The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-17
A SPRING BLIND.
by Chcstncy Macarthur.

ITO tell you the truth, old fellow,
never understood why, with your capac-
ity FOR domestic employment, You re-
manned an old bachelor. You never seem
so happy as when you are in the middle
of crowd OK yOungsters-m mine. Tor IN
STANCE
1ney we're walking together from the
suburban railroad station. maurice
Bean the happily m1rIied man, Was real
ly q year or Two lue younger, out, 10
Judge by outward appearances. MS bach
elor companion, Jef Guthrie, would have
been taken for Beans equal in age WIN
I'm a year. Perhaps the lightness of
Beans hair and beard, in contract with
Guthries black growth, that had already
begun to show streaks OF gray NJ tnlr-
ty-three, might have accounted Tor thls-
perhaps not
Guthrie looked round sharply at this
remark Of his friend. Why Maurice,
he said "do you mean 10 tell me that
i'm an these years you haven't found not
found out the answer 10 that question.
Il do mean to say it, If you ask me-
Strange! / don't talk about II 10 most
people But yOu-hOw much farther have
we got TO walk 90 your homer Three
quarters Of mile ehP Well, then,
there's time 10 make you my conhdant
before We reached your front door. It's
a secret, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF my Sc
crets that you aressworn to guard with
Il swear!' said Bean in mock tragedy
tones.
guess" Guthrie went on, smiling to
himself, rather sadly.
Early disappointment I'm lover
Guthrie nodded But not I'm quite the
conventional way he added i vowed
10 marry her or not at all, and-she-'
lust al that moment the spring roller
blind of a house that faced directly on
the sidewalk flew up with a sudden
BRITT and snap. Both the men
looked round, and ootn were just IN lline
to catch sight OF q remarkably pretty
girls face with q pOut OF YeXahon Oh il:
The blind had evidently slipped out OF
her fingers and rolled Itself up when II
was not asked to. seeing that sne was
girl busied herself eagerly with the task
of netting the refractory blind under
controL lin a moment It went down again
with a run TO within few inches OF It's
"Vbo is that grip" Guthrie aslzel
"I'm afraid | don't know her. old fell
low" said Bean. 'Snes q very pretty
girl / should saw we IL ask my wire
when we get home Now 80 on with your
secret"
you haven't any idea who lives in that
INC NO haven't. Oh, by the way, !
think | do know. Unless I'm mistaken,
that's old Calth0rpe place He's TEL
low commuter OF mine, ana mat ABOUT
the fun extent Oh our GCquaintaIce ou'
she isn't the young laoy OF your secret
That's Just It," said Bean. with a
puzzled expression. She can't be, ana
yet that face, for me inoinehI, iookeu-,,
Like her? Was her name Calthorpe?'
"No. Her name was Sargent"
How long ago was IL
"Seven wears Don't you remember
| when l went TO Pen5RsyNanla that time
"Well one of the few things l happen
10 know about Old Calthorpe." said
| Bean laughing, "is that he comes from
| Rhode Island. So,
| "Oh, no, no. puthile interrupted.
The two walked on In silence for some
Ut isn't a long story," Guthrie pres
| entity continued. she taught school
therein that far away little Village
among the hills and the mines. I was in
terested i'm her from the first, and tried
10 win my way into some sort OF ac-
abundance with her. But che seemed
| disinclined to anything Ike society"
You didn't stay there more than n
wear altogether did your Bean asked
"AIuch less than a year. / never ex-
changed more than six words with her
In 'all the time we were both !n that
Village. Don't laugh at me, Maurice.
You didn't suspect me Of being SO ro-
mantle. did ycu? She died"
"There?'
Yes there. Somehow, the sadness OF
II struck deeply into me-and now; this
girl -"
lis this girl very much like Miss sar-
Rent?"
$50 much like that II would be re-
markabie even II they We're twin sisters
(Which. OF course, is impossible" said
Bean.
"A twin sister of hers would be nearly
thirty by this time
And the young woman al the blind IS
not more than nineteen, | should t,,dos
IL is curious. though
Guthrie's visits 70 the home Of his
married friend were all much alike In
n~n very nleasant featpreNNha am IN. w
rompsd with two out of three children.
while the youngest-,the baby-looked on
and crowed and jerked itself about on,
viously. The girl, Allie-edest az the
three-had long ago Appropriated Guthrie
so far as 10 change his own rama ~ lev
FOR Ed. This she had done because II
was confusing TO her Ia the games az
rOmps over which she presided in an