The Meeker herald., 1905-02-25

-ol the big, rOse-lined sunhat
was very white. Her lips
siuiverea i little. The hands that held
the vagrant sheet trembled.
II thought" said the girl to herself,
az hadn't begun to care-in that way.
was only becoming-attracted. But
the shock-the disillusi0n--''
When she had started out all hour
ago for her usual brisk morning walk
along the crisp. shelving sands. she
had been one of the most indifferent,
Hight-hearted Of girls. She was done
with college, and the two years Of for
eign travel that had succeeded school
es IL sort Of polishing process. Che
had perfect health. and misty dreams
of all the veiled future held In its
keeping. She had esthetic tastes, and
her skill in athletic sports was the ad-
miration of her less vigorous girl
friends. She had been having beau
tiful time down at this gag, unconven-
tionnl resort on the Michigan coast.
And now--wcll, temporarily it seemed
that her pleasure was spoiled.
And in her heart she knew that she
must have been beginning to think too
much of the man whose attentions to
her had been so marked. or else this
discovery would not SO affect her. Sit
ting to rest and watch the white-crest-
ed waves come curling up to break OF
the border OF the lake like threads of
rarest lace. her attention had been
caught by small, white, whirling OBJ
ject that at first sight she lad taken
hi ,I q 1,ov rrvI.l let ra<If NIL
nearer. Then it fioated 60 close she
could put out her hand and grasp it.,
and she found it was sheet Of note
paper covered with dlIninutire chirog-
rnphy. 1t was written ON the station
cry of the fashionable hotel looming
up on tho dunes behind her. At first
she had lseen about to ernmple II mp
and cast it aside. But In the very act
of doing 30 a name-hcr own name
met her eye.
Even then she hesitated. But the
three words were so significant she
must know their writer's full meaning.
letter. And the frst three words. at
the top Of the page were ''-love Ivy
Lyle"' Impulslvely. giving herself no
chance to weigh the nIccties of honor
in the balance. she scanned the page.
love Ivy Lyle. I've fought against
it-for cant AFFORD to marry her, as
you know. But she has rather swept
me of my feet. old chap! At first
was taken with her innocent beauty.
There was 10 one at this hi: hostelry
to compare with her for good looks.
80 let myself drift. thought she
was just dear little country girl and
mental farewell when the summer was
ever. You know what these warm
weather fiirtations amount to. So I've
been going to see her steadily and tax
ing her everywhere. We've gone dane
Eng and swimming and boating and all
the rest of 1t. And-by Jove! for all
she's mighty quiet, I've come to ind
out she's not the typical little country
girl at all. She's well read and trav-
eled, though she seemed rather aghast
when she let that fact out. And she
looks at fellow In cool, apprislng
sort Of way that makes him feel pretty
cheap-if his spoken thoughts are not
quite up to her white standard. But
she's not really in the social swim.
She's native. take 1t. It's been
hard to pin her down to any conf
dencc about herself She lives with n
very dragon of an aunt at a farm
house on the edge of town. She wears
her cotton dresses and share hats in
way that takes the shine out Of the
women up Mt the hotel, but I've never
sem her sport any Of the swell clothes
they wear to the hops here. oh. con-
found 1t! What's the use of my NOON
ing away to you at this rate? I've
got to go away and try to forget her
before it's too late.
..Damaris Chase and her father are
TO be here this week. they tell me.
and she's the girl the heads of both
Obr houses expect me to marry! She
may have the good taste to refuse me
and almost hope she will. She's n
great heiress, and the consolidation of
the business interests would be capi-
tai thing; but. oh. hang me il thought
It would be 30 hard to get TINT little
girls sweet face out of my heart. l
must do the sensible thing. and go In
for the twenty thousand n year. Lord!
but I'm sorry for those poor devils of
kings who have to we'd for reasons of
state. feel disgustinSly like one of
them. I'm sleepy. Good night-fll
finish this in the morning. Ten to one
dream Of Ivy Lyle
1t needed no signature. The writer
was easily recognized. She crumple,l
the paper tightly in her hand md
thrust it into the blouse of her gown
a.a rapId. heavy step came cronchns
d,S:n the beach. That step had be-
some too pleasantly familiar. Could