Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-21

sta YOU cousin Thomas.
THANK YOU he replied, 7 was afraid raid
come dent mean I came because
thought you would not want to see me-
/ he FASTENED to explain, hut mean came
| to apologize for sending you that telegram.
| am afraid Il was very rude. Ali the best
authorities say 50, But when found you
| had not received any acknowled gnaent OF
| the pretty present you had sent me l was
| 50 upset
'.Yes?'' she half asked, half agreed. But
| do you really think it deserved the import
apee of a telegram"
ut did" he declared, boldly. IL liked
| 1t better than any other present / received.
He said It bragenly. There was no sense
| IN being meek about 1t. She was sure to
| give some hint of what the present had
| been soon, and then he would be on safe
! ground.
81 considered it especially appropriate
he added That was safe to say at any
| rs tie. You can say that about any gift.
J YOU can say tilatwhen you can say moth
| ing else good of It.
| Bessie drew a deep breath of relief He
had begun talking about the present SO
| freely that he would evidently soon give
| some clue TO II. Then she would feel much
more comfortable.
Il was not sure you would care for It,
| she said doubtfully. Men are so hard to
find suitable presents for expected you
would throw it away when you saw what
IL was"
Now. she thought, he must give leading
answer as II read it," or II ate it, or II
am wearing it" or something of that kind.
But he shook his head.
Throw that away he exclaimed,
throw away that when you had so evil
IDENTIFY considered my taste? No, indeed; l
-" he was going to say kept it, but
the suspicion that it might have been some
thing demanding instant consumption came
y him. Il didn't do that" he concluded.
lamely, and then, with fresh courage, he
added, Il did just what you intended 1
should do with it,
Did your she asked, sweetly, and then,
what did you do with it?''
"Well. first" said he, hesicatingly. I'll
showed it to mother. Yes. that was what
did first-I showed it to mother. You see,"
he added, II knew mother wsslld Ike to see
1t She takes q great Interest in you-and
in my observation-disclosures In every thing.
She-she is that way, yea know
Cousin Bessie smiled sweetly, and cousin
Thomas felt uncomfortable. He had in
tended boldly forcing confession Of what
the gift had been, and now he found him
sell in corner with cousin Bessie asking
him disconcerting questions.
Did she like the PRESENT." asked Bessie
sweetly.
"Oh, very much indeed! Very much in
deedH' he cried, eagerly. 1t was such a re-
lief to be able to say something that was
not apt to expose his ignorance. "She was
enthusiastic about it,
Something In cousin Bessie's face warned
MIN that perhaps the gift had been some
thing that his mother would not become so
Wildly enthusiastic over,
. u. a: IT," he corrected, .'she was pleased
with 1t She took a great interest in it,
What did she tell you to do with it?"
asked cousin Bessie innocently.
Cousin Thomas breathed deeply and nerv-
otsiy smoothed his chin. Inspiration came
quickly
What would you expect her to tell me
10 DO With it?' he asked triumphantly
What did you intend I should do with it?'
1t is thus great generals turn the tide CT
fortune in their favor
"Oh?' exclaimed Bessie rising. 'I forgot
10 tell mother that you are here" And she
LETT him alone in the room. By such mar
row margins do surrounded forces some
tmes escape defeat.
AS soon she was gone Thomas saw
where ne had made his great error He had
allowed her to talk about the wrong pres
emf He should have turned the converse
I4oh upon the present he had sent her. OF
course ne did not remember what he had
sent her, but she would and she would be
pretty sure to say II liked that book YOU
sent me or something that would tell him
what II was. He decided that when she
came down he would jump right at her with
that and get the upper hand at once. He
was masterful sort of young man, and
BESSIE was the sort of young woman he
liked to be master of.
But Mrs. Marlowe came info +ba room,
alone. Bessie was up stairs wildly ran
sackfng her desk for some memorandum
that would tell her what her gift to cousin
Ihomas had been, but she did not find If
nat she found was a letter from cousin
Ihomas dated December 26 and unopened
She tore 1t open and read
Dear Cousin Bessie-Accept nv thanks
Ior the pretty match safe. 1t Is Just what
neeo. with best wishes for a happy New
rear, your grateful cousin, Thomas Grant
Ihomas was relieved when he saw his
cousin Martha enter the room. To the
eye she was merely a large and good
M in1l
peapance IN person had evidently sufficed
10 atone In her eyes for his past social
SINS SINS and she liked him at first sight
She liked his frank face and clean.
cut look. She was able now to laugh
ABOUT the telegram; could see. now that
she mad seen him, that 1t was Joke and
she enjoyed 1t so much that he told her
the other Joke-that he could not remem-
per what Bessie had sent him He asked
her, In laughing appeal. to tell him what
Bessie had sent, and Mrs. Marlowe laugh
lngiy admitted that she did not know She
even admitted that Bessie did not know
ana laughed about 1t. She told him to
make his visit as long as possible now
that he had come. and then she called to
Bessie, excused herself and put on her
wraps and went to keep some important
social engagement.
Inc smile that man smiles when he is
alone ls genuine smile. and not forced
smile and Thomas smiled to himself as he
sat alone in the parlor. He was aware that
when cousin Bessie came down he would
be able to lead her into confusion. to tease
her ignorance good-humoredly and avenge
himself. So he smiled.
She came at length. little flushed. but
all the prettier for. that, and she sought
10 turn the conversation along new lines
She asked him If he played golf She seem
ed to he intensely anxious to know If he
played golf. She put the question as If
the one thing she wanted In the world
was to know if he played golf Thomas
was not to be fooled in any such manner.
The reason l liked the Christmas present
you sent ne so much he said, with conf
dence. was because l had always wanted
1t, but had never got 1t. l nad heard so
much about 1t, oh, ever since l was little
boy and l had always intended to get It,
but never did"
Bessie leaned forward and looked at him
with surprise, He could hardly keep back
q laugh, she seemed SO evidently trying to
guess what the present had been.
That's funny" she said. Il thought all
men had them"
oh. mo- he assured her "All women,
perhaps, but not all men"
is that a joker" she asked IT suppose
you mean that all women
Well he said. they do read more than
men do, don't they2"
But-but didn't send you anything to
read" she faltered.
Perhaps you did not expect me to read
1t, he said. as one making a concession.
a