Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-01-15
Bertie's Engagement
Is Broken
BY JOHN WORNE
(Au.hor Of the Bsrle Stories. "a


10 bt q an enc. Sall BeFiIe.
"Certaiuly,' Eva replied. coldly.
"Your outlook upon life has often
rcyolted me lately
Didn't know ! had one" he said,
gloomily. 81 used TO be quite healthy
when ] was a kid"
so / have decided that we had bet.
ter part" she replied, but it is belt
ter So"
Perhaps" he said, with sadness
What is the other mans name"
What other mani" she asked.
quickly.
THE sympathetic man with the iol.
ly outlook
She flushed and said with warmth:
There is no other mani"
He toyed with his gloves, making
preparations for departure.
You will burn all my letters, Of
course; | shouldn't like them to be
lying about and get into the news
papers"
Yes" she replied, family. There
was a pause.
Well" he said, q suppose I'd better
say good-by."
"Good-by," she said.
eve car still be friends, of course,
and all that"
"Of course"
"All right; and I'll come to you
whenever I'm in trouble or anything"
He was at the door, but stopped
again. See you al the F~arborough's
dance tonight" he asked.
Il may be there" she said.
Right he replied, and passed out
Of the and her life.
1t had been a happy dream and must
now be forgotten. A man who took
life so lightly. however attractive he
might be for a time, was not a com
panion to whom a girl ought thought
lessly to allow herself to be united
forever.
She doubted whether she ought to go
to the Farborough's; but she had
promised to be there, and did not like
to disappoint the duchess.
He vas already there.
About half an hour after her arrival
he happened to be standing near her,
Enid, the daughter of the house. A
man walked off with Lady Enid and
BERTHE looked around the room.
"Ah, my dear Miss Rowen, how do
you do? Great crowd! Just Gomez"
No" she said; I've been here for
some time"
No, really; curious that | haven't
seen you. But there are so many peo-
pie, aren't there? May l have a
dance?"
They danced the waltz that was just
beginning. He soon found out that
she had been to the academy and was
a great admirer of Wagner. So was
he. Had she read many novels lately ?
Jolly waltz they were playing. Blue
Danube" wasn't it? Yes. Confound
the fellow, Hoped she wasn't hurt.
No, he hadn't got a pin, Why not
simply tear it all off? So sorry. Sit
out the rest? Certainly.
So they retired TO a quiet corner of
the conservatory. There he laborious-
ly began the same kind of conversa-
ton, and she, having up until now
answered chiefly in mo|nosyllables.
said: Don't be foolish, Mr.. Pilking-
hame. l don't think we need to be
quite so distant; it sounds rather
idiotic."
Very we'll" said BERTHE, huffed: 1T
was quite up to the level of my usual
conversation on first i"ntroductions.
though
"Oh, l didn't mean tnat." she said.
hastily. 81 mean as we've known each
other so many years"
Il see; well, I'm glad you put It in
that way, because l have something
rather-rather delicate to ask you
something l couldn't ask a complete
stranger"
He hesitated. The fact is, 7 should
rather like you to return me the ring
l once gave you-er-you may perhaps
remember"
She handed it to him. I'm sorry;
of course l meant to return it to you
this afternoon. How foolish of me-"
1T was rather strange of me to ask
you for it," said BERTHE. But the fact
is, l want it just now for a special
reason"
What reason?' she said, almost in
a whisper.
Well" he said, 'as we are on such
friendly terms, l don't mind confiding
it TO you. You see that tall girl in
blue e there, under that scrubby
green STUFF"
"Maude Noreham?" said Eva. star
tied.
Yes. Fact is, I've got the next
dance with her, and it struck me that
she's such a ripping girl that I've de-
cided to ask her to marry ME. and on
occasions like this ii is always Use
full, l find, to have the ring ready. you
know"
"As you are a sort of a sister. you
know he went on. dreamily. Il don't
mind telling you how p~assionately /
love her. II is SO nice to have some
body to confde in in a case like this
somebody sympathetic. You know