Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-23

| impatience at her tantalZfng guest In the
| hammock. Alicia was all fluffy blue in lui-
fies, and her innocent brown eyes and deep
dimples lent to her dangerous seeming of
| guilelessness. She looked past her hostess
to the road, along which were approaching
| her host and two other clean-cut young
men.
| Allie dear asked Mrs. Jed, which one
| do you mean to take?'
Alicia leaned back provokingly, as she re-
piled:
| Il thought you gave me this house party
| to help me find out, Nell?'
"Well l did. What's the matter? Theresa
| and Maude aren't in the way?'
Goodness. no! l am only too glad to
| have them about to keep Teddy and Sam
| off part of the time"
| They'll have to draw cuts. 1 can't
choose. Edward Trent has sense. money
| and good looks, and 50 has Samuel Good
| win. They are both thoroughbreds. but
| each needs the other to set him off. Sam
my's blond. boyish inconsequence shows up
| Teddy's dark, impatient dignity. 1 wish
1 L could have them both, simultaneously, or
| not at all. It's horrid to be dependent an
| aunt who insists on marrying you off. She
says she won't stand another winter of
| my-she calls 1t flirting. l. the girl $
eyes grew serious.
|
| face flushed but Mrs. Jed went on with the
temerity of an old friend We all know
you refused MIN times unnumbered. Why
| did you?''
"Oh, 1 kept count; it was eight times. 1
| did it because auntie has been trying to
get us married ever since l was sixteen;
| also because MIR. John Lane needed taking
| down. He always thought he could have
anything he wanted, and he did usually get
| it'll 1t came to me. Besides, l won t
| marry poor lawyer, and be TRANSPORTED
| to the wilds of Colorado. Chicago is good
| enough for me, and I want a big church
| wedding and home among civilized peo-
| pie Anyway, If John Lane really wanted
| me he stop proposing and get me. some
now Then, as the three men came UP
| the steps, she whispered dramatically:
| Il II make them draw cuts. It's the only
way"
She greeted them with the sweet Impair
| tlallty that caused them to hate each o: her
| with primitive masculine zeal Mrs. Jed
left them and going to her desk wrote q
| letter:
My dear John.-She is here I mean
Alicia, of course. Trent and Goodwin-you
| know them both-are here also and hot on
| her trail, as Theresa Petre and Maude
| Hope are on theirs. Her aunt l mean Ali
ella s, says she must choose between them.
| This is her sixth season, you know
| When girl doesn't know which of two
| men she wants to marry, it is the favora-
| BILE juncture for the third man. Come down
ON business, of course-but plan your own
| can't. But you were made for each other,
| and / simply give you this chance to win
| out. Yours, as ever,
ELEANOR STANLEY"
Two days later John Lane, in travelling
| attire, suddenly took himself and his suit
| case before the astonished gaze of his part
| ner in the law and in single blessedness:
Mac I'm off for ten days-Chicago. You
| can get on without me-youll have to-
| Macdonald knew enough not to ask cues
{ tons. John went on. Il shall come back
| with "a wife-or without one, / Out
Mac interrupted.
Sort of matrimonial rush order, old man
You don't say whether the wife is for me
or for some CLIENT But Lane gave him
an affectionate kick and departed to take
his train and smoked away steadily the
twenty-four monotonous hours between him
and Alicia He had time to plan his cam
paign.
Friday afternoon Alicia at her window
saw him coming up the long green lawn OF
the Stanley summer house. Then she put
on nonchalant air-and a pl9e gown liit In
out of style-and sauntered down INTO tne
garden Of course he would come present
~, and this time-perhaps she wouio say
ives But John did not come.
When after an hour or two, she joined
the others on the piazza, he rose and greet
ed her with friendly handshake ana WIN "a
no trace of sentiment. Then ne devoted
himself to Theresa, whom he had known az
College. and when, later, they all went out
to the links he golfed with Maude ana
made friends with the young clergyman uao "a
the party who included golI IN ms creeu.
Alicia thought that ne culllVdleu e'e'
thing and everybody but her
After few days she began to reailZe tha'
John Lane was no longer her especlal pi op
erty, he had been from ehidho moo re 70 s
to marry him. He had said he shoulu meyer
ask her again, and now, with suu lIet
sinking of the heart, she began TO 1eel ina.
he had meant IT, her ihuiiiet ei ~
thing of the past -,
III; Time seemed to go on wings. John now
soamad to seek her out little more; he
walked and talked with her. ana new ~ ~
tarest in him seized upon her, especially
after Maude confided to her that Mr. Lane
scanned to be quite taken with Theresa
Theresa, indeed! This tall, bronzed man.
with the fine, serious, blond race ana earn
est eves and his firm jaw-this man VINO
swayed Judges and juries, VINO knew anu
managed men. made the socleiy pohsh oI
Teddy and Sammy seem maWkisf1, anu In INC
literary culture of the Rev. Mr.. Jackson a
male and sickly thing. She wanted to i've!
What was money! John Lane was sue
ceeding, and Alicia liked success And she
sighed, and wore the blue ana White ulesseS
that he used to like.
He smoke much of his state, of its posi-
bilities of the beauty OF It's scenery OF nus
life there and of the people he knew, ana
there seemed to be a Bertha Allyn whom
he mentioned oftener than was necessary.
Also he daily went into the city for an
hour or two and fumed about hotel lobbles.
Mrs Jed was quick enough to see the gen
|
the keen pleasure of born matchmaker
i'm helping him out. The young people went
fishing and golfing and picnicking. They
danced and tiirted, and Lane and the clergy
man became fast friends. Theresa ceased
operations on Sammy and concentrated her
effective brunette charms upon the young
western lawyer. Alicia, half angry and
wholly sore-hearted, decided to return
to Chicago and go in for Summing or jour
nalism or something. Dawdling bored her.
She would take care of herself, and she
would not marry a man she could not love.
IA for John he would marry that hateful
she knew she was hateful!-Aliyn girl
and think he was happy. Well. she dldn t
care, So she was extremely gay and fiirted
with Teddy, even beyond her usual gen
erous limits.
week after his arrival Lane announced
at breakfast that his business was nearly
finished and that he must leave them the
evening of the next day. A case at home
needed his attention. He was sorry. lie
had had such a jolly good time, and his
trip. thanks to them all, had been nearly
all pleasure. Alicia's heart sank, but she
smiled with polite regret. To her the next
morning was the morning of the last day,
and 1t was the same with John Lane, but
instead of telling her SO he asked her II
she would drive him to town in the pony
cart Alicia consented readily enough. hut
with apparent unconcern. He said he had
a few last errands.
CO... lo,,5 tho dapofpU Monies while ba