, 1905-02-08

perspired under a load of her scnool-
books. and at Miss Gray's select Tin
ishing school no troubled teacher caught
der in clandestine f1irtations. Miss Fe-
Hcia was thirty. now, and mar was a
sealed book to her.
1t WA at the Ladies' Aid society So
eiable that the serpent first wriggled
into her horizon, and it was the silly
chatter of Helen Armstrong and Maude
Norton that brought it forth. Miss Fe-
licia sat just in front of the gushing
maidens, and their girlish condolences
were distinctly audible to her.
"Why, Helen, l should simply die of
modification If | didn't have an offer
before | was thirty" said Maude in a
Mortified whisper.
me, too giggled Helen s%ympathet-
ically, quite W of the iron that
had entered the soul of the little wom-
an in front of her.
Miss Felicia was proud. Her blood
was the bluest in town and her laces
the Oldest and rarest. Her pet vanity
was the thought that all the village
must look upon her with perhaps a
mild envy, but here was something
wanting, something so profoundly es-
genital that the lack of it caused these
ehits of girls to look upon her with
scorn and derision-upon her, Felicia
Winthrop.
1t was only a day or two later that
Miss Felicia received a letter-a bust
ness letter-addressed in a bold mas
euline hand. While she sat reading it
in the garden Helen Armstrong came
rushing heedlessly through the gate.
IF you please. Miss Felicia" said
the young girl breathlessly, mamma
wants to know if she can take your
rule for angel cake Then she caught
sight Of the boldly addressed envelope
in Miss Winthrop's lap and raised "A
playfully ~admonitory finger. "Oh. Miss
Felicia. From a man. | know. | new
er, never would have thought it,
A bright red spot blazed up in either
cheek, and something caught Miss Fe-
hcia's breath away Now was the
time to show this saucy chit of a girl
that her scorn was quite uncalled for.
Miss Felicia laughed self consciously
n hastily put the letter out of sight.
The blush and the hurried motions
we're enough for the romantic Helen,
and before night half the town knew
that Miss Felicia had had a letter from
her beau
The fair deceiyer was besieged with
questions,
Who is it. Miss Felicia q
Where did you know him.
why didn't you tell us b%efore?'
1t was then that Miss Felicia sud
denly found herself possessed of a
wonderful fund of Imagination. She
put all her newly awakened romantic
sentiment into the development of the
personality of her lover. and it was
not long before she almost believed in
him herself.
When they had asked her his name
she had given the first that came into
Aer mind, Paul. She was thinking of
Paul Raymond, the curly headed little
boy that used to sit across the aisle
from her at the village school. Paul
had wOrShiped her in those PARKWAY
days, but the chilling dignity of the
sedate little miss had effectually pre-
vented his showing it save in soulful
glances. Felicia never forgot the queer
little tluttering feeling she had when
ever she encountered that compelling
gaze, and some Way Paul" slipped cas-
lily from her lips as her lovers name.
Though she constantly refused to give
his surname. her neighbors had no idea
of being Obliged to fOrego the pleasure
of knowing il; So after wisely putting
their heads together and remembering
the adoring glances of this same small
boy they Informed her one day that
they had found out ana that Pau
Raymond was his name. The youth in
question having left the town for parts
unknown at the tender age of four
teen. he was not there TO dispute the
honor, and as Miss Felicia gave only
Il frightened. embarrassed exclamation
in response to their confident an
nouncement the name remained.
AS time passed Miss Felicia san
deeper and deeper in the tolls of he
own invention. She intimated that sh
mad met and known her lover agail
while at boarding school, and since the
they had correspondent. This, of course
necessitated IA regular and frequent in