Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-12-22
Rlya biushed furiously.

lar buhue VI Tcu-huDuih matt anu
could see her from all over the garden"
Almost without looking?" sug-
gested, carelessly.
Elva passed over this remark with con-
tempt, but couldn't help noticing that
the flush deepened.
well, as it's not Mollie, she observed
with dignity, "and as you've called on
purpose, perhaps you'll be obliglng
enough-to tell me who 1t is, SO that may
congratulate or condone with you, as
the case may be-"
you'll condone," said I, with con-
viction.
why, please?"
Because she--this girl. who isn't
Mollie Richards. you know, doesn't care
Straw for me--in that way, and the
whole thing is hopeless"
Elva softened instantly.
How can you tell If you've never
asked herr? she demanded ."She may
be simply pining away for your sake,
II you only knew"--her gaze wandered
through the window and settled on q
bed of brilliant begonias in the front
garden-"girls don't always wear their
hearts on their sleeves, even in these
matter-of-fact days, Monty"
l raised my eyes. They had been
busily engaged in tracing the pattern Of
the carpet.
do you think it's likely" asked,
that any girl would really fall in love
with man twice her age, if"
"Oh, she's young" interrupted Elva,
hastily. do you know, I'm rather glad
Of that"
l held up deprecating hand.
please let me finish" l implored.
"Twice her age, wien she's tyrannized
over him, leased him and looked upon
him as an old fogey for the greater part
of her natural life?"
Elva eyed me sharply. The color
came and went In her cheeks in way
that had never seen 1t before. Iput my
eyeglass in order to better admire the
effect.
"You said you'd seen her only once
or twice." size resumed, severely; but
the CULVER in her voice robbed the Sc
verify Of any sting.
waved my hand.
Lovers license!" l said, airily. II
couldn't divulge everything at once"
"If you've known her so long, how
comes it that you only-well--discov-
cred the state of your feelings yester-
day."
"'There is a tide in the affairs Of
men," quoted. Likewise, there is a
psychological moment when a man sud-
denly realizes fact that may have been
staring him in the face for years"
"And that psychological moment oc-
Cured at Lady Follet's?"
Occurred at Lady Follet's," I
echoed. And then there was long ST.
lence.
! let my eyes wander slowly round the
room. They fingered vaguely on the
ridiculous blue cats with which Elva
adorns her mantelshelf, and SKINNED
the photographs Of her numerous ad-
Of them thrust carelessly
into the overmantel, and some, the more
fortunate, smirking at me from elab-
crate frames.
think Elva's eyes must have been
wandering, too, for they came to an
Choir at the same moment as mine, and
then, without any rhyme or reason, they
filled quite suddenly with tears.
Now can never see woman cry
without feeling that something-some-
thing drastic must be done at once.
started up, and then the rest seemed
to follow as natural and easy conse-
luence.
In less time than 1t takes to chronicle,
Elva was crying quietly on my shoulder,
and the blue cats were grinning diabol-
Ically from their several coigns of van
Eage.
"And when" asked, after we had
become more or less normal, and re-
turned to earth once again, when was
yonr psychological moment, Elva"
Elva fingered gardenia in my but
It out-smelt It. and re-
placed It carefully t
When you pretended mean. when
thought you were pretending, and that
II was Mollie Richards, you know" she
said, incoherently.
And the blue cats grinned more than
ever, as much as to say; I'VE know
something about human nature, though
we are only china Free Lance.