Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-12

Old Miss Van Arnum peered cautiously
from behind the heavy curtains of her
north window, a favorite nook for obser-
walton Of the gongs and comings of Edith
Carmayue.
Daily for nearly five years had the
wealthy, vhije-haIred spinster kept keen
eve on the movements of her pretty young
nelghbor, ever since that bright summer
afternoon when she had seen her nephew.
the spoiled darling Of an old ladys heart
stumble unseeingly down the Carmayne
steps to disappear around the corner or
Pinckney Square, his buoyant figure bent
Is with sudden age, his head de1ectedly
Cxooped. his cane trailing Iistlessly the
pavement.
She never had seen him since; neither
had any one. so far her knowledge ex-
tended yet she knew him to be alive. Yes.
that. and also she was assured of his
health and steady occupation.
So much OF the affairs of the absent one
had her reticent. hard headed brother told
her of his vanished son. The rest Honora
might guess. Daniel will come back when
he gets ready. He is minding his own bust
ness and desires to have others do the
game" she had been told.
Lloyd Van Arnum was a man of scaled
lips His sister knew Interrogation to be
useless. The old widowed banker had
grinned rather trlumphantly. Evidently he
was neither alarmed nor displeased.
OF course Honora could guess. She had
been willing to give her boy up to Edith
Every one was sure it would be a match
The girl had fOuted him after all her en-
enlargement; had sent him away heart
broken to live down his disappointment;
had deprived his adorng aunt OF her one
interest-aud she would never forgive 1t.
Therefore. HOnOra Van Arnum watched
vigilautly and hated remorselessly the fair
young creature opposite.
In, hn n1d NM n
might thwart both love and ambition, did
opportunity occur. Was there another
suitOr2 Edith's admirers were legion, but
no one seemed especially in favor. With
wealth. beauty and position, popular and
everywhere in evidence. the girl remained
unchanged. gradually wearying of the So
eial round, turning to books and music, un-
Oh now. after the flying years of early wom-
6nhood she went less and less frequently
among the gayer set, seeming to long for
duet. fewer friends and rest.
Honcra began to despair. The looked-for
hover. upon whose aspira lions, welcomed by
,tht object of her spite she fondly hoped
might come to grief through some discovery
OF his past, inspired by her revenge, did not
rn&teralize This had been her dream,
pleasant al first TO her affronted soul, now
irritation, one who. waking from
a joyful trance Of sleep tries again to pick
up the thread of slumber and finds it use
less Few men, she argued. who have seen
much Of Iife-have not a past. Edith was
went older men came to her The
older the worse thought Miss Van Arnum,
land the better for me. The Carmaynes
are rigid"
The fact that her wel1-bc1oved nephew
had not been noted for stalking always In
3 rigid path may or may not have en-
tered into Miss Honora's calculations.
POOH she would say. only a boy
fresh from college. They're all alike"
In him she had seen no flaw; her tall
slender graceful Dandy gay and spir-
tied. the leader of his set. To have him
blown away. as by an Invisible wind, into
heaven alone knew what dangers and
temptations. was outrageous, wicked. That
girl should pay for II with equal suffering
If only chance would throw weapons into
the hands of Honora Van Arnum. Edith
must marry some time. 1t would be like
her with those aesthetic notions to fancy a
romantic scamp Honora was adept at
tracing careers. She would be busy for
while-aud then?
A great deal may go on across the street
hidden from all eyes save two. and some
times four. Every Sunday morning when
IN town Edith sat at her writing desk, not
10 write, but TO read fast yellowlng sheet