Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-20
PART ".
1t the Point-Continued.


A great parsonage had come to the Tote
for the night. The band had been playing
in his honor The halls parlor and piazzas
had been crowded with joyous throng OF
visitors and more than the customary
sprinklng of officers and cadets. Gradu
ating exercises We're to be held upon The
morrow. and out of the frying pan of his
cadet career Brother Jim was to jump into
the fire of subaltern life, a full-fledged
lieutenant of cavalry. Ethel's heart sank
at the mere thought of it, Hayden had
told her what trooper work like in
Arizona, and friend at court had con-
fided to her that Jim's assignment was 10
the very regiment in which that other had
so nearly ended his days. True, the old reg
iment was, for the time at least, done with
Arizona. True. odd Catnip'' was still at its
head and could be relied upon, said their
informant, to take the nonsense out of
jimmy But between these two, Fred
Hayden and James DePeyster the perils
of the one, the errors, escapades and ex-
travagances of both, the days of the
father would probably not be too long In
the land which the Lord had given him
while those of the sister had been burdened
with weary load. And yet she loved
them, women WILL better probably than
that light of the consular and diplomatic
service, Andrew, jr., in whose care finally
Hayden had been launched as sub-assistant
secretary under the shield of the United
States III the consulate at CoblentZ. In the
year or more of almost unaided looking
after an aging and much broken father
and two such happy go-lucky, helpless
brothers, small wonder was it that Ethel
Hoyt's once rounded check had thinned
and paled and that there had been but lit
tie time for thought of others.
Yet thought there had been, and sorrow
full thought and much of it, The girl does
not live who likes it in a man that his man
ner should abruptly change from the devo-
Uonal, even worshipful, to the constrained
and distant, albeit at her suggestion, and
when such suggestion grew from the cir
cumstance of Ethel Hoyt's relations with
the co-educational, and those relations had
abruptly and finally terminated, there was
no reason that she could see why constraint
and distance should not also end. But in
stead had come that letter. almost formal
how was she to know of that other letter,
long, grateful, glowing, that told so much
that she, being woman, would have loved
to hear-that letter that his cooler judg-
ment and his sense of duty told him he had
no right to send? Locked in his heart and
an inner drawer of his old desk that let
ter still lay hidden. Pride, foolish pride
added still another bolt and bar when later
he heard of her bettered fortune. On that
head he need have had no least compunc-
'''N ~
from worrying
And so for nearly eighteen months Ethel
Hoyt had been schooling herself to con-
slider Donald Fame as a memory, even while
her heart rebciled that he should read
lily accept the assignment She was think
ing of him as she turned from the gate
way to her fathers aid, for Jm's last Joy
Gus word was a wish that he might be in
the same troop with Capt. Fame. She was
thinking of him even as she strove cheerily
to reassure her father, who looked upon the
Indian frontier as something little short of
the Inferno and Jimmys chances of ex
tinction as already settled. She was think
ing Of him even as she reached the steps
and recalled the glorious rides that began
and ended there. She was thinking of him
and how, almost reverently. he had lifted
her from saddle and stood her ON that
lower step-whcre now he stood in person,
and civilian dress smiling and with extend
ed hands. She ceased to think, for every
thing seemed dZzily reeling round, in the
midst of which, with sure foot and one
firm hand, at least, he was support
ing the father up the stair. 1t ena-
bled her to fall behind and re-
gain her breath composure and ideas.
She was herself again when they saw that
father safely seated and in converse with a
former crony of the Street" She was
therefore, in spite of being herself, far from
being the Ethel he hoped to see. She was
again Miss Hoyt.
Nevertheless. Ronald Fame had come for
a
IL. knew it, when he offered his arm and led
her to the north piazza and that glorious
outlook over the northward reach of the
Hudson-lcd her to the very spot where
they had stood that night in June three
years before. Many people Were seated
along the west and southwark front but
few We're here, and these few We're paired
and absorbed, well they might be. She
was trembling bit, for there had been no
warning of his coming, and she who had
months before resented silence.
now. womanlike, was maneuvering ito
check his words. She who had quit Grover
ton and the "co-educational' indignant ana
affronted, stood plying him with questions
as to all manner of people for whom she
could feel but faint appreciation. How was
Dr.. Parsons and good Mrs. Parsons? and
oh how was Miss Hinton, and had Miss
Hinton ever forgiven her for the man of
straw that dangled at Miss Hinton's case
ment? Innocent was Miss Hoyt of ali
completely in that exploit. she had not es-
capped suspicion in Miss Hintons austere
mind. At least the perpetrators were none
other than Miss Hoyts own pupils. There
was no denying that. Neither was there
way of proving. Finally Miss Hoyt wanted
to know all about Mrs. Tremaine. and the
handsome rector, and Miss Fame. Was
Miss Fame still at Mrs. Jamieson's? No.
Miss Fame was living at the rectory now.
on how very much better that wasi Yes,
very much, said Fame. yet only temporary.
Indeed, Were they planning TO keep house
nOW-tdpt. fdnc aHu ms utNoteu SISTER :.
She certainly was devotion itself. The de-
votion was duly conceded, also that Jane
was contemplating housekeeping, and there
was indeed prospect of his being included
in the very charming arrangement, as Col.
West had been so kind IS to suggest his
coming to live with them, and then of
course Miss Hoyt was all felicitation for
the colonel and for Jane. 1t was an ideal
match, They were people of such strong
and marked characterize admirably suited
~ each other etc, and all the time Miss
Hoyt was conscious of the fact that he
saw perfectly well. through her girlish
artifice-saw and knew she was hardly con-
scious of what she was saying, and pres
entity the soldier in him spoke in spite of
her and with hands that trembled even as
.iiIl -. or,., he seizad nd held them and