The suburban citizen., 1902-09-27


mental glances back across those
years of affection and close union be-
tween them 1 often wondered what
had prompted their intimacy in the
first place. Blount was some FIVE
years older than Cousins, being a
staid, rather matter-of-fact man Of
thirty at the time when fate threw the
two friends into the constant society
of Monica and Maudie Finlay, the col
oners orphaned nieces. Blount, how
" a lieutenant. He was extremely
boyish for his age, seldom taking any
thing seriously. The whole world
seemed to be to him zone huge joke"
as he himself expressed it. but it was
his hearty laughter, his mischievous
pranks and his good-natured tempera-
ment that endeared him TO all his fel-
low officers. But first and foremost in
the young mans heart stood Maurice
Blount. This affection was fully re-
turned. and they were known as the
"Inseparables."
OF course it was almost a foregone
conclusion that the arrival of Monica
and Maudie on the scene was bound
to make a difference to one or other of
the two officers, although they had
hitherto been known to declare that
neither intended to marry, and that
each found all he could desire in the
close comradeship of the other. But
It was more than unfortunate that they
should simultaneously lose their hearts
over the younger of the sisters, Maui
die. Monica was if anything, lovelier
than Maudie. her gray eyes We're full
of a winsome wistfulness that won the
hearts of every one of us. always ex.
cepting those of the "Inseparables." :"
1t was apparently TO be in their af.
fairs of the heart as in all things
Cousins followed in his seniors foot
steps, laying his hand and fortune at
the feet of NIaudie Finlay.
1t was a puzzle how they came to
pass over the sweeter gentler. elder
sister, to fall victims to the boisterous,
rather tomboyish charms of the
younger.
Maudie only tossed her head at them,
delighting in their devotion, which
was clearly of the faithful-dog-fetch
and-carry order, merely because ii
gratified her vanity, she having pre-
viously been we'll Informed that
neither Captain Blount nor Lieuten-
ant Cousins had ever been known to
fall in love before.
| was on sick leave Mt the time this
was happening, but I heard it all,
with somewhat exaggerated details.
when I rejoined, and the odd part Of
the business appeared to be that both
apparently saw through the girl they
worshiped!
The elder man had been heard re-
buking the younger for his foolishness
in allowing himself to be played with
by the heartless coquette, and the
younger man had been seen persuad-
ing Blount not to go near the fascinat-
ing Maudie on various occasions. 1t
was mysterious, TO say the least.
At dances they We'd with each other
In obtaining the greatest number from
the younger Miss Finlay. At picnics
they outdid each other to the best of
their abilities in carrying tempting
dishes to Miss Maudie, in seeing after
her comfort in every possible way.
Neither Of them entered for the
Thread and Needle Race" at the
sports because Maudie could not be
partner to them both.
And all this while Monica was prac.
tically left to herself. not that the en-.
tire regiment behaved as ldiotically as
the "Inseparables," but because Mon.
lea, quite early in the game, gave the
Others to understand she did not re.
quire their attentions. The fellows
chaffed me, saying it was only on ac
count Of my age that she tolerated my
presence so graciously, that no one
would think if she was seen about will
a man old enough to be her father.
About the time that we received oui
marching orders | noticed that Monica
had become rather paler than usual
naturally wondered at it and whether
our move to Egypt had anything to dc
with it. Then one day l saw Bloun
looking at her; Monica's face was hall
turned from him, and the view he hat
of it was perfect, felt sure. / knew
her profile so well and could fancy any
mans heart being stirred by it,
beauty; for all that / was puzzled by
the look in Blounts eyes and his lipi
were set in hard straight line across
his teeth. Then, for one brief mo
ment Monica lifted her sad gray eve,
TO his, and-he sighed. The next-sh,
was gone, and Reggie Cousins slipped
his arm through that of his friend
pulling him round with jerk. an,
they both laughed. The laugh
thought nervous one.
Soon after that we sailed.
The campaign OF 1S9- was the frs
active service young Cousins had eve