Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-19

fine about it. it is not altogether weak
ness; doors Of the worlds worthest tasks
have been notable posSessOrS of this quail
ty Raridan has a true sense of personal
honor and yet his imagination was strong
enough to play tricks with his conscience.
He had argued himself into mood of des-
perate love; he felt that he was swayed by
passion; but il was of Jealousy and not OF
love.
EVELYN walked little way toward the
door and he followed glOomily along. He
called her name and she paused. They
were not alone on the veranda, and she did
not want a scene. Raridan began again:
why, ever since we were children to-
gether I've looked forward to this time. 1t
always seemed the most natural thing in
the world that l should love you. When you
went away to college never had any fear
that 1t would make any difference; when
saw you down there you were always
kind"
..Of course 1 was kind" she interrupted
land I don't mean to be anything else
now"
You know what I mean" he urged
though he did not know himself what he
meant. 81 had no idea that your going
away would make any difference; il | had
dreamed of 1t [ should have spoken long
ago. And when 1 went to see you those
few times at college
Yes you came and was awfully glad to
see you too but how many women's col
leges have you visited in these four years
voted to at Bryn Mawr, and that pretty
little French Canadian you rushed at
Wellesley-but of course / don't pretend to
know the whole catalogue of them. That
was all perfectly proper, you understand;
I'm not complaining
NO; wish you were" he said, bitterly.
If he had known 1t, he was really enjoying
this; there was, perhaps, at the bottom of
his heart, a little vanity which these rem
iniscences appealed to. He rallied now:
But you could afford to have me see
other girls, he said You ought to know
you SHOULD have known all the time that
you -.ere the only one in all the world for
me-"
That's triie obvious. Wary" and she
laughed. You're not living up to your
reputation for subtlety of approach
"Evelyn"-his voice trembled; he was
sure now that he was very much In love
II tried to tell you before the carnival that
the reason I didn't want you to appear in
the ball was that cared a great deaI-so
very much-that love your
She stepped back, drawing the cane to-
gether at her throat.
Please, Wary" she said, pleadingly,
don't spoil everything by talking of such
Things. | wished that we might be the hest
of friends, but you insist on spoilinp everv-
thing
"Oh, know" he broke In. "that
spoil things, that I'm a failure
ne er-do-wel." 1t was not love that
ne was hungry for half SO much as sn,y-
lures as his.
She bent toward him. as she always did
when she talked earnestly, and as frankly
as though she were speaking to a GIRL
Wary Raridan, it's exactly as I told
you moment ago. You've been spoiled
and 1t shows In a lot of ways. Why, you're
positively childish She laughed softly
He had thrust his hands into his pockets
and was feeling foolish. He wanted to
make another effort to maintain his posi-
ton as a serious lover, but was not equal
to 1t. She went on, with growing kindness
in her tone: Now, I'll say TO you frankly
that didn't at all like being mixed up in
the Knights of Midas ball; if you had been
as wise as / have always thought, you
might have known it. You ought to have
shown ycur interest in me by helping me;
but you chose to take a very ungenerous
and unkind attitude about 1t; you helped
to make ii harder for me than 1t might
have been. relied on you as an old friend,
but you deserted me at your first chance to