Milford chronicle., 1906-04-27
He IN the
Long Ego
By VIRGINIA LEILA VENT
Copyright, nos, bD E. G. PARCELS

or her mead, IN the tip of the shell-likl
ear and in the lustrous brown hail
that CLEANED in the red shine of thu
setting sun made him think of a CIR
whom he had known in the long ago.
by Joye! l wonder if it could be-
he speeulated, looking at her sharply
and blinking through the smoke from
his pipe.
i. Just then she raised her veil and
turned. Harding saw that she was, in
fact, the selfsame girl. She knew him
instantly as he came forward. and they
shook hands heartily, as became old
friends.
'Of course, when we get back to
New York, youll come and see me-"
continued Vittoria after they had talk
ed Of many things. ''You know, when
brother married, I issued my declara-
ton of independence. It's a dear little
box Of a house in Greenwich village.
All alone? Why, to be sure. That's
the principle upon which l made my
stand-a woman against the world"
She smiled as she spoke, and her teeth
glistened prettily in two little rows.
Sounds more terrifying than it real
" is" she went on without giving him
a chance to throw in, "for the bachelor
maid has only to acknowledge to thirty
and the world tosses up the sponge at
once 1t doesn't care to continue a
fight after it's ceased to be interesting"
But Harding had put his beloved pipe
IN one corner of his mouth and was 60
ing through an elaborate pantomime of
counting on his fingers. 'Nine and
twenty" he corrected.
Vittoria colored slightly and strum-
med nonchalantly on the arm of her
steamer chair "What an appalling
memOryw said she.
WhereuDOn they both laughed, and a
little silence fell
mine years." observed Harding sud |
denly. He had been stretched out lazi-
" in his chair, his hands beneath his
curly head his gray eyes staring
straight into the glory of the western
heavens. "It's a good slice, isn't it, if
one hasn't accomplished
In the midst of his sentence he saw
Vittoria nod to some one. Following
the direction of her eyes, he perceived
a tall, blond girl, smartly gowned and
of rather naughty demeanor, walking
briskly toward them. A maid followed
more slowly with a steamer rug and an
armful of wraps.
"Ah, it's Marion" he exclaimed half
to himself. And to Vittoria, do you
know her?'
"Our acquaintance is only a bowling ,
one" volunteered VittOria coldly. I ,
met her last month in Switzerland"
"Hello, Kent" cried Miss Marion
Lane carelessly, as he rose to greet her. /
From beneath her inky lashes she 9
glanced at Vittoria indifferently and
nodded slightly again. you can join
mother and me when you like-no hur- y
~" she murmured amiably as she r
swept on down the deck, where her n
maid deposited her rug and wraps be- 4
side an alert looking little widow in
black. b
"Pm engaged to Miss Lane" Harding :,
'aid oddly at length. "At least, I've :,
lsked her to marry me-"
''You'- began Vittoria incredulous- T
y. Then a change took place in her h,
eminine mind. "And her answers"
he said simply.
"She's considering it. In the mean y,
lme, Of course, it's a secret" ~
"Of course" -
II love her." said he, a bit shame =
lcedly. ut must seem strange that l = =
to say this-to you he stammered. y, !"
'No, 1 think / understand" she said ~ -
uietly. And then she listened with in =
'edible patience to his foolish rhap- %
)dies. There never was such an ador- p
BILE creature as Marion-such wealth en-
tenderness and undiscovered charm.
Shortly afterward Harding took his Dy
ave. The twilight was fast coming Ue
l, and Vittoria sat for a long time wa
aning over the rail again. She was IN
Oking into the long ago.
Now there was once girl, and she raj
as barely seventeen-oh, sentimeate4, tne
be sure! And he was a nice boy I
me from college on his senior vaca- 90
N. She had cared for him, for he -
Is nice boy and had such manly, ~,
nest gray eyes And then one sum- ~
sr day as they had stood alone in the a., a.
fashioned garden he had kissed her. -.
/, how unfOrgettably vivid was the ~; ~
gold Of the sunfowers .- ~
d the crimson Of the holIyhocksl .ioi
Ind the next day they had walked ~ ~
IT to the village. where he got her a lue
'iish little ring set with blue stones. Wy
scaUse blue means true love-" said 10, ~,
Just boy and girl affair. And liD'
next week the boy had been whisk- su
or on a continental tour and had non
templated the University Settle luri
Mt Finally, however, he had com 'iVi
missed with parental authority by =, ~
n8 In strenuously for football. tnet
oot5all as specific for loYesick- anu
81 Vittorla laughed softly at the re- aeto
ubrance But It had cured him. sie
en three years later they had met orat
In she saw that the episode with as
gunhower and hollyhock back urai
1nd was already too remote to oc- ana
on even momentary embarrass- Ih'
t. The knowledge that he'd forgot COM
had hurt a little Yes. II one must year
lonest, nine years ago It really had iIW
good deal! ~.