Daily camera., 1901-05-20


;ngtnr ~crrnn bec,me. rs ? r.oat.
penrnncc. the vcritah'n rs- ~ nj
the haraso,nc. c:ll and bored Mi.s
Orafa WaAarh. ii'.e girl bad re,d.
Travelled and seen life: and she had
brains as wtll as millions. The
woods. the penitcntial season and
the thick stupidity OF the house par
ty were all in his favor: but for days
the western heiress let him make
wild love to her with no more re-
sponse than vishnu gives to his nut
brown worshiper. Fire and Ice can
not mingle unless one melts or the
other goes out. The man at length
grew piqued. He put on an extra
sprint and made time over the senti-
mental track that smashed even his
own record. But Miss Wabash re-
mained provodngly cold.
Then old Checkmar, the widower
bore OF the house party, began to
pace him. Rich and In the set he
was; but his money was . mite in
the girls eyes, and his devotion evil
IDENTIFY bored her. So again the pride
Of the practical sprinter nerved the
racing Rcggy; and one day, in the
damp and unreasonable but quite re-
mote summer house, he felt that he
had Tapped the leader and was at
least running neck and neck.
Rebellious thought, however, would
fly TO Grassville; pair OF black eyes
and pair Of blue peered at him
over Miss Orada's polished shoulders,
and he longed for the touch Of two
vanished hands and the sound of two
voices distance-stilied. Did Daisy love
him? Doubtless. he believed; and
Maymye, also. But which the most.
and, more to the point, for which did
he care most?
But, then, Miss Wabash was Of the
set. her fortune vast, and that morn
ing had showed she was not all ice.
"By Jove! I'll make test of all
three" he said aloud, ''There's time
by Saturday. and I'll stand the spin
of the roulette ball"
An hour later he Peread two long,
scrvent and beseeching epistles. They
were identical In thought and word
and dotted |, save that in one each
tender adjective prefixed the name
OF Daisy. and in the other the tender
little Maymye. Then. with nervous
hand. he dashed of two superscrip-
tions, enveloped both epistles and
went to bed.
After the late mail of Saturday
Miss Wabash sat on the sunny end
Of the piazza, absorbed in q bulky
package ii had brought. 4 little later
she strolled slowly down the path to
the neglected summer house.
An hour later-only little while
before the dressing hour-Biilettc
found her alone in the library.
Grandmatcrnal Nemesis sat waiting
above. The vast. black gulf Of debt
and lifelong poverty yawncd before
him, and the society Curtius was
mailed and mounted for the plunge.
Rapidly. brokenly. almost abrupt
~. he told her Of his love. his hopes.
lie literally tremblcd before the tall.
cool, well-poised girl as he waited her
answer. 1t came softly:
AS much as regret this. Ar. Bill
lette, ] am more surprised"
Surprised" he echoed. after all
that has passed between us! After
those days in the summer"
stop. sir!" She was the icicle
again. "You are forgetting your
usual tact!'
And you refuse?" he blundered on.
recklessly. after all that has passed.
you decline toto marry7"
"Not necessarily" She was still
Mr.. Checkmar!"
With commandful gesture she
checked his outburst of wrath.
Let me finish. I chance to have
two classmates at the Sacre Occur.
with whom ! correspond. The last
mail brought letters from them, with
inclosure for-you!"
Her firm hand held out two let
ters, his own to Grassville! Mechan-
ically Reggy seized and tore them
open. In the envelope addressed to
Miss Fields y deep red slash under
scored the words: Dearest and
only Maymye!" The twin sheet was
under the line: Dear
est snd only Daisy"
.Brow-beaded. open-mouthed and
limp Of knee. the young diplomatist
stared one instant. Then he blurted
put:
"What the devil does this mean?"
But the voice was quite arctic that
answered.:
"You are duh not to comprehend.
It means that the man who kisses
and tells is scarcely safe mate for
Ihe woman who kisses and-doesu't!"
Town Topics, New York.