Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-03-18

Henry CARROTS plight was a perplex-
Ing one. 1t drove the young lawyer In
| to a logged determination to get the
| girl in spite of herself. He had had
l year of the ups and downs of a court
| ship such as only Helen Benton could
| have made so torturing, and yet sweet
l ened by the hope of ultimate success.
] The worst of it was that he really be
lieved that she loved him, though he
| had no proof beyond the fact that she
1 refused other men right and left. was
4 suspiciously sweet to the other girls to
whom he paid the least attention and
| treated him in cavalier fashion that
indicated that she considered him her
property.
When he asked, as he did all toe
l often, Nell. do you love-at all9' she
would answer sweetly, do 1 act as If
1 did,"
He was obliged to admit that she did
not. Then she continued to laugh at
his counting and to turn him down
| whenever she so chose
One pleasant August afternoon he
| sauntered TO her home and invited her
l to go golhng. She loved golling. He
\ found her under the trees in a ham
| mock in a dress of foamy blue rufiies,
with n cool blue cushion under her
dark little head.
'"roo hot" she answered, "and I'm
| too lazy. Besides, 1 want to finish my
book" She picked up her novel. leav-
l ing him to infer that he could take him
self of. He did-as far as the gate
then he turned auG waiSoG back 20 Scs.
"Helen," he said slowly, do you in
tend ever to marry me or not?" She
looked at him with apparent GOODNESS:
something flickered to her eyes. then
wavered away.
81 intend not to- she replied.
''Do you love me? Does my love mean
| nothing to you?'
Make your own differences, Henry
Carroll. Tell me why / should marry
at all. am happy as 1 am. Why
should / want a-man? Unless" she
spoke meaningly, Il could find one who
| could make me think wanted him."
Nell" he said sternly, do you realize
what you are throwing away?"
"A lover she interrupted. "A chance
to wear the title of Mrs.; TO live in
one place always; to say Yes, DEAR
and No, dear to audit the household
bills; to make and receive calls; to-
ITO be loved and protected always;
to be made happy, for can make you
happy. Now you are simply idle Nell,
don't you ever look ahead to the time
| when you-even you-wil be no longer
young? Don't you see that you need
me almost as much as l need YOU?
Aren't you afraid OF old age. of not be-
ing loved? Aren't you afraid of-any-
thing, grip She picked at her sleeve.
then lifted serious dark eyes to his own
blue ones
Il am afraid OF one thing r.
What is ii, sweetheart?" She
sprang from the hammock and ran into
the hall; then she thrust out her head
and called, I'm awfully afraid of-the
dark" And he heard the sound of re-
treating laughter
Thereupon Henry Carroll betook him
self and his wrath to the links, where
he played very bad golf and flirted ex-
cellently with pretty Polly Cummins.
Toward sunset as he was waiting to
put her into her dashing little trap, he
hazarded a question:
Miss Polly. if you were a man and
wanted girl, and she kept you dan
Cling, but wouldn't have you, what
would you do?' Polly's eyes danced.
She knew Nell Benton's ways.
Does she-care?"
She only torrents me- What would
you do?"
You big, splendid, helpless thingr,
she laughed. why, make her have
you! There's nothing women like like
being made to do things-by the right
man. Get her where she can't helm
herself and make her promise to do as
you wish" Still laughing, the girl
drove away.
carroll walked gloomily along the riv-
er road, turning over Polly's advice.
de looked up to see a canoe coming
, swiftly upstream. The girl handled
j the paddle with easy skill. AS she
came closer he gasped with anger. If
was Nell in her red waist-the one he
liked. 1t was too hot to golf with him
out just right for laborious upstream
paddle by herself. He resolved to make
her sorry before she got home.
Keeping carefully out OF sight among
the trees and bushes. lie followed the
rivers course till Nell landed. drawing
the canoe up on shore. Then she sat
down on the grass with her book. Aft
er what seemed an age she arose and
tried vainly to catch the lowest limb Of
the tree above her. Then she broupbt