Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-08

Us
light OF his god-mother's words. he viewed
| himself and his possessions at a new angle
| of vision. Money-and name-what were
| tney, after all? Nothing that belonged to
him-that was really part of himself
he surveyed himself in the full-length
mirror The lean carver face, with its
square jaw and heavy chin, never before
nad looked so commonplace and unattrac-
i've He lifted a lock of the stiff. straight.
black hair, observing for the first time the
| subtle. insinuating threads of gray, and
i thence.
- Youth is the most desirable thingr -"
| his god-mother's words repeated themselves
| with maddening insistence.
] he was only thirty five, but thinking of
| fatrlcia and of the boyish beauty OF Stand
,sn -i Suckhannon. he felt strangely old and
| world worn. He sat for hours the heavy
chin dropped upon his breast, the long, lean
nands clutching the arms of the great oak
chair.
When he rose a radiance from his very
soul fllumined the saturnine face and made
| tender light in the dark eyes. He wasn't
| worthy OF her-no living man ever could
nope 10 De that. but he would win her. If
| ne could. and ask the God Of his fore
Iathers to make him less unworthy.
Mrs. Winthrop, seated with Patricia in the
morning room. glanced at the card on the
salver held out by the servant and rose
! with a look OF pleasure
Earoon, madame" said the man. "a mes
sage. Mr.. Carver wrote on the card"
| The lady lifted the card and read the
WORDS on the back. She motioned the man
70 retire, and resumed her seat, looking at
Farricia with proudly glowing eyes.
: You look WELL" she commended, quite
! as could wish. 1t is Myles. Go directly
oown. and'-thrown of her guard by the
tnoqght that her dearest wish was realized
IL congratulate you!"
Patricia gazed at her with wide startled
eyes What do you mean. Aunt Anne
II m not to go down aloner'
MRS. winthrop smiled indulgently and
| 5eweled fingers.
'Alonei" she echoed: You are not afraid.
nope! Our plans. Patricia have met with
pate"
Inc girl shrank back trembling.
IL. - can go down, auntt' she gasped.
.. nonsense non, cried the older woman.
don't spoil 1t all now, when the prize ia
| Within your grasp. and" Patricia paled
and shuddered: the meaning OF her aunt's
words had come to her-a look of horror
threw a darker shadow into the deep blue
eyeo-and when all my plans and
| hopes"
Mrs. Winthrop paused before Patricia.s
upn1teo nand-a gesture enforcing silence
| and In sheer amaze at the queenly poise
| OF the slender body
And did you think, Aunt Anne" in
coio. clear tones. that I had lent myself
| SOASSiOuSiy " yOuT-SCneme. Will not
call 1t by the name might because that
] would be an affront to you and you are
| my fathers slster-I never thought to
blush for my Adams blood! But you must
| and the Stahrenbergs do not buy and sell
nor Is Stahrenberg subject to barter-'
| MIS-. winthrop sprang to her feet as the
| girl swept from the room, then she sank
| upon couch. more shaken than she could
recall ever being before Was it possible
that the girl had not known-had not un-
| derstood? 1t seemed incredible! But now
now mat she did know. now that she did
understand, was it possible that the proud
! name OF Myles Carver-it had been Miles
to every gneration-meant no more to her
than John Doe? Again. granting that her
| foreign training had blunted her sense of
| ancestral values. did the girl live who could
be blind to the glitter Of the Carver mil
| lions?
Mrs: Winthrop knocked gently on Pa
tricia's door. There was no answer PA
| tricia. dear Patricia" she whispered The
| sound of smothered sobbing broke upon her
ear. She noiselessly pushed open the door.
Patricia was upon her knees by the bed
her arms thrown I'D over her bowed head
"Oh. dear God" she prayed, help me to
forget! Oh. he. too, would think that L
that l would bargain for wealth. The
heavy sobs choked the words She would
| have uttered.
Mrs. Winthrop silently closed the door
and went down to the drawing room. sigh
ing heavily.
! Your evident disappointment is not com
| plimentary, Myles." suavely.
The man was too deadly In earnest to
handy words.
Il had hoped to see Patricia. Aunt Win
throp'-abruptly-"I mean to ask her to be
| my wife: l know that 1 have little of
vaiueII know am not worthy"
slow emphasis. Patricia is very young. and
very innocent. and ignorant. To her there
| is nothing in life but love-"
Then help me. Aunt Winthrop"-tensely
there Is nothing in life for me now with
out Patricia
Mrs. Winthrop waited long time be-
fore replying. When she spoke there was
voice and face. "Myles. 1 will be honest
! with you. I had wished for this. Now
I want only that Patricia shall be happy,
and think she cares for Standish Buck
hannon.''
That ancient excuse for the unsheathed
sword. "Alls fair in love and war;" had
its origin in cowardice and selfshness.
Some men are lifted out Of themselves
and above all selfish thought by the In
coming Of a great love. Myles Carver
was one Of these, and he earnestly tried
to stife his own great love for the girl
and to be glad for the boy.
You're a lucky youngster," he thought,
grimly. "a living illustration of scriptural
justiceLto him that hath shall be given"
Mrs. Winthrop, from her point Of van
tage, watched the three with growing wis
dom.
1.-THE lucky youngster' danced into
Carver's retreat with a fragment Of
song on his lips.
"Say, Mylesy I've known Patsy three
weeks Don't you think that's long enough
to her her to marry me?
Carver tried to speak, but the words re-
fused to come.
"Oh. I know-you're thinking for a
rush in! So they do, Mylesy, but IL
you'll sit up and take notice you'll dis
cover that 1t is the fool that rushes in
who walks off with the Doodle. while the
angel is shivering around on the outside"
Bruised and pained at heart as he was.
Carver could but smile.
II think you are right, Standish," quiet
Iy. ''I realize that I am not up to date"
: Alone, Carver remembered his god