The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-20
-:- OUR DAILY SHORT STORY

f George, putting that delightful curve | into his voice which he chiefly reserves l for old ladies.
 Bad husband. But shall give you | awayw
 'oh. don't, Lady Barnchester-re-
 ally. please don't'' and for once ne spoke quite earnestly as with another
 finger-waggle Lady B. passed on-into the supper room, of courseif So he is married! There is a madame, some Ger
 man frau whom he must have met
 during his six months at the Heidel-
 berg university, where know he
 went after leaving Cambridge! Its terrible to think I have been
 admitting him into my orange-blos-
 som dream-I, who regard flirting
 with married men as spinster's final cry of failure!
 But yet that is what I have been doing!
 I have been allowing George Dulli-
 more to dance with me. ride with me,
 walk with me, and talk to me. when all the time there is some Gretchen with two plaits and black velvet laced bodice, who owns the best he
 has ever had to give! 1 am trying to think that I have not | encouraged him very much; but as l | look down at my birthday presents I know this is not so. Yes, it is no good trying to deceive
 myself or my birthday diary I have saved dances for Gretchen | husband before I knew that he was | going to ask for them; I have often | gone to parties when I would much | rather have stayed at home, just be- cause I had told him that l should be there; I have But there let me bury my "have l dones," and erect monument of fu- ture deeds over the grave! (How epigrammatic am getting as l cease to be 19D
 This evening I shall have a chance to put myself right to myself and to him! l have promised him the sixth waltz at the Mendleigh house ball. and will keep my promise; but as we sit out after the dance we won't drift 1 into vague, subtle personalities Nothing shall be vague. nothing shall be subtle any more-only facts (facts which he must think l have known ever since our first meeting) concern ing madame" in Heidelberg! Perhaps if this had all happened | two or three years ago, or in two or | three years time, I should have cried. but now I couldn't do it. I feel too much excited, too anxious | for my own vindication, too much wounded in my pride for tears. But yet-ohl how could have car | ed.-how I could have cared! GAS usual I'll finish my diary when | the birthday is over and the entry 1 can be complete-"complete!" Win anything ever be complete again?
 Never! because 3 a. m.
 The Mendleigh house ball is over 1 my blue chiffon gown is crushed, the | Flies in my hair and on my breast are
 dropping, the stars are paling, my
 birthday is past, and-my life has be-
 gum
 hardly know how to chronicle it
 all-but I must. One cannot break
 faith with a diary that is only written
 once d year!
 When we arrived he was there
 waiting for me at the top of the
 stairs, His greeting was stimulating l ly restrained as usual; and after put
 ting down his name a couple of times | on my program he bowed and | crossed over to Erica-who is begin
 ming 10 look terribly matronly, poor thing, (Such a pity when Nigel is
 six months younger than she is' But
 they are supremely happy, so I sup
 pose dawning double chin doesn't nlatterD