The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-12

I was so disgusted that I threw ove
 a lot of country house engagement
 and rushed off to the only person who's,
 love had ever been proved to be fo myself and not my money.
 She was a dear old proud thing Wht
 wrote love stories for magazines, ant had refused to accept penny from
 men when she was threatened with con
 sumption and had been sent away tc
 Judson, small Florida coast place
 to live. She had taken a tiny cot tage, for which she paid no more in g
 year than I spent for nothing, at all ir
 a week. But she had spare room
 and wrote that she would love to keer
 me for as long as liked to stay. Her
 name was Mrs. Pendennis and we had
 got acquainted through my writing, in
 care of her editor, to tell her how
 much liked a. story of hers.
 She did me good because she never
 hattered, but scolded me instead for being cynical She said it was a i mental dyspepsia and while I lived
 with her I almost believed it was. l I hadn't been in Judson for d week | when one day came in from a walk
 and exclaimed. "Well, it's begun!"
 What has begun?' inquired my dear old friend, looking up from a love scene
 which was meant to make the public
 shed tears.
 "The usual thing" said I. "A man
 has come. I am not conceited, but
 there are signs, and I'm sure he is one of them"
 She knew what I meant without ask
 ing, and merely sat still with mild smile as I related the incident which
 had occurred.
 Clrcumstantial evidence was with me, for men were out of season in Jud- son. I had been the only stranger. Now, within a week of my advent, there was another-a male stranger, a gentleman to the eye and ear we'll dressed (but not too well dressed), staying at hotel which offered no in- ducement at this time of year to his kind. I had seen him come out of that inn and instinct told me that was the inducement. Who the man was I could not guess, but I was sadly sure that he more than guessed who I was Somehow my secret had been betrayed, and he-no doubt of the army of impencunious unattached ones had stalked me to my lair. My hat had blown off he had run after it, picked it up and handed it back with a bow and murmured word.
 To be sure, he had not followed up his Advantage, but I was certain that this was only his cleverness and that he would be more pushing next time. I was so hatefuly experienced in that kind of things-I knew all the phases.
 Mrs. Pendennis tried to cheer me up, but I had seen the speck in my gar nered fruit, and 1t was a big speck, at least six feet tall, and broad in pro- portion. One couldn't forget it, es- pecially as to a less sophisticated mind it might have appeared exceedingly good to look upon.
 Next day I met him again or rather he met me. But to my surprise, in stead of taking off his cap and smil- ing and making the most of yester- days acquaintance he glared and plunged round the first corner. Could this be new kind of tactics? I asked myself Could it be that he wished to rouse interest by piquing 
 I smiled with scorn at the thought 1 and determined to show the man at the first opportunity how futile were his Still, if 1t were his object to make me think of him, must confess | hat to certain extent he succeeded, 1 Or 1t was a novelty to be glared at by | man, and the picture of the big brown | rowning fellow fingered in my mind
 That evening my opportunity came. My afternoon walks had usually to be aken alone, as Mrs. Pendennis' working days were long. I was stroll ng by the sea at the sweet hour when he east is misty silver with the rising f the moon, the west fading pink with he setting of the sun There he was, presumably lying in wait so I glared nd turning round. marched away But seemed to force me to glance ,ack-just a fleeting glance, yet long nough to see that the man was strld ng off in the opposite direction So far lad he gone already that l was afraid e must have missed my protest.
 For an entire week we kept it up. 'here were not many different walks 0 take, so it need not have been sur risng that we almost invariably met. sut as invariably we turned upon our racks and-often met again I could ot help wondering who he was and all bout him, and whether after all, he eally was one of them.
 After a whole fortnight I came in rom a walk one day to find Mrs. Pen ennis nervous and embarras assed. "I've
 confession to make, dear" she said { dinner. Do forgive me, but--I've let ut to the rector's wife-she called 'hile you were out-who you really re. I'm afraid she's rather a gossip, nd probably half Judson knows by lis time" If by half Judson you mean the len'' retorted, Tit doesn't must mat | 1T, for if he came for the purpose we { aspect he must have known all along" Don't say we suspect, Margot. I ont suspect" You did. You know you did. If { ou don't now it must be because ( ou've found out something" Z Well, I told you the dear rector's I fife was inclined to gossip, and her f lsband is an old acquaintance of the Y ans. That. she says is what brought t le man here He wanted to find the l lietest, most secluded spot in Ameri- l |, and he thought of his friends de- ription of JudSon.' I