The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-09-21

Bifl.
Mrs. Hunter tells me you are from
Vassar. Miss Barton. and | want 20
ask you about Miss North. AS she
20 - vDur class von must know her.
and as your aunt has probably toe
soa, dI4. cngasel u nci
''In that case. Mr.. Towner. you must
know her far better than i, replied
Priscilla. smiling constrainedly.
miss Barton, please don't think II
queer, but / want TO tell you secret
You have been SO kind 20 me. and have
such well almost a sisterly way OF
treating a fellow, IL you will excuse my
saying so, that know you will advise
me what To do. Indeed, IL seems as IL
my meeting you were really provlden-
tial."
Don't you think. Mr.. Townep. that
YOU would much better not tell me.
You see, i am a stranger 10 you. and
I'm a week we shall separate and prob
ably never meet again. and then you
would regert having cOnfded I'm me.
oh, 1 am quite sure you would better
not"
Il know II would seem foolish under
other circumstances. Miss Barton. bur
when I tell you the story you will un-
derstand my anxiety; If you will al
low me?"
He Ieaned eagerly forward and pris-
Taking her silence for consent he be-
gan:
You see. II was this way. I'm an
only child. and I've seen little OF young
people. j had tutor, and never. went
to school until ! came North 10 col
lege. and you can imagine il was rath.
er an ordeal to be thrown suddenly
among so many men. / kept rather
to myself and didn't meet many fell
lows. There was one man there. how
ever, who was very good to me. his
name was Hal Somers''
Priscilla turned her head still farther
away and picked nervously at the
fringe or her steamer rug
one uay' continued Towner. che
brought me the Photograph Of n pretty
girl IL was one OF those soft. rather
indlstmct pictures, like a composite
you Know, only * wasn't one. 1t had
such deep. beautiful eyes. and such n
way or seeming 10 look a fellow right
throush that IL made strange inn
pfessiOn on me. II was of Halls cousin.
a girl at Nassar, Priscilla North. We'll
before knew whore ] was he got me
INTO correspondence with her by
sehdlng messages first. and then notes. E
j never wrote TO a girl before. but III
all girls write as she does they are a
bright set. Why Miss Barton. her let
fers fairly sclntillated, And no two
were alike; there was the charm of II
They were from grave TO gay. from
lively to severe. only all were simnlv
EXQUISITE. No wonder I fell in love
with her. Well. II make long story
short. we became engaged. and then.
naturally | wanted TO see her. And
mere the strange part begins I cannot
meet her! | am never 10 see herr"
That is-rather peculiar" Inurmur
ed Priscilla.
Peculiar. It's unaccountable, she
says she is forbidden to make ac-
qualhtances by her grandfather. with
Wnofh she hves, so | can't go TO tho
coilege. At the end Of the term she
rushes off West--she- lives I'm Wiscon-
SIN. And in vacation she travels, And
mere i am i'm the ridiculous position OF
being engaged to a girl I've never seen
Now, Miss Barton. I beg you TO tell mo
all about her. You know her. OF
course"
Towner leaned his head on his hand
ana gazed earnestly at thu Girl Sbo
slowly turned her eyes from Tho bori
zon and bent them on him with !.
trouDled expression. How Handsome h.,
looked Win that eager facsi. how bie
ndIr curied IN little damp rings about
MS temples. She turned away sorai,,
Mr. Iowner,' she began after a pausa
cahnot say that ! do know Miss
North- II would rather not talk
about II, she ended abruptly
Towner stared at her. "Wbv u.h,.
can you mean?" he said incred,,o,,.,diIt mdt
surely you must know her,Wbat 80, s
lence?" ior your ST.
Priscilla stiM hesftated. Than -.,,a
iehiy turning impetuously TO him sha
sdId, with little gasps between her sem
Mr.. Towner. you Will never no,...
forgive me. but you ought to know tba
truth. ana L suppose must he IN on
20 90, teii you. Hal Somers is my cousin
ahat was composite photoeranb
touched up so IL looked like an ordinar,,
one. And there is no Priscilla Mort n,
We peen dreadfully ashamed of tho
&pa,e & We had IN II all, though IL was
ohly lending half my name. and conv-
ing the letters for the girls so tbev
W0uid all be in one handwriting. After
AL 1 m glad of a chance to end it'
1ont ask you TO forgive me. for I sun
pose you can't but | do want TO saw
m heartily ashamed and sorry
Iowner had turned very whate.
don't understand" he said. SLOWLY
tt iast. "Somers is your cousin. but YOU
lld not write the letters"
lie knew any number of the girls AT
'oHese, but IL was in coming to see
ers." e '''-
How many were i'm this pleasant ar
fahgement?' inquired Towner. in a
hard tone.
only three" replied Priscilla. depre.
'atingly. You see Hal suggested that
you needed to be educated To a knowl-
'uge OF women. and from more than one
slde. Most men know lots Of girls. YOU
see, and you knew none. so th Sc three
SAID they would form a sort OF prism.
ma you should see three sides of the
wig-weibliche. you know"
II do know. indeed" said Towncr.
srimly. Il know more OF womn than |
,ver dreamed"
IL was only school girl trick" |
pleaded Priscilla, ''and we never meant |
% hurt you. We thought you would |
'eally be amused when YOU knew" |
'Amusedl" exclaimed the man. with |
IN unmirthful laugh. "You play with n |
mans best feelings. and expect him 10 |
De amused! Those girls must be speci- |
mems or the new woman ! heard de- |
med the other day. One who had for |
gotten how TO be lady, and not learn |
"a 10 be gentleman"
don't wonder YOU feel So" said |
Priscilla. humby. and then Scrc fell |
! bong silence.
When tho gonu rang fo,. I,,cb.,,, |