The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-03-31


be wonders how you could ever have
loved him. Well, there was a time
when l was afraid you couldn't, and
now I'm mighty glad you didn't, and
there's an end of it,"
Il wish there were an end Of it," re-
turned Edith, "but there isn't. Last
evening Donald asked me if l had re-
ceiyed Il letter from MIR. Hardy, and,
Of course, l said no. Then l saw Don
! AIDS eyes wander for an instant to my
ring, and that meant that he didn't be-
lieve me- l must tell you that we've
made treaty, as he calls it. When he
asks me anything by the sign Of the
ring I'm to answer the exact truth"
Goodness, how did he happen to
make such a request as thaS$f'
I'D fibbed about so many little
| things. You see, l love him so much
that 1 can't help saying what 1 think
will please him."
Mrs. Lockwood laughed with great
enjoyment and then suddenly became
| serious.
This matter Of the Hardy letter is
! different business" said she. Il guess
you'd better tell him the truth"
But l did, auntie," Edith protested.
81 haven't seen any such letter"
"In our dealings with the sterner
SEX" responded Mrs. } ckwood, 1--WE
must always remember that the truth
| is not necessarily a statement Of the
| facts; it is something that the man will
believe. This philosophy should be
taught in every girls school; it is more
| important than cookery to the Amer
lean home. Buttto return to our text.
! I'm of the Opinfons that Donald has rea-
son to believe t1atFNat Hardy has sent
you a letter. If he goes over to see Mr..
| Hardy frequently he may have seen
the letter on that gentleman's desk"
"You don't mean to imply that Don
aid would
Read it? OF course not unless
through some accident But one sees a
name on an envelope at a single
glance"
IF Donald saw q letter for me in Mr.
Hardy's office. why didn't he tell me so
straight out?"' said Edith. "It's not
| like him to make a mystery Of such
! thing"
"He had a nan's curiosity to know
whether you would admit receiving
! the letter. The circumstance is odd
enough to arouse this interest. Why
should Nat Hardy be writing to you?
I'm sure 1 can't guess, and I'd very
much like to. find out"
"Of course sdsasked him why he sup
posed that m$ght gHtsuch a communi-
cation respondedy Edith, land he said
that he fanced that Mr.. Hardy might
have something to tell me. His man'
ner was as, dfthe thought 1 should be
pleased, as if there were some surprise
In store for me. 1 was so puzzled that
I didn't care. to- ask any more ques-
tons"
eve must know more about this, y
said Mrs. lockwood, with decision.
''Tact and a telephone ought to help
US"
You are going to ask Mr.. Hardy?
I'm afraid Donald wouldn't like that"
Donald will never know anything
about it, my dear" answered Mrs.
| Lockwood.
She was absent from the room about
/ ten minutes, and when she returned her
face disclosed the self complacency of
justified pride.
'T have the whole affair at my fin
gers ends" said she. "Do you remem-
Der that little photograph Of yourself
taken at the interesting age Of three
years? You were greatly grieved by
its loss. I heard you tell Donald Of the
inexplicable mystery Of its disappear
+ ance."
''Well, what could I say? Donald
wanted to see it. and 1 couldn't tell him
that 1 suspected Mr.. Hardy of stealing
1t. That would have made him angry"
"Your suspicious, my dear, were en-
tirely correct" said Mrs. Lockwood.
'Mr. Hardy has the picture, and Don
aid saw it in his apartments on Mon
day evening"
Edith gave a little cry of surprise
and alarm.
"Auntie, you don't suppose that Don
aid thought 1 had given Mr.. Hardy
that picture and had told a falsehOod
about it,"
BE tranquil, my child. Donald
knows the truth or as much as is good
for him. Seeing the picture there and
having heard your story, he was nat
urally in a difficult position, from
which he extricated himself handsome
". He merely mentioned to Mr.. Hardy
that you valued the picture highly be-
cause the memorandum upon the back
Of the card was in your mothers hand
and happened to be the only bit of
writing that remained to you, where
upon Nat Hardy had a remarkable i'm
pulse to { right. Quite miracle, as
it seems to, me. He confessed that he
had thoughtIeSsly flched the picture
because 1T was so quaint and pretty
and said that-he would send it back to
you with humble apology immediate
". While Donald was looking over
some legal papers Nat wrote a letter
to you, and he mailed it next morning. u
And It's lost. and the picture with