The Indianapolis journal., 1902-10-26


and he didn't know how to breach it to you.
AS said. he is no catch. You would be
throwing yourself away entirely upon him.
He is not the husband for you, and
came, most impertinently as regards you,
but with all sincerity as regards Devereux.
to see if could not talk things over. and
and-come TO a reasonable understanding"
She was still smiling at him. Captain
Roslyn." she said, II must say before we
go any further that l admire you very
much for the delicacy with which you have
approached this extremely unpleasant SUBJ
ject for / am sure IL must be awfully un-
pleasant to you. Now 1 am going to take a
rather unusual course / know quite we'll
what ought to dol ought to fly out and
swear my devotion make capital out of my
broken heart, and all that sort of thing
But I am going to do nothing of the kind
1 am going to give you letter to read
She went to a little inlaid desk, and
opening drawer, took from 1t letter in
the handwriting which he knew to be
Pats.
Read this" she said.
She turned back to the tea-table and be-
gan to pour out another cup of tea Roslyn
still stood in the window and read the
letter.
MY own precious darling" 1t said; 81
know, because you told me so last night.
that you do not care for me one little bit.
I am not surprised at it. What am 1, who
your grace and beauty of mind and body,
should think twice about me? But If you
will only take me, you will keep me from
lin II will ha tn xxyaff n
win the precious treasure of your love.
And it will come, dearest Angela; 1t will
come. If you will only give me a chance,
darling. 1 am not rich, but all that 1 have
and shall have 1 lay at your feet. My peo-
pie will worship and adore you-they
couldn't do otherwise. See how happy your
consent has made your ever devoted lover,
PAT DEvEREUX."
without word, Roslyn replaced the let
ter in the envelope, and. walking across
the room, laid it down at the widows right
hand.
II take it, Mrs. Bruton," he said, "that
there's nothing more to be said"
Poor boy! II you had known me longer,
you would perhaps understand why I con-
sented to take him. 1t was against my bet
ter judgment, but he was so much I'm love,
and my own life has been SO full of disap-
pointment in everything excepting my little
girl, that ii seemed to me that If I could
make one other person happier, it was at
least q good use to which to devote the
rest of my life"
"You weren't happy in your marriage?"
Happy" The single word answered the
question with more eloquence that could
be expressed. mo, Captain Roslyn, I was
married young, and 1 think 1 must have
married the wrong man, or else Colonel
Bruton married the wrong woman-any-
way, 1 was very unhappy. I have never
been very happy excepting in my little
girl. and 1 was so happy in her that
persuaded my husband to call her Theo-
dora, which means Gift of God He al
ways called me a heather, and said that
used to pray to the old Greek gods for
everything that I wanted / would have
prayed to any gods to give me real love.
L have never known 1T. / thought in my
heart-hunger that this boy-this nice, fresh,
wholesome. bright boy, might be my gift
of the gods. You see, was wrong again.
Here, take his rings. Tell him he hasn't
broken my heart-I think 1 haven't one
to break: tell him not to dream Of quar-
reling with his people for me; no woman is
worth that"
"And may come and see you again?'
Indeed you may. But / shall not stop
here much longer. Theo must go to the
sea. She's done very we'll in the spring.
she's much stronger and better for being
here, but she must go to the sea in another
month or so. Tell him that he can come
and see me later on. and we'll begin again
as if this little mistake had never come
about"
At the end of the ten days Pat Devereux
rejoined his regiment. He had not been
half an hour in the barracks before he
found his way round to Roslyn's quarters.
He found that gentleman sitting in the big
chair smoking.
'.Hullo, old chap!" said he.
'Hullo, Pat Had a good timer
"Oh, ripping!" And then In a change Of
| tone, ''as ripping as one could expect, you
know, under the circumstances"
For a moment there was silence.
ANY news?" asked the boy.
"Yes," said the man. Mrs. Bruton's two
rings are in that little silver box on the
mantel shelf. Shell say. Pat. well. you
know, old chap. you didn't quite play fair
| with me-
How do you mean?"
swell, when you consult doctor or q
| lawyer or a confidential friend, there Is
| one rule which you should never break"
whats that?"
''Well, my dear boy, you should never tell
half the story. You should make it a point
| of honor to give the intermediary, or the
| adviser, every scrap Of information that
there is to be had. Now, you let me go
| down to see Mrs. Bruton, imagining that
| she would be heart-broken at-well, at
| what had to happen"
"Oh, I know she never cared a ha'penny-
| piece about me-"
mo. Well, of course, IL you had told me
| that 1t would have been so much easier on
my side. OF course, she wouldn't dream of
| holding you to the engagement-sent you
her love and her blessing. and all the rest
Of 1t. She's beautiful woman Pat
''She is that same" said the boy, with a
| groan. "I shall never see her like again."
mo, suppose not. Too old for you. you
know. And, besides that, something has
happened since you were away which has
| altogether changed her ideas of life"
What sort of a something?" looking up
sharply.
well. Mrs. Bruton is going to be marx
/ rfed