you," made his way to his solitary lodg-
ing.
Things had changed considerably, he
reflected, in the past six months-how
much he had scarcely realized until
this very evening. And it was all ow-
ing to an individual of whose existence
he had been entirely unaware until
some time after Christmas.
He had been happy in the love that
had grown up within him from the day
when he had first met Mabel Court
hope. He could have sworn that it had
been reciprocated until Reginal Bull
wer appeared on the scene. Then
things changed. Unfortunately, he ad-
mitted there was only too much reason
for the change. Bulwer was every
thing he was not. Bulwer was rich,
handsome and an aristocrat. Jim was
poor, plain and plebeian, and when
he reckoned up the advantages which
lay in his rival, Jim Todd groaned in
spirit, but it was not until the week be-
fore Henley that they were finally shat
tered.
He had called in the hope of per.
suading Mabel to 60 with him to Hen
ley on the final day of the regatta, and
had been met with the information that
she had already accepted an invitation
to spend week there with party of
Bulwer's friends on house boat. 1t
was the bitterness of the disappointed
hope which made him voice the dis
like which he felt instinctively for
Bulwer, and led to the quarrel,
the first quarrel he had ever al
lowed himself to be drawn into with
Mabel Courthope. 1t only added to
his detection to perceive in the last
backward glance he cast toward the
girl that che already seemed to have
forgotten him. Another had occupied
the post he had vacated; and Mabel,
as she leaned over the fence, was too
intent to give him another look.
Yet Mabel Courthope was not alto
gether at ease with herself. She liked
Jim immensely, and, until the advent
of Reginald Bulwer, had fancied her.
self in love with him. But when Bull
wer appeared, Jim was eclipsed COM
pletely. 1t fattered the girls vanity
to receive the attentions of the dark,
handsome man. None of her girl
friends could boast of such a sutton,
and half the pleasure she found in his
society was due to the envious chances
of her feminine acquaintance. Be-
sides, at the most, jim would be able to
offer her suburban home, while Regi-
possibilities. She was 80 sick of the
suburbs, she told herself, and the
holder, freer life of Mayfair seemed to
be opening its doors to her. She &C
cepted implicitly all Bulwer had told
her of the society which seemed 30 far
away from BriXton, and his position in
the land of promise. She wondered
and became tremulous with delight at
his batteries, when he told her that
among its queens there was none to
compare with her when he limited at
his hope that he soon might venture to
ask her to accept her right position
among them. Yet when she turned
her thoughts for while from the daz-
zling future of her dream something
very like regret was apt to crop up in
her mind. Jim was not brilliant, but
he was very tender. He had no great
circle or aristocratic friends, but he
had rather die than give her moments
pain. Like most girls of twenty with
pair of lovers, she was veritable bun
uIc VI luueClelOu' Duc udu uO bOOueT
accepted an invitation to spend the
week at Henley under the chaperonage
of lady friend OF Bulwer's than she
began to regret that jolly day which
she knew she would have had in Jim's
company. However, she had decided,
and when she set out for Henley, on
a cloudless July morning, her regrets
were not sufficient to pucker her fair
brow in the slightest degree.
There was no doubt but she made a
very attractive picture, and Reginald
Bulwer could not help being proud of
his companion. Many keen inspec-
ton was made of the pair, and more
than once an audible comment reached
the girls ears.
"Bulwer again. wonder who that
little girl ISL" she distinctly heard one
man say, as they embarked at the land
ing stage. But the remark conveyed
nothing to her mind, for she was far
too busily engaged in noting the life
and hustle around her to spare thought
for anything else.
Mabel had been on the river often
enough, but Henley was new to her,
and when the full brilliance of the
scene became clear to her dazzled eyes