Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-13

A strong character shows itself even in
childhood. and childish incidents often give
a prophecy of the ruling passion Of later
years.
Jean Mackenzie, as a child of seven.
scornfuIly refusing the pink and white gum
drops offered by the rcd-haired boy in the
next seat at school, was but the miniature
of the beautiful Miss Mackenzie, who at
two and twenty declined the greatest eaten
in all England, besides several tides of
lesser refulgenCe.
The answer given to the youthful Master
Carcw might have served, with minor
notifications, as sufficient reason for the
more courteous negatives Of her young
Tvornar,hood To his insstent why nOt?'
regarding the rejected sweets, she had re-
piled with the uncomfortable candOr of
childhood, because you are coward
Jimmy Dunn hit you in the face and you
were afraid to hit back" and there was
something in the unwaverlng brown eyes
that made the guilty aspirant withdraw his
sticky offering and turn away his freclkled
face I'm :bashed silence.
Orpha led In infancy, Jean was the idol
of her grandfather. old Gen. Mackenzie,
and he was her hero. Upon him she Law
ished all the passionate devotion of her ar
dent nature, and the two were inseparabIe.
Her greatest delight was to lure him into
a recital Of the stirring events of the civil
war, hi1 experiences at Gettysburg or at
Cold II arbor; or of his campaign with
Crook when he fought his perilous way
over western bluffs and slopes and grew
gray in the dust along the Little Big Horn.
Small wonder that the girl was iltolerapt
of anything approaching cOwardice, or that
she was intensely American and unreason-
ably patriotic.
Il will marry none but an American,
grandfather" she said proudly, while the
shimmering yellow head was held high, and
the brown eyes glowcd like shining gems
and a hero-like you. grandfather
Il want you to marry an American" the
grand old man replied, but remember there
are heroes who are not soldiers. and there
is bravery other than that called forth by
war"
If hec grandfather hoped that the girls
resolve was specific rather than general
and that one particular American was the
secret ival OF the distinguished foreigners
he was too wise TO suggest ii other than by
his attempt to extend her g!rlish idea OF
heroisrI.
Mrs. Mackenzie was equally astute. The
pariicI lar American was Neal Borden, the
son of her dearest friend. Meals father was
the ge 1erals COmrade in the bright days of
boyho ID, and through years of peril in later
life.
Shor ly before leaving America Mrs Mac
Kenze had arranged for visit from Mrs.
Borden and her son, but 50 carefully was
that il was solely for the purpose of bring
Ing her into closer acquaintance with the
young man, whom she had met only occa-
siona'ly.
Neal Borden was fully aware of the plans
of his mother and the wishes of Jeans
grandparents. and the months visit at the
old Mackenzie home settled in his mind all
doubts as to his own ardent concurrence. He
well understood the value of his vast pos
sessions, and their weight in the estimation
of most OF the women he met, but he be-
lieged they would be of little import in the
uusullied mind of Jean Mackenzie.
He was singularly distrustful of himself
and his powers of pleasing, and the note he
placed in jeans hand at parting was char
acteristic of the man and his mOdesty.
Dear Little Jean: | cannot see you again
until your return from your trip abroad l
do not want you 10 forget me, little Jean,
and as a reminder l am leaving you one of
my choicest treasures-a ring that belonged
to my father. If you learn to love some
enc in the year that must pass before we