The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-10-23

had never lessened. From the time
Miss Irwin joined the French class the
two women, so utterly unlike, became
friends.
SIN few words Miss Irwin proba-
bly, made a confdante Of her new
friend, hoping to find in her mediator
who would bring the old love into a
present one
"Perhaps Miss Stevens thought such
result would be disastrous to the
hopes of the man. He was not of a
temperament to confde his hearts
longings to anyone, and will give her
credit for believing be had forgotten
his youthful infatuation. At any rate
she made no effort to bring them to-
gether, but, to the contrary, drove and
walked with him more and more often
herself.
"One beautiful summer evening a
party of young people started to drive
to watering place some twelve miles
from the town. The wagon arranged
for the outing was piled high with
straw, and all bid fair for jolly, if
hard, ride. When the crowd was be-
ing seated the discovery was made
that no matter how closely they sat
and on straw rides that is not consid-
cred hardship-two must be left be-
bind. Miss Stevens offered to be one
and the lawyer the other. However,
they did not remain behind, tor in a
few minutes buggy whirled past the
hay wagon, and the merry peals of
laughter told them they had been
recognized. AS on several previous
occasions, Miss Irwin, who was one of
the party, was strangely quiet.
"Before four miles were gotten over
heavy storm arose and the party
thought best to take the wetting grace
fully and turn back, while Miss Stew
ems and her escort with the light buggy
and fast horse reached the hotel just
as the storm broke 1t did not rain,
it fairly poured, and after careful con-
sideration Miss Stevens concluded it
best to remain there rather than run
the risk Of heavy colds.
"They drove back next day, but the
looks and shrugs which greeted them
had a chilling effect upon their spirits.
What to them was joke appeared in
a different light to The town gossips,
and the classes in German and French
gradually became alarmingly small
dangerously small from a financial
point of view, Miss Stevens had to adj
nit. Miss Irwin stood by her teacher
Loyalty. She expressed the greatest
contempt for the 'old CATS as she un-
complimentary called the women who
dared to speak i'll of the unavoidable
circumstance which had prevented the
couples return.
"The lawyer was the last one to
hear the gossip, but when he did, he
Immediately sought Miss Stevens and
asked her to be his wife. She &C
cepted his offer and in the course of a
few weeks Society s doors were thrown
open in welcome to her who as Miss
Stevens had never been invited to
enter
"Three years of married life with a
painfully sensible woman did not have
a particularly exhilarating effect on
our man. His wife made as sensible a
mother as she had sweetheart and her
whole soul was wrapped up in her baby
boy, quite to the exclusion of her hus-
band. They saw Miss Irwin but sell
dom, as she spent the greater part of
her time in New York.
"And now we reach the time of the
present scandal, if such it can be truly
called.
"Returning from business one win
ter's evening, the lawyer slipped and
| fell and when be was taken home it
was found that his back was broken.
The most cheerful view of the case
was a hopeless one. He was made
fairly comforta ble, but to man of his
mind helplessness was torture. His
wife in this instance was as sensible as
in all others, and took things in an
exasperatingly calm manner. There
never had been any 'foolishness' about
her, and the crippled man learned only
too soon how secondary thing he was
in the life of his wife. However, be
was not secondary in the life of another
woman who, it seems, had hoped and
| prayed for time to come in which
she might demonstrate her love
The time came! 1t beats me-I
cannot understand such love!
ut SO happened Miss Irwin re-
visited her old home not many months