The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-10-22

manner which made him popular with
men and women alike. He stood over
six feet, had fair hair and blue eyes, and
an athletic frame in which grace and
strength were equally apparent.
Bertha, while appearing to share the
general admiration for him, never
seemed quite at ease in his presence,
and it was perhaps this evident con-
straint whenever he was present which
led my father to chaff me pleasantly one
evening after dinner by saying:
Charlie, my hoy. you had better not
let your bird of paradise remain un-
ragged much longer, or some one else
may catch it," And then the dear old
fellow laughed and winked at me mys-
teriously, as though he were quite in
the know.
l think it was the presence of Royal
Phelps and many suggestive hints about
his devotion to Bertha which finally de-
termined NE to put to the test my
chance of happiness with her.
1t was bright and lovely day in
June, ard large party had assembled
upon the spacious lawn in front of our
bungalow as my father always called
his house. Bertha had never seemed to
me so fair, so altogether worthy of my
love and my life. Early in the after
noon, for she had come before the rest,
10 aid us in arranging for our numerous
guests, l had seen her color rise as
made some slight remark about her APP
pearance, and as our hands met l
thought hers tremIbled. Was it my
Imagination? Or was she, too, like me,
longing to acknowledge her love?
Il shall not be with you long, Bertha"
said, hoping thus to prepare the way
for my proposal. Il shall be leaving
for Hong Kong within month to take
up my appointment"
Yes, yes, Charlie, have heard it all
from father; he says you passed your
exams with flying colors. l am so
glad"
Glad! glad of the fate which ban
lshes me from England, and from"
But she did not let me finish the SEN
tence.
mo, of course not that; it will be
nwfully lonely without you, and the
old place won't seem like itself a bit;
but still, you're a man, and you have got
to make your name and way in the
world, and I'm glad that you are making
so good start"
Il could look forward to my life in
the east, Bertha, dear, with a great
deal more joy if the prospect were not
so lonely" Bertha's eyes fell before
my ardent gaze, and fancied that her
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end to the tension we were both under.
when rollicking voice broke in upon
us:
"Ah! here you are, Bertha! What.
and Charlie, too! All! l hope l am
not de trop. Shall come again? Ha.
hal" and Royal Phelps laugh rang out
clear and loud. but with touch of
cynicism in its ring.
Not for the world" replied Bertha,
crimsoning to her hair; " we were just
arranging the games for the day, and
now you can help u.s." And so the
golden moment passed, and the word
had been longing to speak remained
unspoken then, and alas! remained un-
spoken for many bitter years.
Tennis. and gossip, and tea, and
laughter, and merrymalking soon sped
the afternoon. l had succeeded with
the aid of Bertha's cousin, Eva Win
throp, in beating Royal and Bertha at
tennis, and had then given myself to the
duties of hospitality.
AT last, however, found myself free.
and went in search of Bertha, resolved
to endure my uncertainty no longer.
approached the library window, and
had almost entered the room when
heard Bertha's voice. 1t was clear and
cold and positive:
"No! 1 have told you how impossi-
BILE it is. l should wrong you and my
self. cannot marry you, because
do not love you'll"
1 was about to beat hasty retreat
from my false position when Royals
words chained me to the ground:
Its for that proud brute, Charlie,
I suppose, I'm thrown over! Oh! well,
take him; but, curse him, I'll"
"You forget yourself; have not sale
love another, certainly have not said
1 love Charlie. We are old friends, that
is all. nothing more. He is no more to
me than you"
But 1 could stay to hear no more.
and with heart beating I gained my
own room, and hid my grief from the
curious eyes about me. And so this
was the end: He is no more to me
than you" Oh! cruel words! And
I-ah! there, to me she was more than
all the world beside.
Governor, if you don't mind, I think
I'll spend the next few weeks in Lon
don. I've a good deal to do before sail
ing. and if you will run up with me we
can be pretty much together until /
leave"
"All right, my boy, shall be delight
ed; but thought-ah, well, never mind
what thought. shall be ready when
ever you are"
And so the next day we slipped away
to town, l leaving a brief note for
Bertha, saying hoped to see her again
before sailing, though knew full well
) that should not dare to see her with
those words still ringing in my ears:
"He is no more to me than you'll"
will not dwell on the days my dear
old father and myself spent together in
: London. They were the last I ever
spent with him. He died three months
! after l left England. We were as
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