The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-09-15

not pining. she was only a little alb
sent-minded, little dreamy.
Her younger sisters with their re-
spective suitors appropriated the re-
ception room and the back parlor,
and she was forced to receive Egbert
in the library under parental surveil-
lance. 1t was clear that her relatives
regarded Egbert as Of little more i'm
portance than the family cat.
Financially he is quite able to
support Grace" said Ruth Carder to
her husband.
"And personally he must be" re-
marked that individual, "else why
should he haunt her ?"
"Why does he behave SO queerly,
Tom"
Because he's chump a verita-
BILE irredeemable, answering chump.
A fellow who dogs a girls footsteps
for years at stretch, and can't pluck
up courage enough to marry her,
ought to be put in the nearest orphan
asylum, and fed on sterilized Cruel. :"
Grace was frequent visitor at the
Carder's attractive home. Their lit
tie boy was beautiful child and his
sister fully merited the appellation
bestowed upon her by her partial sire
of "Papa's Pigeon Plum" Grace,
who was fond of children, was an i'm
mense favorite with both, and in her
aimless, cherries life she frequently
found herself wishing that she could
adopt just another sweet baby as the
pigeon plum. What pleasure it was
to watch her in the morning bath.
Looking at Ruth's kindling face as
she bent over her child it seemed to
Grace's quick fancy that the morning
mist and freshness of infancy were
literally absorbed by the mother,
sleeping her in the dew of perpetual
youth. How else could Ruth's rosi-
ness and dimples be accounted for?
Grace went home and looked in the
glass at her resigned-looking features,
and her empty, yearning eyes. 81
believe / am starving on sentiment,
she said, land Ruth, who is just my
age, is fattening on substance.
AS one grows older the years have
a fashion of accelerating their pace.
Grace greeted her 34th birthday with
dull surprise and distinct melancholy.
What had become OF her youth ?
Only the other day as it seemed she
had wished to be engaged forever.
What was All engagement Merely
a promise. What waSan unfulfilled,
never-to-be-fulilled promise? A
mockery, counterfeit and sham.
April truly is the most enchanting
month of the twelve, but she who
wishes to Observation-Disclosures :..,s.sf,
nes qes. complain 81 the aPSsnfs n LA.
her heart ached bitterly. This then
was what it was like to be loved not
we'll but too wisely.
An injured feeling toward Egbert
began to take definite shape in her
mind. If he would only give her
some grievance she could show resent
ment, and in the inevitable reconcile
alton this terrible lukewarmness
might be raised nearer to the matri-
monial standard. But Egbert was
perfection. He never bored her jeal-
ousy. He worshiped the ground un-
der her feet, but apparently did not
worship it sufficiently to wish to call
it his own. She fell into miserable
musings over stories of lovers who,
from bashfulness or straitened cir
cumstances, pursued the object OF
their affections through long, tame,
tiresome 1ifetimes, and died old bache-
lors at last.
Apart from the sense of wasted and
thwarted years came the feeling, SC
unbearable to a proud nature, that
she was in a most undignifed posi-
ton. She was neither free, nor mar
ried, nor expecting to be married
People began to look at her with
curiosity not unmixed with contempt
1t was really very strange that a wo-
man of her traditions and social posi-
ton should permit weak dangler tc
usurp her time and thoughts for
half score of years. Why didn't
she turn him off? Grace had secret
ly thought of this method of reliev'
ing her discomfort. But it is mo-
easy to break away from old habit:
and associations.
One afternoon Mrs. Carder, having
left the nursery for few minutes
returned to find her friend with thu
youngest pigeon plum in her lap, ant
tears on her cheeks.
Look here, Grace" said Ruth
"do you know what people are say
ing about you and Mr.. Mallory"
"N-no," faltered Grace.
"They say what say that yo1
have wasted the best part of you
life in pathetic loyalty of piece Of
of don't know what, that ha
taken ten years in which to conside
whether it wants you or not, an
hasn't found ont yet."
Grace deposited the sleeping lum
with careful gentleness in his crib
and uplifted blazing face. 81
isn't true p she cried.
Everyone says it is, and they sa
and / say that if you had turned hir
out of doors nine years ago you woul
have made man of him, and lei
yourself free to marry one of three
four others who were dying to hav
you then, and have been forced t
content themselves with what the
could get since"
"It isn't true p declared Grae
again and she fed home to escape tt
sound Of the hateful words. So tn
was the result of her whim. Peopl
were despising him and pitying he
All if they only knew him as 81
did, So manly, so chivalrous, $
true. Such tower of strength whe
she was weakest, such personhc
ton of refinement when all the wor
beside seemed coarse and crude. 81
/ 4 4 IL