Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-15
IGsa

Mildred Harmon and her lover stlil
fingered outside under an ancient oak, talking
in low tones of their marriage, which was TO
take place in the autumn.
"Ace comes tomorrow" Mildred said speak
ing gently and with the rhythmical intonation
that is one of the hall marks of breeding Arc
you going to be nice to herr"
"Of course" Leonard answered readily. lie
was handsome, powerful young fellow, with
something peculiarly likable about him. cam l
not always nice?" he added, his eyes smiling
into hers.
ITO me. yes" replied Mildred quickly; ITO
other people" she hesitated "of course, you re
not ever rude-you couldn't be that-but can't
say you're often cordial"
Nlildred's lover moved his chair closer to hers,
SO that he could slip an arm about her waist
"Im sorry, DEAR" he said in low tone. I'm
afraid you're right, and I'm not always all that
1 should be to other people-to your friends Ill
try to do better, but see you seldom. When
we are married promise you shall have no cause
for complaint"
"Sedom!" exclaimed Mildred in tone meant
to hold reproof but which only told that she
was pleased-"you see me every day"
Eyes, but not alone except now and again for
little while. And when this friend of yours
comes I suppose things will be worse than ever.
i III going W De ulCe W ncl lOl JOul SohS1 DuO
l hope she is person of tact. must have you
to myself sometimes"
"Alice had plenty of tact when we were at
school together" replied Mildred thoughtfully.
81 hope you will be nice to her, Leonard. I'm
going to depend on you to help me make her
visit pleasant. 1 feel so sorry for her"
Leonard stretched out his free arm and took
one of his sweetheart's hands "Why?" he asked.
"Well, she's poor and has to earn her living by
teaching. It's not on that account Pm sorry
for her, though, but because she's so alone. She
is without relative. Think of having no one
in the world with whom one is frst!" Mildred
gave a little shudder, and her hand closed over
Leonard's with convusive clasp
at must be rough" he admitted as he return
ed the pressure.
81 sometimes think have more than my share
of blessings" the girl went "Alce seems
to lack so many of the little things that, trifing
as they are compared to the great ones, do help
to make life pleasant. She hasn't even pretty
name. Alice always makes me think of the girls
in novels whose lovers jt them. And fancy be-
ing called Miss Brown !"
"It hasn't an attractive sound" admitted
Leonard ''Well, we'll do all we can to give
Miss Brown jolly time while she's here-dear-
est" He added the last word softly and after
"Thank you, Leonard" Mildred, too, spoke
softly, and her voice had little ripping note
of joyful wonder in it. "Shall we go in now?"
The young man rose. eyes, he said; "your
father wants game of chess, and afterwards I'm
going to get you to play for me if you will"
Mildred nodded, smiling as she slipped her
arm through his, and together they moved slow
ly up the steps of the broad piazza and SO into
the house.
1t was week later, and Mildred's guest made
one of the group when the Harmon family sat
out under the trees in the spring twilight.
Alice Brown was too addressed and tired-look-
ing to be pretty, but her blue eyes pleasant
ly frank and her manner gay and charming; evil
IDENTIFY she bore no malice against fate for deny
ing her most of the good things of life.
She had already made a friend of every men,
ber of the household, Mildred's father and moth
err and the servants liked her, and Leonard had
the night before admitted to Mildred that she
was a mice, bright little woman"
Perhaps his approval was partly the result of
a certainty that Alice was "a person with tact"
She had proved this by her adrot way of manag-
ing that Leonard should always have little time
alone with Mildred before his departure She
never left them with the feeling that she had
gone because they wished her away; she always
put her withdrawal favor.
In their gratitude Mildred and her lover left
nothing undone in their efforts to make Alice's
visit something to be remembered. There were
lawn parties, picnics and dance given in her
honor; indeed scarcely day Or evening passed
that did not hold some pleasant gayety.