The Alamogordo news. (Alamogordo, N.M.) 1899-1912, 1906-02-24
The Story of a
Story
By CONSTANCE CAMERON
Copyright. 1905. BY R4bV Douglas

suggested.
Melville thought this a pity, for the
sun had been doing Its level best-nOt
unsuecessfully-tO discover unsuspect-
ed tints in her gold brown hair, but, Of
course, be said nothing. and shifted the
garden chair within the shadow Of a
big acacia.
The girl toyed for few moments
with the two long pins In her lingerie
hat. Then she leaned slightly forward
and pressed the ends Of her fingers to-
gether, pretty little way she had when
she was seriously interested.
"What were you writing awhile ago,
Tom, when interrupted and asked you
to play tennis? I'm afraid you weren't
giving your story happy ending, you
looked so tremendously blue and sad.
Do you know, was thinking of that
look of yours all through the game.
and"-
You made some mighty good back
handed strokes across the court, Hell
en-" said he, bit irrelevantly, picking
up her discarded hat and tanning her
with it.
Come, now" the girl said softly,
touching him never SO lightly on the
coat sleeve. tell me about 1t, won't
your
well, you see," he answered with
genial smile, Il was bit perplexed
just then when you found me. I've
presented my characters a problem
and they can't solve it."
"Ethicalg questioned Helen, pointing
a copper colored tennis shoe and gaz-
ing at it demurely.
IF ethics is the philosophy Of con-
duct. yes, decidedly It's ethical" re.
turned he promptly. "But don't let.
talk shop, please. I'm sure it will bore
you"
what are they like, your characters?
And what is 1t you've given them to
solve?" she said cheerily. rs it so
very difficult?"
"The man in the story" he began hes
itatingiy, fixing his eyes straight OIL
the top Of a tall pine tfee. ''ls a pretty
decent sort Of chap. He has a good
name-the descendant of a long line
running back a number Of generations
without getting out of alignment, you
know. He has fair ability, energy, am
bition and all that, with q position that
secures him just about enough money
to live on. And the girl in the story
Melville cleared his throat.
"And the glrlF" demanded Helen.
well. when they were children the
girl and he had played together with
mud pies and seesaws in their back
gardens. Their mothers had been col
lege chums, you see, but the father Of
the child in kits died and left his son
nothing but his unblemished name
while the father Of the little girl kept
ON growing daily more and more like
Croesus.".
when they grew up did they still
care for each other, your boy and your
girI?" asked Helen in low voice. She
was giving his recital her keenest at
tention.
".The man loved the girl" he an.
swered in voice that seemed inap-
propriately grave. "IIe loved her so
much-but it's enough for our purpose
to say that he loved her"
Helen shot furtive glance of in
quiry at him from under her thick
lashes, and her eyes looked like a pur.
r1lo hloaax alord that hos Il, fts hoe - &l,r
forked lightning. but he was gazing
down the vista Of trees, so she said
merely:
And the girl loved the manf" He
started.
"He-he wasn't sure" said Melville.
'.He was sure she liked him; otherwise
otherwise she wouldn't have spared
him so much Of her time and been 50
sweet to him In lots of ways. but''-
but he didn't know whether she
loved him.' cried Helen. '.If he was
made Of big. manly stun. as some
how fancied from your description he
was. couldn't he have found out easily
enough?'
"You Sec" began Melville, ..here was
the girls money. People would thInk"-
But Helen interrupted him with fine
scorn:
$50 your worthy hero was afraid OF
what people would think and so be
kept the door OF bis heart locked tight
and all the time the girl might have
been there starving just outside. she
might have been, oh, so hungry for him
to open to her and bid her to come In
But what people would think for.
sooth, had more weight with him than
the girls possible hunger! Pshaw,
Tom! A beautiful hero you've nader
The little wave OF color that surged
over the delicate, proud purity OF Hell
EMS face cut Melville like knife. So
lovely. SO near. so far! She had heI
yeiyety purple eyes on the Distant hills
She seemed fathOms away from him
and he wanted her 50 keenly!
lie looked at her for fully hall
minute, finding her good 10 loOk at,
then thrush burst out into al exqui
site trIll just over their heads ana hop
ped from one branch to another. As Il
hoppcd II moved the acacia leaves
opening chasm IN the dome or green.
sOh. look, Tom! Too late nowY' she
cried, with animation. .Yon did uol
look up Ia time. but II was there sec
ond ago. the sunbeam stralght ike I
finger. You see, having to give you
back your copy Of swinburne. / learned
a few Of the verses I liked best ilrst." "
But Melville was IN no mood tor talk