The Princeton union., 1899-04-27

s99.
cheered by Mrs. Millicent's sympathy
and words Of encouragement.
oh, you big. handsome silly fell
low'' she thought when he left her.
You think you're so miserable, and
you'll go to sleep the minute your head
touches the pillow" But she. who had
really known trouble. lay awake half
the night thinking Of many things
Her guests came after a few days,
and they really were nice and very
pretty too Gerald saw them daily,
and before the month was over he was
madly in love with Miss Sherlock
that is, he didn't call it ''madly' to
himself. He felt sure that Kittie had
broken his heart in the most unfeeling
manner and that he would never feel
again as be had felt toward her But.
after all, life went on He was not
especially happy, and here was charm
ing, congenial girl who made him hap
pier whenever he met her. Why couldn't
he make the sensation permanent in
stead of so intermittent So he reasoned.
and so one night, when he and she
were alone together, he reached over
and took her hand. =:
She drew it away with frightened
little manner that staid the words on
his lips
II beg your pardon he said simply
| riv no f171
held out her hand to him. the color
warm in her cheeks.
eyes" she said with little gasp,
II do not always wear them, but this
one I ought to-I should''- She falter-
ed and stopped. ..
His face was crimson. "You mean
eyes, it is my engagement ring
She spoke with a sort of tumultuous
energy, as if each word had gathered
itself for leap.
There was a short, awkward silence
''Do you think that's fair2" he blurt-
ed out at last
II don't understand you.
Eyes, you do. You know what was
going to say. You stopped me with
this. Don't you think your confession
is little late2''
"How could know? How dared
imagine such things? Do you think a
girl believes every man she meets will
fall in love with her unless she wears q
danger signal? never dreamed-]
never suspected-I hope now it ISM
true" The tears rose in her honest
eyes, and the sight of them gave Gerali
the first real pang he had felt.
"Never mind," he said with sor
of pathetic dignity. II dare say it's my
fault. I'm good deal of fool -
"And you'll believe. " she said, look
ing at him with sorry, shining eyes.
= II shall believe nothing but good O
you"
! He raised her hand to his lips an,
kissed it.
A good woman is very apt to exag
+ gerate the pain she gives a man by re
fusing him. She measures his grief b
her capacity to love some one else an
finds his loss great and terrible. AS
). matter of fact most men have been re
n fused at one time or another, and yer
Q few Of them have been blighted in th
= process.
5 This girl, for instance. cried a goo
y deal ovef her carelessness and heartles:
ness. She felt deeply remorseful fe
what she had done. But Gerald boz
!. the blow with composure and withor
is any bitterness whatever
% Of course he did not go to Mrs Mi
- licent's so often until after her gues
e. had departed; but then he fell into h
II old ways Of dropping in to see her, {
listening to her singing, Of taking hi
to drive. She soothed him and reste
> him. She began to seem to him the or
4. woman in the world who never exa
~ perated.
w One night he told her he loved he
y He made the confession a little shyl,
- for she had always treated him with
=. certain matronly kindness, as if 81
~ were very much older than he.
y She did not answer for some time
- = so long, in fact. that he became vel
y uncomfortable Then she said slowly
~ ~ 'How long have you cared for m
Gerald?'
,. "Ever since have known you."
- answered promptly.
~ She looked at him in amazement.
:. "Oh," he added hastily, II suppo
~ you are thinking Of Miss Sherloc
J Yes, did like her,
"And told her so?'
eyes, told her so
80 'But that was only month ago. I"
81 know it.
ne nc Their eyes met in the silence that fl
~ ~ lowed, and then they both laughed.
ne ''But, Gerald" she said, looking
=. him straight from under those lev
- eyebrows, "this is not laughing ma
ter
II know it's not, he said penitent]
''Before you met Miss Sherlock we
not you fond of some one else2'
eyes; that was Kittie. was engag
to her."
"And before Kittie7'
he II don't think this is fair, Mrs. M
an 1;oor+ Voo fboro xr,ovo o%l,o,, I,of~