Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-10-28
Miss Mitford's
Sacrifice
BY KEITH GORDON
copyrisht, 1905, by Keith Gordon

'n thelr depths. and whom with the
arrogance OF youth. he promptly cata-
iogued In his mind as "old." Around
the next corner and directly opposite
him the figure OF June-like young
creature appeared, silent and Impress
I've as the facade of handsome build
ing. At his left a dapper middle aged
man. whose hair showed a shameless
tendency TO retreat by the back way.
was eating lis soup In q severely bust
nesslike manner
Neither the young lady nor the little
man showed the slightest ripple of in
terest in the stranger at the table, and
with the chagrin of q warm nature
whose open friendliness has been ST.
! lently declined his wandering glance
came back TO Miss Milford.
! The demure smile in her eyes seemed
to have deepened, and whether 1t
meant sympathy or amusement was nm
open question. AT any rate Stuart
Barton reversed his decision and de-
cided that she was not very old after
all and that she undoubtedly sun0er-
stood.
He had heard of people so conreuai
that they were old friends before they
had time to become now acsualnt-
ances. Before the meal was over be
was convinced that Miss Milford and
he were persons of that description. To
be sure, they spoke only In piatftudes,
but there was a raillery In her soft
eyes and in the smile that played about
her lips which seemed to answer his
Keen but unexpressed derision of their
conventional companions.
When you are young, eager and am
bilious and have come to New York to
rise" you have an aching need Of in
telligent, sympathetic eompanionsiip.
Before n week was past Stuart Barton
began to find Miss Mitford's society as
necessary TO his comfort as sleep or
food
She listened TO his arrogant, boyish
views of men and things with an inter
| est which had not always been accorded
them and which did not fan of its eff
feet. After the faded. cynical opinions
OF older men she really found them as
exhilarating as wine. Always they
parted with grudging sense OF break
Ing or at the most interesting point,
with a parenthetical TO be contin-
ued," like a serial story.
More than once she had surprised
amused chances on the faces of other
boarders, and she wns far too acute
not to interpret their meaning accu-
rntely. But she remained tranquil. too
happy and engrossed to care what the
common, conventional herd might
think.
II suppose you know that they are
saying all sorts OF things about us?"
she said TO him one evening when Miss
Selwyn's behavior ut dinner had
amounted to nothing less than a reprI-
mand
Then she went on mercilessly: "They
probably say that am leading you on.
that 1 am old enough TO know better.
that i am designing old maid and n
few more pice things OF that sort. I
want you to know all about II, because
am lot older than you. sixteen long
years of 3d5 days each"
She paused, with n queer brcathless
feeling that was an unpleasant sur
prise to herself. She waited for his an
swer rs IL her life hung upon his
words.
Bother your ager' he laughed gayly.
Your eyes are as young as-as'-he
hesitated. casting about for a simile-
las Miss Selwyn's. Indeed they're a
good deal younger, and so Is your
mind Your age is just right. 1t is 1
who am beastly young. Don't ever
mention IL again, for feel like a mere
kid when you talk like this''
Having disposed OF the suggestion In
this summary manner, he began TO
talk OF other and pleasanter things.
and before long Miss Mitford's clear
laugh was ringing out like q girls.
Miss Selwyn was passing through the
hall, heard II and wondered IN a vague
ly nettled way what Mr.. Barton saw I'm
that old maid. There were times when
she half regretted her hauteur to the
young stranger. His eyes certainly
were me. Besides. IL touched her
pride that man should dulfbeyateiy |
turn To another wosaan. when she was |
at hand. The fact that the woman .yoas |
her senior and no benuty only made |
the onense more heinoue.
BY degrees therefore. her manner |
toward him changed thkwfng slowly, |
but surely. IKE Ice before the spring |
SUM- But, though she .nsetted. Barton |
was politely indifference, and Miss Mt
ford looked on with a keenly feminine |
appreciation Of the bypiay. She felt |
that the siren was singing to her
knight in vain, and she rejoiced with |
true womanly exuhation.
what possesses Miss Selwyn-l
that's what I'd like to known that
gentleman blurted out as they were |
swinging along through the park to-
gether one day. "She used barely to |
speak to me, and now butter wouldn't |
melt In her mouth. She's so blamed |
pleasant she worries me. 1t doesn't
seem naturaL~
For reply Miss Milford stopped short
and fixed her eyes upon him express
lively. His color rose, and he locked |
rather confused
"You don't mean
~Yes, that's It." she replied. .poddinc
maliciousiy. Then they both laughed
merriiy after the manner Of irrespon-
sfble young things who laugh from
mere Joy until. she abruptly remen,-
bered that In woman Of thirty-eight
such behavior, was shockingly frtvo-
lous, and resolving to be more digni-
fed she grew suddenly pensive.
1t was soft April day. The ten
der green's and misty grays OF the
park were Ike wistful promise of
beauties TO come. In the afr the damp,
earthly smells of early spring fioated,
the sweet breath OF the soil as 1t
awakened from its winter trance.
With sigh of enjoyment she seated
herself on one Of the green benches,
and Barton took his place beside her.
For some moments they sat gazing at
the scene before them in dreamy ST
lence, taking in long whiffs of the
soft air with sensuous delight. The
blurred, faint loneliness Of IL all be-
spoke fairyland-
He did not speak. but she knew that
he was watching her intentiy. With