The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-02-26


NO, but you can have your pick and
choice of lovers
IL have made my choice"
Miss Melvina's face was fairly illumin-
ated. With that flashing ring gone and
Westover eliminated. was the road made
clear for her dear Tom? Almost invoun-
tariiy she called the name aloud. olivia
recoiled with a frown.
Don't mention his name. ! have chosen
you. You and i are going 60 live on just
this way until you get TO be an old lady
hobbling about with stick and / am
wearing nose glasses. You will have 10
wear a mob cap. because YOU won't have
any hair at all. and will have just a few
gray wisps left. I'm never going TO marry
anybody"
You ridiculous child" said Miss NAL
vfna and fell 10 crocheting again with an
fnscrutable smile lowering about her thin
lips
The first snow of approa aching winter
was powdering the earth when Olivia dis
patched n letter 10 Thomas Broxton. She
wrote:
Dear Thomas--Miss Malvina and I start
for Nice in about two weeks time. We
will spend the winter there. She has a
cough that makes me very uneasy. DR..
Govan recommends Nice. but she will
not consent TO go without me. She has
been everything TO me since my father
died and all my other friends forsook me.
She begs TO ask you IL you cannot find
time 10 spend ono evening with MS be-
fore start. She says | am to ask
you to como at once. She especially
wants to sec you. and n refusal will give
her great pain. We had hoped YOU would
come TO sec us some time without wait
Ing for formal itation, but since YOU
have not we are sending the invitation.
We understand that YOU are one Of the
busiest men in the world and that YOU
have invented something that Is going To
mako you rich and famous. Come and
tell US all about II for auld lang syne's
sake. Your friends.
MaNina Spillman and Olivia Matthews.
With the pen suspended over her own
signature Olivia fell into n somber rev.
eric Quite year now since her father
with hts hast breath had -biddeH- her
marry this man. almost as long since
IN the spirit of compromise. she had
fent from her the man she loved and
heclared her intention 10 marry no one
Surely the hurt she had inflicted upon
herself might be taken as expiaticn for
lack Of obedience. II she had denied
Thomas happiness. she had also denied
II 10 herself
Would Clarence como back as he had
said he would. She doubted H. She
marveled languidly at her own utter In
difference 10 his coming Was she becom-
Ing like Miss Malvina in her frank in
difference 10 all men7 She knew that
the Westovers had come back 20 Brox-
ton hall. for Jeanne had come once 10
see her only once. 20 upbraid her for
her maltreatment OF poor dear Carrie "
But from him never word had come
back. OF him the papers kept her we'll
Informed
Now he was In ST. Petersburg. again
In Florence. Then woman's name
nd ha
News Informed itS readers that rumors
from reliable source announced tho
pleasant fact that when Mr. Clarence
Westover did return 10 America Rrox-
ton hall would become the home Of a
lovely Parisicnne. The lady was the for
eign born daughter Of a one time Amer
lean ambassador 10 France
ollie had read this item among tho
local brevities and had passed the morn
ing's paper across 90 Miss Aialvina Miss
Malvina had read II and looked az the
Eirl 80 tirnidly that ollie had laughed
aloud. You are watching 10 see me
swoon7 / am wondering myself why
don't feel any OF the proper emotions Of
the occasion. n must be because / am
30 much more interested In Granny Max
wells winter hannels" All Of this came
back TO her when she wrote that note
or Invitation 10 Tom Broxton.
Gould anything be bolder2' she asked
biushing vivst-f'lnk as she afslxAA-tA tia
stamp.
Gould anything be moro studiousIy
potter Tom asked himself as no
crammed the letter In his pocket 10 be
reread after business hours
A letter from olivia was not in itself
disturbing occurrence. They had new
er ceased writing 10 each other IN a do
sultory way. The total lack ~ mention
- westovers name. especially az he al