Smyrna times., 1902-09-24

BY.
sufficient to turn any girls head had
been showered upon her. but Miss Win
ter had guarded her with jealous care.
Particularly had she warded off eager
suitOrs.
Wait, Enid, my dear" she had said
in warning tones, until we've been
abroad at least once. See more of life
and men. Don't establish an ideal
too quickly"
Enid had dutifully taken the advice
to heart, showing favor to no one of
her numerous admirers; so it happened
that no less than a dozen were waiting
for a last word. Each cursed his fel-
lows, the bugler and the light hearted
throng. Each, hoping for a chance for
the last tender word which should be
cherished as the real farewell across
the oceans leagues, was unwilling to
move and leave the field to another.
The situation was rapidly becoming
tense when Harry Bronson set the eX-
ample and with a few well chosen
words took himself off, the head of
mournful procession.
Ends brow as he bent I'm perfunctOry
fashion over her hand. Harry noted
the fFOwn with a smile of triumph. AS
he descended the stairs he looked any
thing but desolate. His jaunty car
riage so increased the frown on Miss
Ashburton's face that little Freddy
Henderson wondered what there had
loau Tn HE ox.-r IIr,dorfpo borr,,Inc,
speech to anger her.
They were gone at last, and, leaning
over the railing, Enid scanned the
faces gazing up from the pier. There
were Henderson, Smythe, CullOn, Dun
bar and the rest, but Ho sign Of Bron-
son. Doubtless he was half way to his
Office by this time, wrapped up in stock
reports and utterly unmindful that the
Kaiser Wilhelm was headed for the
harbor Yet Of all her admirers dur
ing the season he had been the most
devoted and it had required all her
fnesse to prevent his making the
dreaded declaration. Many times he
had found his best maneuvers flanked
by the sudden appearance of the kin
dergarten, as he contemptuously termed
the younger lads who worshiped Enid
and who in return were utilized by the
girl to ward off older and more serious
suitors.
The crowd on deck became silent as
the city line grew vague. Some. were
quietly crying. Enid herself felt a
suspicious moisture in her g De. deep
flush mounted to her teTM Mples. HeT
aunt, every one in the rty, must
know that she cared moth &g for New
York. OF course they wole* guess the
truth. She turned alesptly and
stepped into the deserted mkyary.
In the farthest corner, sa from pry
ing eyes, stood a tiny sk. She
crossed her arms upon it her head
dropped lower and lower, ar the tears
came unchecked. Not since he day Of
her mothers death had she felt so ut
terly alone in the bright, gay world
Penitently she recalled certain pas
sages at arms-Bronson's futile effort
to tell Of his love and her skiJlful par
rying. Had it been done entirely il
Difference to her aunt's wishes or in
bplIll OF SHEER tOquel9 I q h"b' ="
had tired Of It all, and his curt farewell
had been the outward expression o
his disappointment in her. If he hat
even tried to spe8k with her alone o
there had been Anything more thal
cool good breeding in his last han'
tlaspl Oh, II obly he were here now
how different-
She started auiltily as light ste
sounded on the stairs outside. ltseeme
almost as II SHE had been thinkin
aloud and had tgken some stranger II
to her conflde4ce. The steps dre'
nearer. The stranger had not gone o
deck, but was coming round the ga
lery leading toI the library hastii
drying her eyes, she rose, gave a gre'
gasp and then dropped back INTO nc