Middletown transcript., 1902-12-06

by him, ana her fuaI1
was bravely cheerful.
tb;nk / can guess what il is. =
aCan your' and the happy look On
he boyish lace, such q hoyish face
till for sll its twenty-five years, grew
stiIl brighter. s0f course. have writ
ten Won about Lillian. the dearest girl
II the world; but 1t seems 50 wonder
fnl to think that she loves me as dearly
- + do her. and / wanted you to be
IN first to hear it" and Helen listened
while he sang lovers praises. and
smiling, hid the little pain in her heart
that would come with the realization
that this only brother had found one
nearer than herself. !,
.aThere have always been two OF as
he concluded, "you and /; but now there
win be three, Lillian, You and !. !"
aNo. Robert she said, even more
cheerfully than before, "there Will De
two still, Lillian and you"
..Nonsense, Helen" he protested hotly.
.,Nobody il ever going to crowd you out;
we have come too near each otner iof
that. Everything has come 80 quickly,
ana we have had so much to talk about
ourselves, that I have not said TO her
half mean to. But when ! come to
tell Lillian ell you have been TO me,
mother and sister both, and oil ! owe
to you through these years, ! know that
she viii love you as well as do. And
one thing especially ] want you to under
stand: when have home, you have
one. too. Helen's room is to be q
mart Of the house, and Helen is to
share in 1t. have had this in mind oil
my life."
Helen smiled little dubiously, she
could not say to him that someone else
would have opinions and voice con-
earning the home; and she had no desire
by look or word to mar the few hours
they were to have together after an ab-
sence Of months.
A few evenings later and Lillian was
holding out her slim white hands IN
welcome to Robert, after the first sepa-
rstion in their loves young life. why
were YOU gone so long?' she chided,
with charming pout Of the curved red
lips. 81 thought you would never come
back"
sWhy, Lillian" be answered. u
cut my trip everywhere. just think,
only spent one day with Helen, dear
Helen, the very best sister any man
aver had. I have never told you the
half how much Bhe has been TO me,
or how dear she is to me. am anxious
for the time when you shall know her
and love her as well as do"
And then, to his great bewilderment,
Lillian was clinging to him, sobbing
piteously. "Oh, Robert, 7 cannot bear
Il. All the time YOU were gone your
letters were full Of Helen, and now that
Won have come back the first thing is
Helen. II makes me 50 unhappy, how
unhappy you don't know. love you
90, and want you to love me bes'
of all the world
HWhy, Lillian, darffiingi do, y d Pre-
tested, drawing the blonde head close
10 him.
tTf you did you wouldn't talk so much
Of Helen. know she il ever 50 much
better than am; but it just kills me
to have you. ! don't want anything
in this world, no. even her, TO come pe-
tween u.s.
Robert was young and very much the
loYer, and the tear-wet face so near his
own was fair and sweetly appealing
It was flattering, too. to be 50 loved,
and be answered tenderly: Look up,
Lillian, love; you are more to me than
ten sisters-than all the world beside.
And after that be was little careful
In the mention Of Helen's name. 1t
will be different when once she knows
her." be told himself.
"Thers are two things ] want" Robert
said, when the time came for selecting
the home-nest, "a room for Helen when
aha comes to see us''-of her living with
them he said nothing; that can come
in later wrs his refection-''and den
for myself
"Of course we shall have o guest-cham-
her.,i answered Lillian, trifie loftily;
'sbut what do you want den fcr9"
''Oh, for q spot Of my own; besides,
/ have 1t in my mind to write book
sometime, and I'd like corner where
could do it,
sT don't believe I'll let you." and
the shadow Of the little frown he had
already learned to know crossed her
face. aTye heard that men who write
books care more for them than anything
else, and il would make me perfectly
wretchsd to have your heart in stupid
book
Helen did not come for the wedding;
but after they we're settled In their
home, yielding to Roberts repeated
letters, she went on for O visit. Lillian
received her with d sweet frostiness, 90
subtle az TO be felt rather than OBJ
served, and took her to her room. ''Is
il not yet quite as ] hope to have it,
she said with an accent of apology; tbut
as you were only going to stay such q
little while. I was sure you would not
mind" And then she went on to speak
with pretty concern Of Helen's journey
and her fatigue; surely there was no
claw here to infiict wound-nothing
but the softest velvet.
Robert had built such hopes on the
results Of this visit; but someway. if he
began to talk to Helen of the days
when they two were alone in the world
together, Lillian was apt to develop q
headache that shut her up in her room;
and II Helen petted him in her old
loving way. Lillian would show her dis
pleasure by Furnishing him with cold
II not sulky silence, that made the house,
hold atmosphere anything but cheer
iRg.
Il q i