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

enough 10 conceal the fact. The end
Of it was that my little friend Tilted nm
beartlesslv-threw over the man VINO
had for her sake. worked late and
early-proved false TO the lover VINO
for long, weary years had been only
faithful to her. 1t was shameful state
of affairs and their mutual frlenus-
not nnaturally-waxed very indignant
over her pitiless treatment OF a man
for whose love any woman should nave
been only too thankful. She got cut by
a good many people and he married the
girl.
what girl?" I asked, with growing
interest.
THE girl he cared for" answered
Christie. Didn't | tell you that my
friend was not an idiot? She saw how
things were, ald-she has stupid,
owlish fancy that she would like TO
spare the mans feelings, break OH the
engagement, and so leave him free TO
be happy in his own way. His con-
science might have pricked him, you
know, if he had ever guessed that she
knew his secret
What a brute he must have been.
l cried Indignantly. Why Gid he let
himself fall in love with anyone else
The girl was very young, Christie
continued placidly. extremely pretty
and phenomenaly foolish. Just the sort
of a girl a clever man likes-their in
tellects are not so likely to clash.
She helped herself to more tart, and
laughed. But l had my suspicious OF
Christie.
How 60 you know that the woman
never regretted it ALP | questioned
her. How can anyone really know
Christie shrugged her shoulders.
Il judged by her manners she re-
piled. Il was chummy with her then.
and we are thicker friends than ever
now. She always laughs when she
speaks about it, and she can feel sorry
for them both-silcerely sorry. Two
sure signs that she is cured, don't you
think so? The man has tired OF the
girl because he has discovered that she
never had it in her to care one rap Tor
him: to his intending surprise he found
that he had been married because ne
was a rising man. and good-match.
NIaDlike. he was astouished and annoy
eG at finding a mere woman where MS
imagination had set up a saint. Men, as
l said before, are such fools!
Then you think l asked tremu-
louslv. that without Tom, II shall be
happy too ,
But Christie, all at once, wazed
snappish.
i don't" she denied q never said
en- Oh how dense you are. orwell,
pArhaps. l am. | don't know. / never
advise anyone: why should |? | go
nv own way. ald please myself III
everything. | am reasonable enough
10 exepct everyone to do the same.
Then | made an idiot of myself be-
fore Cbristie's very eyes; oh, 1t was
Illuminating. But she soothed me- COM
forted NE. cried with me-has anyone
so many sides TO her rugged little ma
ture az Christie-then rounded on me
with smart scolding, and packed me
off to bed.
Nov. generally I sleep Ike top and
Christie knows IT, But that night-be-
cause was nervous and varied, l sup
rose-I awakened with a start just as
christie was talking Christina Dalton to
sleep.
Tvavned drowsily. made sure that Toms
letter was still beneath ~ pillow, and
was Just succUmbing to the soothing IN
Guouce of my hostess monotorous muir
murings. when
so stupid and forsetful Of me. or
course. the point of the story was all
AGAINST her. and in my selhshness I went
laundering on. and-yet how could l veer
.Ts.f, nd
sorry? II had to be done: no one could
hold a person to repeuted-of promise nut
well. nothing seemed to make it easier
for me nothing ever will. If only they
got on better. poor souls! If l was a re-
rgious woman I could pray for them. but
I'm not good: I'm just a soured. discon-
tented cd hag. When he
Christie" I cried, softly, ARE you
awake?"
'I was just thinking, Kit called back
Christie. airi'y. "aud 1 have come to the
conclusion that perhaps my chum isn't so
happy as she pretends. She always was
"a bit of humbug. now | come to think of
it. Of course. if she is fool enough to care
still. she is not to be pitied, but If you
can. Kit, without loss Of dignity, you
know. make it up with Tom, perhaps it
would be as WE'LL
IF were that woman" I said slowly,
and with emphasis-my heart was sure,
so sure. for Christe-"I should want to
kill that girl
Would you?' she queried. genial'y'
would you. really. Oh, 1 believe she is
a charming little creature, Now that you
suggest 1t. Kit, l suppose ii would be more
natural for my friend to hate her. but
oh. we'll you see the little woman is un-
usually eccentric: quite a crank i'm fact
Ny poor Christie, Christie. who, after
long years Of waiting, had nothing left for
her but to gather up the broken threads OF
Christie was up and out Of the house
before l was dressed. She was rather
cross with me. seemed worried. and said
she was in too great a hurry TO wait for
any breakfast. Christie never takes care
of herself. and there is no one to take care
of Christie-no one to bother herself
whether she eats or starves whether she
is sick or we'll So she put the breakfast
into the fender to keep hot for me and
went out fasting.
And I-se,hsh wretch that 7 apl-ran into
the little dining room to write my tele-
gram. Ike Christie. 1 was In too great
a hurry. too glad and miserable. reproach-
full and repentant. all in one BREATH
found myself making an abj6ct donkey of
myself i'm Toms arms.
"You have Gomez" / sasped. You have
not married any one else? oh, Tom-Tom
dear Tom, last night I made up my
mind that YOU were deadr'
Little goose" whispered Tom. his dark
mustache tickling her ear. you can't
trust me much if you thought 1 should
marry another girl and die Of the shock