The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-26

thought of economy. whose time was devoted Der efforts to phflanthropic en- deavor and was very usefui-but no hap 1 pier. And her thoughts, not unnaturaNy, turned back to Jim Benson now and then.
 He had been her first and only lover. Her first, because he had loved her from childhood. her only lover because she would allow no other. And Laura, ss he had said. had quietly but potentiy kept them apart.
 Little. eccentric, almost absurd in ap- pearance and manner. hampered by un- desirable relatives and connections, it had seemed to Laura that for her stately, beautiful sister to marry him would be little less than sacrilege. She believed that her kindly. unvarying, half-joking ridicule had disposed Alice to place poor
 Jim outside her matrimonial horizon. But, in reality, Alice had for fifteen years refused to allow Jim to speak be- cause she would not leave Laura. It was the thought of Lauras long tenderness and the inevitable loneliness consequent upon her own possible marriage that had bathed her pillow in tears tonight.
 Time. meanwhile, had done much for Jim Benson. The unfortunate relatives
 had disappeared from sight and cogniz- anee. he had successfully combatted pow erty and misfortune. He had even won renown as a war hero. But none of these changes. while perfectly apparent to Lauras intellect. had touched her heart in the slightest.
 She. herself. had been long untouched by playful Cupid. Her whole soul and heart had been bent to the work of pro- viding splendily for Alice. of winning professional success. The coming of the money that had lifted her beyond the re- gions of struggle had also caused her real disappointment. since Alice no long CT needed her devoted ministrations. The firm and determined resolve to keep Arr thur Huntley at a distance-for the sake of Alice-had taken the place of the ear Tier Idea of seIf-sacrifice. But never un- til tonight had she dreamed that her heart had suffered unknowing implica- tion. Tonight, leaning back in the low chair over which he had bent in leaving. she knew that she was in love. ITO think of it.'' she sighed and smil- ed. half satirically. Tn love at s5, and for goodness knows how long, too. I, who have diagnosed-and treated-so many love cases, to be in love myself and so suddenly learn it. But, of course, I shall have to put this madness quite into the background tomorrow. and no 
 ''why?" her own heart, strangely in- sistent. kept asking.
 Alice" her mind made reply. Then, too. although she would not for | worlds have owned this, her pride suf- tered at the thought of lowering her | long-flaunted flag of preferred maiden | hood. Could she. who had so long be-
 lieved herself far removed from any soft ening touch of this pure human" weak ness. consent to capitulate. to yieldf an the end she, too. cried herself to
 sleep like lonely child. and woke, in the morning, to smile bitterly at vaga-
 ries and the tears of the previous even- ing, to resolve never, never to desert Alice, who would never consent, she felt sure, to share a married home with her, | so long as she retained her reason. Hel heart ached sorely, at bottom, but a
 sense of exaltation upheld her; the men tai composition of the kindly but decid'
 ed letter that should prevent Arthur
 Huntleys coming strengthened and nerv- | ed her. She went down to breakfast quite
 calm and steady; but so abstracted and
 self-centered that she failed to notice hel sister's similar state of mind. Each woman, although ostensibly bus led with the morning papers, thought and saw little but a mans dear face. Laura,
 with a swiftly repressed tender fancy
 was thinking how tender and manly was
 the man she would presently send from her forever; how unlike the less noble men of her common acquaintance. How | very different. with a quick natural tran
 sition of feeling. from the other men
 who had so long wished to marry Alice | who had
 q saw Jim Benson yesterday" she said suddenly "I suppose he Is In town for | the winter.
 'Yes," answered Alice. once more
 blushing and quivering in that long-for- gotten girlish manner, "he-he was here | last night before you came home"
 "He was. was he? Still faithful?" be- gan Laura. in the light. half-railing tone she always used when speaking of Jim
 Benson But she stopped, speeches.
 with amazement. at sight of her sister s | eyes.
 ''Yes," answered. Alice. bravely. al-
 though the hand holding her coffee cup | trembIed, he was, and-I may as well tell you Laura although I don't know | how to-that newell, Laura, he wants
 me to marry him, and he says he won't take no for an answer. So-he's coming again this morning, and I suppose-1Il-
 have to say yes"
 There was a moment of tense silence
 while each steadily regarded the other then Laura laughed aloud in the manner
 of one to whom dear, rejected worlds oi delight and glory are suddenly opening wide.
 well. we're going to surprise each other this morning, dearie," she heard her own voice saying, somewhat to hel own surpriee and amazement, "for-fol I'm going to say yes to Arthur HuntleS