The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-10
PADS AND PHILANTHROPY,
pY INA WRIGHT HANSON.

vision was rose color at the peg ms, and somber gray at the ending Inat she herself, was reasonable Tor tne tinting did not alter the fact that Hon or's eyes were wistful, and her lips very near to trembling. She turned from the window to the readers, won dering aimlessIy if any of them hao had ideals. and were sorry.
 Finallv here eyes travelled to the farther corner. where were the news paper files. There stood man. ms back to her He was very shapoy, nus he had yellow hair, and he was aoou' inc hefght-just then he turned nt- lie and began tightening his belt. Honor heard the noon bells ringing. She had heard that If one were very, very hungry, it helped little to giru one's waist very tightly. Poor fellow. :. Then he turned entirely around anu took up his ragged hat. Honor dropped her magazine. her gloves her purse, her handkerchief and her para sol and sprang toward him.
 why, Mervin Fairbanksl HOW siau I am to see you. prophet scars. l said that you shouio not see me again till you would pc glad of the sight; and how goes the gay world with you, Miss Honor Wllo- ing?" a,.,. k.o,, Honor expected him to shrink from her. ashamed of his apparent poverty, but she remembered he usually hao done the unexpected. He picked up her belongings. and they went out out standing in the shadow of the gray sfone bliilding, she lifted hesitatins l eyes to his. ,.
 "wlll you come home with me Merviu? I want so much to know ol vnur wanderings these past two l years" ,...n
 she was surprised again at his quick consent. She remembered Mervin Fair banks as fufiously proud of his pedi- gree, his good name, and his appear ance. What could have happened to reduce him to poverty and to change me "Yoa expect to hear of Paris and E4.onaon. and maybe Egypt and In dia 2" he asked, after luncheon was over. To Honof's third surprise he hao eaten very little. II haven't been out side San Francisco until yesterday. Honor regarded him with reproach you never let me hear from you, she said. ,. |, was an of between us. couldn't Ds as philanthropic as you desifedi ana didn't like to pretend that l misn' grow to 1t. because 1 knew l shouldn How are your protegesF
 Honor celored."I don't know
 Mervin smiled at her quizioaily.
 "Did Bacagalupi rob your housef ol Mcriarity take to the black bottlt again?' s,a sn, them didn't seem to lastI they were constantly expecting more. I simply l got tired of 1t all and stopped. Then 1 I realized that I was only a fad any way. like my cat farm and other 1 things woke up one day to the reai- ization that Honor Wilding was de- ceiying herself; that she was only ego tistical when she thought she was charitable. l haven't had any taos since. l have been humpie, ana .h nisa rable." she added under her Dreatn' He smiled tenderly at her You were only trying Jour wings little
 She looked at him gratefully But Mervin tell me of yourself; yourr-youl the mast two years She wanted te ask him why he came to be reduced te so dismal an appearance but she hes' | itated. AT a,-as
 Let me see." he unused II asked s. vo,r to marry me when you were | eighteen. That was hNe yeafs "sS wasn't it?'' .s, yes" acknowledged Honor hei
 
 | heart beating furiousiy Al. ..
 "And you refused because you were anticipating a career It was to pe womarl's rights, l believe" e. Honor, her eyes downcast. was twist 1 ing her bracelet hervohsly.
 | "Then when you forgot youi speeches, and had several unpleasant s,cou6ters s with unpleasant people, you decided that you were mistaken in you calling" ......-.,.
 'sYes," said Honor again -. "VJhen vou were twenty y-cue, l asket v6,, to marry me; then 1t was thu cat fafm. 1 think possibly you migh | have let me be partner that tune only objected to the cats. l didn find one feline pet. or two; put pc lieve I used some emphale iahsu u@e' in regard to the farm .l.-.
 ay6n certainly did answered Honor
 sarbe third and last time was tw'
 ,,ssrs sgo when the farm had los | its gtdrv and it's cats. You wer
 ttnnor wildlng. philanthroplst, then
 ,.ou fold me if I would jcin forces an,
 fortune with you in your ire WoI, WI
 that you would be pleased to wa, sn
 rntt ma as your friend, the scrub lady
 satd couldn't see 1t that way. an'
 ,Tnii re,narked that I loved my sei
 heftar than you; and so we parted
 1a
 ..f was uutust" murmured HoHoi
 oI have been sorry many times
 af resolved to go away ana torse
 vot S did the one, but not the ethe' [ want YOU this minute more than
 eVar desired you in my life; ana m
 eNiss tell he that you are not indiiter CT
 eft Honor, my little girl, VIII yo
 wait for me till l can co'iio '' ""
 Q man ought .-..ls ..,e,..,.
 pnt she was leaning forward eager 1v her eyes suffused with tears' ne
 sweet lips trembling, ..
 .eWhv must you go away sh
 bleaded "Don't let wreteneu matte
 of money part us now. we nave ,ie tos
 i've wears. Mervin, and nave uoilar
 a-pIenty, for both Don't let your prlo i stand between us now, Mervln'
 1 For a moment he looked al her curl
 ouslv. then he smiled, aIoelt ms eye
 were sravely tender and ne put hi
 arms around her. ..-.-.,.. ..,,., .,,h
 Dear" he said fervently' m rlch CT than you afe, twice over we kep
 on making m6ney these two years jus
 so shouldn't think so hard. wa
 going to ask you to walt till l wen
 to t5a hotel and arrayed myself i
 decent clothes before we phghted ou
 trotb : [ didn't want you to feel as
 bagpar were making love to you,
 smoke of waiting. for though the tailo
 saId he would have them by noon,
 lsn,st,, hv sad experience that ther