The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-01-03

NWA hAAN AHHN AANANH AARhANH 1850
90 himself, as with varying emotions
be stepped into the phaeton and seat
cd himself beside the smiling girl who
was 10 drive him into the station for
the early morning train. And he was
simply echoing her words Of the night
before
"All ready. Alice" he said lightly.
So Alice flcked the pony with her
whip and they were on their way.
Il was a glorious summer morning
and Godfrey and Alice apparently en-
joyed the driye-eyen though the con-
dltions now were irrevocably changed.
Yesterday afternoon she had met him
at the train and they had driven back
together an engaged pair. But since
then their engagement had been ended
by mutual consent, and this morning
found them merely friends.
Godfrey Maitland and Alice Wright
had known each other all their lives.
and had been engaged to one another
of and on-for years
Their first engagement while he was
still In college and she just out OF
school, was broken by Alice in a fit Of
childish jealousy because he had gone
on a picnic and had had a good time
with the other girls, though she had
been Unexpectedly kept at home. But
after a few weeks interval and a due
show of penitence on his part, she had
forgiven him and taken him back into
favor
The next break occurred soon after
Geoffrey's graduation His father had
set him up in business and he wanted
to be married at once. But Alice had
set her heart upon spending the sum
mer abroad, and when Godfrey unreal
aonably declared that she must marry
him now or never, Alice returned her
ring.
But the summer did not prove as
pleasant as she had anticipated, and
she was honestly glad to see Godfrey
waiting on the dock when the vessel
reached its New York pier. He had a
big bunch of roses for her-and when
she discovered her engagement ring
Atied l'clumsily among the stems she
ghed and blushed and slipped it on
in.
at had occurred three years be-
he present time, and since then
" had had the grace to be pa
say the least.
- VI, ne could not we'll be other
wise than patient, for his first bust
ness venture had not been a success
and soon he found himself in no posi-
ton to marry.
Fortunately, the failure which hat
at one time seemed inevitable ha(
been averted, and presently the tide
of his fortune turned.
But when Godfrey was once more
in a position to think of marriage M
had made the startling discovery tina
during all this time his tastes haC
been developing in one direction anG
Alice's in quite another, and that nov
they were no longer as congenial a.
they had been.
He was a born athlete, a lover o
all outdoor sports, and just at presen
< golf engrossed most of his leisure time
3 But Alice cared nothing for sports o
any kind, and she was so entirel!
wrapped up in her Working Girls Va
4 cation clubs and College Settlement
and all sorts of charitable. scheme
that Godfrey was bored to death il
bearing of them.
Who possibly could have foreseeI
! ffat such a pretty and attractive gir
al Alice would all OF sudden hay
taken such a serious turn?
Godfrey had thought very ofte
Rhout all this lately, and sometime
had wondered if it would not be bet
ter for them both to separate in time
rather than to marry and go on grow
ing apart and be miserable for life.
bad been the subject uppermost in hi
mind when he had arrived the after
noon before, and it had been a relic
as well as a surprise TO him when Alic
had frankly -broached the subject.
s. They talked it all over together theI
reasonably discussing their varyin
tastes, their chances for future III
happiness, and in conclusion ha
calmly agreed that il would be bette
Infinitely better-to put an end I
the engagement now. with no feelin
hut one of perfect friendliness ar
good viii on either side.
''But we - remember" Alice ha
added W iden anxious pucke
T. that this decisio
cement has been 0
times that even IL
ther change wou
element of hume