Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-13
THE %1AN
ON THE BOX
By
HAROLD MAC GRATh

be a dismal failure. with me in bed with an
| arm or leg broken. Heavens! l never was
so frightened in all my life: We went so
| fast against the wind that l could scarce
| breathe. And when it was all over,
| tainted like a ninny.'
| Tainted! I should have thought you
| would l should have fallen off the animal
| and been killed. Betty, you certainly
| have neither forethought nor discretion.
| The very idea of your attempting to ride
| that ANIMAL
We'll | am wiser. and none the worse
| for the scare. James, stop, Stop!
! Betty cried suddenly.
| When this command struck his sense of
| hearing James was pretty far away IN
! thought. He wondering If all this
were true. If it was, he must make the
| best of it, but if it was dream. he wanted
to wake up right away, because it was be-
| coming nightmarish
James, The end of a parasol tickled
| him in the ribs and he drew up somewhat
| frightened. What was going to happen
now? He was soon to find out. For this
/ was to be the real climax of the day; or,
at least. the incident was pregnant with the
| possibilities of a climax.
Colonel surely you are not going to pass
US by in this fashion, cried the girl. They
were almost opposite the Army and Navy
| Club.
why, is that you. Miss Betty? Pass you
| by? Only when l grow blind!' roared a
lon-like voice. Very glad to see you, Mrs
Chadwick
| That voice. of all the voices he had ever
heard chill of indescribable terror flew
up and down my jehu's spine. and his pores
closed up. He looked around cautiously. 1t
was he, he of all men: his regimental cole
mel. who possessed the most remarkable
| memory of any army man west of the
! Mississippi, and who had often vowed that
| he knew his subalternS SO we'll that he
could always successfully prescribe for
| their liyers!
| Il was just about to turn into the club
for my mail declared the colonel. 1T was
I % k1 pcrQr
you've been specializing in the shops, -
touching the bundles with his cane.
You win" laughed Betty. But I'll give
you hundred guesses in which to find out
what any one of these packages contains.
| Guessing is a bad business. Whatever
| these things are, they can add but httle to
the beauty of those who will wear them;
| for / presume Mrs. Chadwick has some
claim upon these bundles"
| Very adroitly worded" smiled Mrs.
Chadwick. who loved a silken phrase.
| I'VE shall see you at dinner tonight?'
| ''An the battalions of England could
not keep me away from that festive board"
the colonel vowed (Another spasm for the
groomD And how is that good father of
| yours?"
LAS kind and loving as ever
| Il wish you could have seen him In the
old days in Virginia." said the colonel,
who. like all old men. continually fell back
upon the reminiscent. .Handsomest man
| in the brigade and a fight made him as
| happy as a bull-pup. l was with him the
day he first met your mother, softly.
| How she Inundated him because he wore
fortunes of war; but / could see that she
hoped each mouthful would choke him.
| What! My mother wished that?'
| Mrs Chadwick laughed. The groom's
chin sank into his collar.
wait a moment She wasn't in love
with him then. We were camped on that
beautiful Virginian home of yours for near
ly a month. You know how courty he al
! ie Nan 70 arNr a
he replied with a smile and some trif1ing
favor She never had to lift her finger
about the house. But one thing he was
firm in: she should sit at the same table
during the meals. And when Johnston came
laundering down that memorable day. and
your father was shot in the lungs and fell
| with dozen saber cuts besides, you should
have seen the change! He the prison
bed she had him placed and for two
months she nursed him. All, that was the
prettest love affair the world ever saw.
And why have you not followed his eX
amDle?" asked Mrs. Chadwick.
The colonel gazed thoughtfully at his old
comrades daughter, and he saw pity and
unbounded respect in her eyes. They say
| that for every heart there is a mate, but l
DO not believe 1t. Sometimes there are two
hearts that seek the same mate. One or
| the other must win or lose. You will play
| for me tonight?
| "As often and as long as you please
graciously. She was very fond of this up
| right old soldier, whom she had known
| since babyhood.
| 1t was now that the colonel casually
| turned his attention to the groom. He OBJ
| served him. First, his gray eyebrows arch
| ed abruptly in surprise, then sank in puz-
| Element.
What is it?" inquired Betty, noting these
| signs.
| Nothing; nothing of Importance" an
swered the colonel, growing violently red
| 1t would not be exaggerating to say that
{ If the colonel turned red his one-time Or
| derby grew purple, only this purple faded
quickly into chalky pallor.
well, perhaps 1 am keeping YOU re-
marked the colonel. sobetly. II shall hold
you to your promise about the music"
I'VE are 10 have plenty of music. There
will be a famous singer and fine pianist"
You will play that what-d ye-call-it
| from Schumann l like so well. l shall
want you to play that. l want something
/ in the way of memory to take back west
with me. Good-by. then, till tonight"
/ "Good-by All right, James; home" said
/ the girl.
! James relievedly touched his horses.
The colonel remained standing at the
! curb till the victoria disappeared. OF what
he was thinking | don't know; but he final
/ Iy muttered james, in an inquiring way.
and made for the club. shaking his head
/ as if suddenly confronted by a remarkably
aDstruse 9rOblem.
Further on l shall tell you how he solved
/ ii.
CTo be continued tomorrow
|
LIEUT.. JARVIS RESIGNS.