Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-12-14
The Story Of a
Story
BY CONSTANCE CAMERON
Copyright, 1905. By Ruby Douglas

Let's move into the shade" Helen
| suggested.
Melville thought this pity, for the
sun had been doing its level best-not
unsuccessfully- discover unsuspect-
/ ed tints in her gold brown hair, but, of
course, he said nothing, and shifted the
garden chair within the shadow Of a
big acacia
The girl toyed for a few moments
with the two long pins in her lingerie
hat Then she leaned slightly forward
and pressed the ends of her fingers to-
gether, a pretty little way she had when
she was seriously interested
What were you writing awhile ago,
Tom when I interrupted and asked you
to play tennis? I'm afraid you weren't
giving your story happy ending, you
looked SO tremendously blue and sad.
Do you know, l was thinking Of that
look of yours all through the game,
and
You made some mighty good back
handed strokes across the court, Hell
en-" said he, bit irreIevantly, picking
up her discarded hat and tanning her
with it.
"Come, now," the girl said softly,
touching him never so lightly on the
coat sleeve, tell me about it, won't
your
well. you see," he answered with
a genial smile, 'sI was bit perplexed
just then when you found me. I've
presented my characters problem
and they can't solve it,
"Ethical?" questioned Helen, pointing
a copper colored tennis shoe and gaz-
ing at it demurely.
IF ethics is the philosophy of con-
duct, yes, decidedly it's ethical re-
turned he promptly. "But don't let's
talk shop, please. I'm sure it will bore
you"
"What are they like, your characters?
And what is it you've given them to
solver she said cheerily lis 1t so
very difticult?'
1.-THE man in the story" he began hes
itatingly, fixing his eyes straight on
the top of a tall pine tree, lis a pretty
decent sort Of chap. He has good
name-the descendant of a long line
running back a number of generations
| without getting out of alignment, you
know He has fair ability, energy, am
bition and all that, with position that
secures him just about enough money
to live on And the girl In the story
Melville cleared his throat.
"And the grip demanded Helen.
'sWell, when they were children the
girl and he had played together with
mud pies and seesaws in their back
gardens. Their mothers had been col
Iege chums, you see but the father of
the child in kits died and left his son
nothing but his unblemished name,
while the father of the little girl kept
on growing daily more and more like
| Croesus."
.'When they grew up did they still
care for each other, your boy and your
| girl?" asked Helen in a low voice. She
was giving his recital her keenest at
tention.
ssThe man loved the girl, he an
swered in voice that seemed map
propriately grave. He loved her so
much-but it's enough for our purpose
to say that he loved her.
Helen shot a furtiye glance Of in
i quiry at him from under her thick
lashes, and her eyes looked like a pur-
pie black cloud that has in its heart the
forked lightning, but he was gazing
down the vista of trees, so she said
merely:
"And the girl loved the man?" He
started.
"He-he wasn't sure" said Melville.
ssHe was sure she liked him; otherwise
otherwise she wouldn't have spared
him so much of her time and been so
sweet to him in lots of ways, butt
"But he didn't know whether she
loved himr cried Helen. IF he was
made Of big, manly stuff, as some
how fancied from your description he
was, couldn't he have found out easily
enough?"
you see," began Melville, s'here was
the girls money. People would think
But Helen interrupted him with fine
scorn:
$50 your worthy hero was afraid of
| sWnaL people would InlnK. ana so ne
kept the door of his heart locked tight,
and all the time the girl might have
been there starving just outside. She
might have been, oh, so hungry for him
to open to her and bid her to come in.
But what people would think for
sooth, had more weight with him than
the girls possible hunger! Pshaw,
Tom! A beautiful hero you've NADER
i The little wave Of color that surged
over the delicate, proud purity of Hell
ems face cut Melville like knife. SO
lovely, so near, so far She had her
velyety purple eyes on the distant hills.
She seemed fathoms away from him,
and he wanted her SO keenly!
He looked at her for fully half
minute, finding her good to look at;
l. A. 4. =.