The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-10-18


" wharf. Don't neglect to
NOE keep me advised on all the
news, and rely on you
10 take care of Eve. Drop in to see
her as often as you can, and don't let
The poor girl fret for me-"
"All right. You may depend on me,
Earl. Good-byw
hastily crossed the deck Of the
steamer, and Toms broad shoulders
disappeared among the noisy crowd on
The wharf.
Tom and were natives Of the same
Village, had been playmates in infancy,
Bchoolmates in boyhood, college chums
In more mature years, and for the last
gear partners in flourishing business
In New York. What is of still more
tmportance-in my story-we had both
In the aforementioned school and col
bege periods, been in love with the
SAME girl, rosy, round-limbed, laughing
Eve Mallory. Why Eve should have
preferred me, plain, blunt-spoken, jeal-
pus as a fiend, to handsome, debonair
E0m Burroughs, is, of course, a mys-
kery. But so she did, and Tom, like
the honorable fellow he was, retired
from the field and after the usual, or
rather an unusual amount of courting-
Nor Eve was something of coquette-
Eve and I became formally engaged.
! thought it rather hard lines that
after brief two months Of lovers par
adise, / should be compelled to make
d voyage of very uncertain length TO
South America. But business was i'm
perative, so l bade my mother an af-
fectionate good-by and kissed away
the tears from sister Nell's cheeks, and
took an agonized farewell of Eve. The
agony was apparently all on my side,
however. For though l could see that
Eve trembled. there were no signs of
tears in her bright eyes. She blushed
ruriously when l kissed her, and strug-
gled free from my farewell embrace.
But it was like her to fight shy of all
demonstrations of affection. l had
never yet succeeded in obtaining
willing kiss from her, and | suppose
that was one reason why l set so high
D value on them.
"Good-by, Eve, darling" l said, as we
stood together at the gate. l know my
face looked white and woeful enough.
''Be true to me-"
"Good-by, Carl" she said, smoothing
pack her curly, golden locks. "Just see
how you've rumpled my hair. OF
course I'll be true to you, unless some
fellow l like better comes along" and
she turned hastily and ran up the mar
row path AMI disappeared within the
Hine-covered porch.
Her parting words rang in my ears,
oh, what would not have given to
know that our separation grieved her
One-half as sorely as it did me.
OF course I wrote soon to Eve; and,
remembering her. fancy for feathered
pets, l bought-though I had always
detested that species of bird, myself
a gorgeous and highly accomplished
native parrot, and sent it on as an ad-
ilition to her collection.
In few weeks, letters reached me
friendly; but l knew her too well TO
look for any demonstrative endear-
ments, or lover-like rhapsodies. She
acknowledged the arrival of the rare
bird" and was full of thanks for what
she was pleased to call my "unselfish
consideration of her taste" There was
nlso a letter from Nell.
"Eve is quiet and sad-for her. But
she bears the parting bravely. Tom
called here last night, and we went
over there together.
"At first l could see that it cost her
nm effort to be cheerful, but before
we left she was quite her old self. She
was dressed very simply in fine white
tuslin dress, and you can imagine how
.Tely she looked.
"What would not give for that
sazzIing rose and lilly complexion of
aers, and that slim, soft, round shape.
Tom was provokingly silent when /
went into raptures over her, on our
way home, but I noticed that his eyes
never left her for moment all the
evening.
All of which ought to have been very
gratifying to fond lover, but some
now it left a sting behind If it had
been anyone but Tom-good, honest
Com, whom / trusted as did my own
oul, should have been madly jealous
but, of course, it was all right. Had
4 not asked him to look after her?
Etin, there was that little sting.
As for Tom, he was strangely silent
~aout home affairs. All matters of
--asiness were regularly transmitted,
out do not think that Ewes name.
u that of sister Nell, was ever once
mentioned.
II was fully six months before could
wind up my business satisfactorily. and