The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-10-06

4 nv NV lii5 ulDtOhoiJ, AOi tiiS iStNiiitlSE'
were few, but very young men may be
| relied upon to pass through that stage,
as a puppy does through dlstemper,
And Patmore was only twenty-and-five
years old, and the crabbednes9 of the
surgeon was a fearful warning to him.
That was the first step. The next
was to persuade himself that he loved
Miss Barrett The order ought proper
ly to have been reversed, but he did not
think of that Besides, he Was as suS-
ceptlble to abject alteration as the next
man. And 1t might therefore, have re-
suited in his taking the irrevocable
step, had not purely tmpersonal war
department come to the rescue by re-
moving him and his regiment from the
station, where they had been too long,
to a much more desirable one, the Pa
cific coast
Captain Barrett's troopers went to
the Preside. 1t was the first time In
his experience, which, except for West
Point, had been confined to little mid
die west town, that Patmore had been
near a big city for any length of time.
Life took on a new meaning In his eyes,
and so did love. For he met Miss Tyn-
dali Miss Tyndall was only beautiful
and clever; whereas Miss Barrett was
a nice little thing and good to her
mother and the younger children and
would make a man a good wife. But
Patmore was young and foolish and did
not think Of all that. He had not seen
Miss Tyndal a dozen times before he
was very badly in love with her and did
not care in the least who knew It,
Miss Barrett was the last to do so,
but once knowing 1t, beyond any rea-
sonable doubt, she set him free. There
was quite little scene. She had wept
for days and nights, and the fountaina
Of her tears might we'll have been dry.
But she wept again now. You used
to love me- she told him. II know
you did" Patmore knew otherwise in
the light of the present. you used to
love me, but you don't any more"
Patmore had an uncomfortable feel
Ing that he had not behaved just right
and he protested.
Miss Barrett caught the false ring Of
it and smiled through her tears-a
smile of pity for herself and him. IT'S
no USE she said, ''do you suppose
can't see that you love her? And she
probably loves you. How could she
help it?" She held out an unostenta-
tious little ring to him and her hand
shook painfully. You are free" she
told him. but If you ever come back
to me, ! shall be waiting for you, al
ways
Patmore rather approved of a wo-
mans loving that way. 1t is just as
well for a man to have an anchor-buoy
In some port. But, though he bade her |
keep the ring In token that what he
had given he did not recall, and though |
he went forth from her presence with |
an air of injured dignity which was
calculated to cut her to the heart, his !
relief was so great that 1t was not to be
mistaken. BY way of furnishing him
self for 1t he attended strictly to official
duties and did not pass out of the post
even once, for an entire week. At the
end of the week he went In to see Miss
Tyndall. e
She was curled up in a heap of cuef-
ons, reading a love story in a picture
and she was got up very eff
in a tea gown of pale sky
blue. Miss Tyndall always wore sky
blue. The weekly society sheets, which
Iaid things about her in every other is
'ue, called her the Blue Belle Some
lines the things they said were not al
ogether kind, but she was very nice
,irl for an that; and 1t was nobody's
business, except his and hers If 1t took
most of her fathers moderate salary to
,eep her In fine linen and pale blue.
Tor his part, Patmore, as he sat and
her while she made the tea,
bought that the greatest happiness life
ould hold for any man would be to
lave the right to do just that very
hing. She was all but an angel de-
cended straight from the heavenly
'ault and clothed in it's own hue.
That, at least, was his idea of her;
,ut she was an entirely human young
quite human enough to put
poke In Miss Barrett's wheel If she
we're to get the chance,
"Who was that sweet little girl you
we're with on the Tiburon ferry the 9TH
r day." she wanted to know. She
uddled down among the cushions
gain and raised a daintier hand than
fiss Barrett's to smooth her soft
rown hair
You can call another girl sweet and
tile in a way that makes the praise
cry faint and slamning
Patmore looked uncomfortable as he
Sd her. s
But Miss Tyndall was all interest
Miss Barrett?" she exclaimed; was it {
sally? And you are engaged to her
re you not?"
II was" said Patmore, "but I am l
ot--unfortunately." The 'unfortu- :
ately" was nothing short of heroic
nder the circumstances. He felt that
mself. and also that 1t wiped out sew
al little conscience debts
Miss Tyndall said: ooh, indeed2" :
I'D asked If his tea We're all right.
atmore thought she had a greal deal ,
tact. She supposed that he did, and !.
lie supposed moreover, that she had :.
ored a triumph. But she was not =
intent with that--not until all his :
orld and hers should know that it was V
Patmore was not student of the sex. 6
, he thought it was all his own doing g
I'd idea when he asked her to go with p
IN to the post the next afternoon and r
stem to the band play. For the same
ason he did not think how trying it
lturally must be for Miss Barrett, :
no was wheeling the Youngest brother |