The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-23
A LOVE AFFAIR.
Tender Communications Interrupted ny tho
Appearance of Twenty-Odd Rivals.

Tender Communications Interrupted ny tho
Appearance of Twenty-Odd Rivals.
Frankly. this Is a love story. a love story in
sipidly sentimental, fiat account Of the most
barefaced affection between two young people
of opposite seXes-nn affection nnreleved by
the slightest co1uetry. undstufbed ny any
parental interference and undismayed by the
evident fact that marriage will not be possible
to either of the pair for years to come.
1t Is an unusual case in that way. but Miss
Margaret is an unusual young lady. especially
in affairs OF the heart. She Ia plumply positive
in her likes and her dslkes. and she ex-
presses either always unreservedy She has
been known to receive young man with
a GOODNESS which he demanded should be ex-
planned. And abe explained 1t simply with: Il
don't like your face" In her mothers pres
ence once, she walk ed over to n visitor who had
had not been introduced to her and sat herself
frankly on his knee. smiling the most opon ad-
miratlon. When she was asked to explain her
action. she replied: He's nice"
Her meeting with Master BERTHE was OF
piece with that. He was visiting with her
next-door ncighbor for the summer months.
and he came out on the lawn one fateful
morning with a sugar stick and a book OF
pictures when Miss Margaret and her doll were
watching the gardener cut the grass. He also
watched the gardener. till Miss Margaret.
having decided that he was nice" conde-
scended to relieve his evident curiosity.
He is cutting the grass" she explained
sweety and when he has 1t all cut he waters
1t and makes 1t grow again. 80 that he can cut
II again"
Master BERTHE looked at the gardener with
now wonder. Then he look ed at Miss Marga-
ret. She returned his gaze demurely. 1t was
love at first sight" Within five minutes they
were sitting on the veranda steps. with their
heads together over the picture book. each
niobling share OF the sugar stick. And Miss
Margarets piece was the larger as was proper.
Between bites he explained the pictures. re-
ferrng occasionally to the printed common
tary when his memory was at fault.
1t must be understood that Master BERTHE
was a hot house plant. He had never seen his
bare feet pnstercd with healthy mud. and he
had been taught that the whole duty Of a boy
was to keep his pretty clothes carefully un-
spotted. Fate had denied him a brother, and
his parents had denied him playmate among
his neighbors But Master BERTHE, being sOli
tary. had discovered the consolation OF so-
tude. his imagination: and it was this aston
ishng faculty that won the first admiration OF
She discovered that he knew more about the
Htorics in the picture book than the author of
them. When there was a castle in the back
II what room Of it the Princess WAS immured.
He could picture the ogre, who was her Jacr,
and he described every article OF the gold and
silver furnishings 81 the palace with realistic
detail tn, that made Miss Margaret see the ordii
to silver tlligree and cloth Of g2d ,,o t,o
the the ii"odgates Of his contidence. before the the
book was finished they had attnined TO such
sticky fingers on her handkerchief You
have forgotten yours shc, said.
Boys never have them, he explained.
She Thought the matter over She said.
You can always borrow mine"
That was so dclicatey put that his masculine
obtuseness quite overlooked its meaning. 1t
was Miss Margarcts surrender.
When hat @ MI Miss Mar
gHret deserted the rough youngsters with
learned to storm block forts with battalions q
cavalry and at tho next cannon balls, TO make
siege guns OF tho rithy elderberry bush and to
with domnoCs tor. gravcstones When she
vas promoted to the, game Of imprisoned
princess she had nirendy GeSome Than
the mSsnipulator Of the he Frinso could nnnder;
the fourth rspet fS Of that
she insisted that the Prince should die Of his
ogre, and leave the Princess to weep out her
youth beside his tomb. Master BERTHE could
They compromised by agreeing to give tho
guest %anhoyd ending third tme
Princess, ' china do ior the faded N6aTs
wife, shaped like cIothespin., whom he had
used hitherto as the imprisoned Beauty
Their friendship ripened with the constant
Intimacy Of these games, ~ Master Bortic
Of side veranda to cal GOOD morning
through the TindoT to his LADY 6i"rG In% nad
to eat stewrd corn. dish Of which she was
ENORMOUSLY fond because he had t9ld her that
for his departure she gay" him The choicest Of
her handkerchi"fS, worked with her mono
gram in pale blue silk. picture Of herself in
She would write him every day He gave her
nobody hut themselves knows what And her
her left cheek always to the bedtime kisses.
with his departure her troubles began, He
He PROMISED fnlthinlly to send one in, his
earliest letter He discovered. on searching
incOnsuicuousy But sometime in the carly
the members Of his class. and he stood notably
in the front rank of the thirty Tour young peo-
pS WHO n%f beer tRG
and his, vanity had Just punishment.
For, by a rare misfortune Master Rertle's
girls. and Mis- Margaret was confronted. when
she gaZed upon the picture, with the tri;
In tiers about him. She c0nlded in her father
He argued with her. He tried to explain that
u thrre ,hau bcch only one young laiS with
cause for jealousy; that the mere fact of there
being twenty
II WINS useless. She listened. hut she kept
rueiu eye on the rows OF prnatores. Finally
she hid the photograph behind the bookcase,
and went out to sit on the lonely steps Of the
vrranda.
Well" ne asked her why don't You write
to him about il 2" She answered primly Il
w9nldn let him know cared. Of course"
The affair is still in that stage OF incom-
pletencss. But" her ia Their says. IF Master
Berthe does not receive a letter that will keen
him awake a fortnight, puZzlinR for an expla-
nation Of the neXplicable feminine. shall no
longer put faith in herediIy"