Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-01-19

| batch. We had been friends at Cam
| bridge, not perhaps very Intimate, but
with that kind of friendship that con-
sists in loafng III each others rooms
and walking together down 10 the
! boathouse most afternoons. l had
thought of Addison perhaps half
dozen times since L came down from
the Varsity; probably my image had
crossed his mind about as often.
Nevertheless, though L would not
have walked more than half mile for
the pleasure of seeing him, it was
with unaffected cordiality that we
shook hands in Piccadilly the other
day. Chance meetings are always
agreeable, and even to come across an
old enemy is better than nothing. The
pleasantest evening | have spent for
years was after casual encounter
with old Larking, who used to lick
me regularly every day my first term
at schnol
~ course Jack asked me to dinner
1t is the Engishman's custom, when,
having exhausted all the obvious
topics OF conversation, he can think of
nothing else to say. accepted, be-
cause Just then [ was not sorry to get
dinner for nothing. Besides one is
always curious to see the sort of girl
who has cared to throw herself away
upon an old friend.
Jack, it seemed, was now partner in
q factory, and apparently had plenty
OF money. Anyhow, Jack had very
comfortable little house, nicely furn-
lshed, and gave me very fair dinner,
good without being ostentatious. Mrs.
Addison proved to be charming
woman. She was extremely pretty,
with that Irish combination that [
have always thought so effective-blue
eyes and hair rather darker than COM
mon. She was also a lively talker,
without trace of shyness. Jack,
when at college, was the shyest man
L ever knew; but it is a commonplace
that men of this sort always contrive
to secure the best wives. confess
she fairly fascinated me, and we talked
together the greater part of dinner.
When she rose to leave us [ noticed
she wore in her bodice little gold
brooch in the form of bicycle wheel,
with large diamond for the hub. As
l held the door open for her to pass
out asked her, laughingly, if she too
had fallen a victim to the general
craze.
''It is my talisman," she said, with
a smile at Jack "You must ask him
about it. !"
"Hullo" said to Jack when she
had gone, ga romance, ehl Out with
it, old chap"
ut was my wedding present to
her, replied Jack. "The reason why
chose it is long story"
ARMED with cupo coffee-bIack,
( please, and one lump-I can stand
anything" Jack LANDED me the cup,
and began with n preliminary cough.
lit was two years after we came
down" he said, "that | made the ac-
quaintance of the lady who is now my
wife. She was then Miss Trefusis.
and lived with her father, old General
| Trefusis-poor fellow! he died before
we We're married-in retired village
| IN Devonshire. The General was n
good old chap, and won his heart by
/ allowing him to beat me ut golf. The
fact is, had gone down to Devonshire
so as to be near Westward Hol You
remember [ was one of the few men
who were enthusiastic golfers before
it became the rage?"
"Tou got your blue for it, remem-
ber.
"Well-if you call that getting a
blue. Anyhow, Westward Ho! has
always been one of my favorite links,
and there it was that | first met the
old General. can remember as well
as anything the first time saw him.
He had driven off from the seventh
tree, and lost his ball in the rushes.
L was just behind him, playing a
round myself and as he had gone we'll
off the line, and seemed to have no
chance OF getting on to it again, |
thought | might as well play on. I'm
fortunately, as frequently happens in
such cases, l pulled my drive badly,
and landed on a clump of rushes lust
IN front of his nose. l never remem-
Der hearing more violent language in
my life. However, apologized pro-
fusely, and, by curious coincidence,
we found the two balls lying close
together in the same clump. That
pacified him, and as he was also
playing alone we finished the round
together
''rhat was the beginning of quite
an intimate friendship. We got tc
playing together frequently, and a
last he asked me over to dine at hi.
place. 1 had brought my bicycle will
met was one of the good old sort
with tiftysix-inch wheel, you know
and | rode over in the afternoon
carrying my dress clothes in a bag.
saw Dolly that evening for the frs
time, and L need not tell you that
lostno opportunity of seeing her again
Soon it became quite the regular thine
for me to ride over in the morning