Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-10-26
ROCKVILLE MARYLAND. MORNING. OCTOBER 26 1906
Love
Is enough
BY o. R. PHELPS
Copyright. 1908, by @. H. SutcliiRe
BY o. R. PHELPS

''Shut your eyes tight while tell
you story" Alwyn commanded. ut
begins as stories ought always to be-
gin, Once upon time
Dear me-! I know l shan't like 1t.
Those once upon a time things have
grown to be such bore! Lolita muir
INJURED plalntively, but without in the
least checking the story teller.
He ran ON, his eyes nxed high above
her head, "A foolish fellow, foolisher
than the common, set himself to hate
wisdom, whose other name is wom-
an
He got his come-uppance. of course.
They always do In stories. never out
of them" Lolita interjected dispassion-
ately.
This time Alwyn laughed. Whose
other name Is woman-woman," he
repeated with all the emphasis Of capt.
tails. But you're dead wrong. He got
no come uppance 1t was rather his nl
luck to come down very hard-so hard
he groveled in the dust when one par
ticular woman looked him over with
out seeing him. That has happened,
let me see, about three times day for
full six weeks. RESULT
zone hundred aud twenty-six grow
els, II your figures can be trusted.
doubt 1t. l doubt, indeed, II there Is
anything trustworthy about y0u." Lo-
lita flashed at him, with q smile 30
coyly engaging 1t took all the sting
of
being tiresome," she went on. 81 don't
ask you to be sensible, I'm SO far from
sensible myself. But let's got away
from the eternal me. There must be
such lots of things better worth while"
what will you have? Shall l dis
course on ships and shoes and sealing
wax and cabbages and kingsT" AL
wyn asked, his voice submissive
enough, but dancing rebellion In his
eyes.
Lolita smiled demurely. II think"
she said with an air of grave refiec-
ton, "if you don't mind, had rather
hear things about Gordon Fleming"
There's nothing I can tell you-hes
SO openly. 30 extensively. 80 disgust
ingly rich-and so patiently In love with
you" Alwyn burst out
Lolita gave him sidewise look. Are
you sure?" she murmured. Don't you
see 1t would be cruel to experiment
with my credulityT
"As cruel as your experiments with
my affection2" Alwyn flung back at
her, trying to speak tragically. but
laughing In spite Of himself. What a
rogue she was to play with him so. She
loved him almost as no loved her. II
had been instantaneOus-they had
hardly more than looked at each other
when eye spoke to eye. heart to heart
But she had fiouted him daintily all
along, thereby making him more than
ever captive. And he In turn had
teased and vexed her. now with exag-
gerated and open devotion, now with
reproofs for wholly imaginary faults.
Really he did not think she could own
a fault she seemed to him perfect and
altogether lovely. But In spite Of his
overcoming, he had wit enough to see
that tame and AFFECT devotion would
never suit her-he must show himself
a man Of spirit and temper else he
would be no man for her.
II was ten days since they had come
together ut the Glenwold house party,
ten blissful days Of Lolita and love.
Incidentally there had been walks,
rides, drives, golhng and mOonlit
maunderings. Mrs. Arklow. Glen
woods chntelaine, had looked on In
smiling approval. Lolita had but a
scant fortune, and Alwyn, though not
0verrlch, was clearly at the beginning
OF great career Were not the Flem-
ings, father and son, behind him. the
Flemlngs who had millions In hand
and the potentially Of other millions
In their mere approvalf Gordon FleAn-
ing, the son, was well In the middle
age; he had married very early-as had
his father before him--but 1t had
turned out very badly. In a year there
had been n separation, later the threat
of divorce. but fate stepped In to save
the family pride The wife sailed away
on ship that went down at sea. She
had not been heard Of In the fifteen
years since, SO 1t was safely assumed
that she was among the lost. None Of
the few survivors had any knowledge
of her; she was, moreover. 80 slight
and frail she could hardly have lived
through the terror.
Morally and legally her husband was
free-t0 love. to WOO, TO marry, II he
chose. SO far he had not chosen. In
deed, until Lolita came In his way wo
men had been to him as shadows
shadows which must be well and ten
derly used, but given no further
thought Her freshness. her unspoiled
fairness, her simple natural charm, had
swept him off bis feet as completely as
they had bowled over Alwyn. At first
ne had seemed to soc how the land lay
between the pair and contented himself
with standing aside to watch their de-
light in each other. But for three days
past he had shown a disposition to en-
ter the llsts--a disposition which reused
in Alwyn rather pity than apprehen-
sion. lolita knew-that was his sure
hope-knew what 1t was to love. to be
loved. All Fleming's millions were no
OFFSET to the knowledge. Still, 1t did no
harm to make believe he was in fear
Of them.
Lolita looked at him In silence for
minute, her face the while subtly chang
ing. II smiled still, but with no mirth
In the smile, and the dimples and
curves somehow shaped themselves TO
lhrmer lines. At last she said abruptly:
Don't you see have to marry himf
II don't ! shall marry you. and that
Will be your ruin. Don't interrupt.
must say 1t all at once-I have not
promised. but that's how 1t will end.
Last night had u letter. q home letter.
You know we're desperately poor rich
folk, which Ia much worse than being
poor outright. Mother has heard how
things are. That made her tell me
thlngs-things I had never guessed-of
debts, privations, humiliations she has
endured to make me what am. some
thing to retrieve our fortunes. Mr..