Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-04-13
ROCKVILLE. MARYLAND FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 49, 1906
TIE
TQcf2eSSreSc
Of Me
By INA WRIGHT HANSON


Ei-s-s"s-ss-.-s-s-e
1t is notable human trait that two
men who barely recognize each other
at home will exchange the most cordial
pleasantrles If they chance to meet
abroad. In cognizance of this law Of
nature I was more than ordinarily de-
lighted to see Miss Az Ruybottom Of
California enter a lAlway train. II
wasn't that Miss RuS botton snd had
only hQwipg aequaintalNe . ti'lith,
we had had q great .ieH Iaare than
that Operas, bells f ..icnics, On
cursions by laua 4.Iu water, WALKS,
talks aud dglVes-we had enjoyed them
all together, expecting so to continue
to the end of our lives. But one day,
as. we stood looking over the pictures
hanging for prize In the Mark Henry
art rooms, among which was one of
Alice's, she suddenly tore my ring from
her finger, threw 1t at me- burst into
tears and fled crying out that she
hoped she would never see me again.
am naturally proud man and, not
being able to perceive any reason for
her actions, took her at her word and
sailed that night for Europe. The year
of my absence had dragged woefully,
and came home, all the while debat-
Ing whether | should seek her again or
whether l should let pride dominate
love. Now, fate seemed to have given
poor love chance, SO with some little
trepidation l went forward and stood
at her seat.
Good afternoon, Miss Ruybottom,"
said politely.
She looked up, her face tremulous
with bushes. why, JoeW she ex-
claimed How glad am to see youl
Do sit down."
sat down, my heart throbbing with
happiness. / was about to blurt 1t all
out at once-my longing for her and
my delight at being with her again
when my eye CHANGED to fall on her
suit case In great glaring letters I
read, MRS. Dr. Arbogaste."
l received two separate individual
shocks-the first that she was denied to
me forever the second that her charac-
ter had lost something of Its sweet sim
plicity to allow OF her proclaiming her
self as MRS Doctor"
isn't 1t delightful that we both hap
pened to get this trainP" she said, her
sweet face still pink ~ remembered
that your mother lives around here
somewhere suppose you are visiting
her"
bowed assent. couldn't trust my
voice just yet.
II am visiting, too, but / am going
home soon. I'm glad. I'm on my way
to see No. 43. / don't think I could
stand many more relatives"
must have proved q sorry converse
tionalist, but Alice didn't seem to no
tlce She chatted In her charming way,
her voice thrilling me as of old, her per-
sonalIty. sending delightful zlgzags Of
feeling all over me. but through II all I
was tasting the bitter fact that she be-
longed to another.
alice" said ut last, NOW that It Is
too late to repair mistakes, 1t probably
won't be any good for you to tell me
why you threw me Off so suddenly that
day In the Mark Henry, but 1t would be
VI ShtiSiHNtiOh " INV W
know"
3. you said you thought ! should win
a prize for 1t was the poorest collection
OF pictures you had seen for long
while"
meditated. Well" / acknowledged.
ut was an ambiguous sentence. But
why should you have chosen to take the
uncomplmentnry meaningf You ought
to have known me well enough to know
that wouldn't have Intentionally hurt
your feelings. | meant 1t all right"
Il know | acted very foolIshly, Joe,
but was tired and nervous, and that
speech was only the last of many. As
look back they seem unlmportant
enough; but, really, at the time you
kept me In n nervous strain wondering
what you would say next Do you re-
member the time you had mentioned
some Mrs Newrich whom you had met
and l asked you what she was like2
You answered, oh, the kind Of woman
that you would expect to see wearing a
purple bonnet and red waist
81 have some faint remembrance of
some unpleasant occurrence over the
remark, but
why, Aunt Rachel was present, and
her favorite combination of eolors is
red and purple. Don't you remember
her scatbng reJoinderT
Too well remembered It, SO that
was tiny penchant for saying the
wrong thing In the right place or the
right thing In the wrong place. join
ed ruefully In Alice's melodious laugh
ter and kicked surreptitiously at the
suit case
"If that unslghtly object Is In your
way" remarked Alice sweetly, "set 1t
I'm the aisle. | don't know where the
owner Is, but as didn't see any other
unoccupied seat ventured to take
this"
"And you are not Mrs. DIR. Arbo-
gaste" said stupidity.
mo, nor Mrs. Anybody Else. But
where is your wife? From what you
said inferred"-
why, grille, Pm not married. /
mean to be, though, II the sweetest girl
in the world will have me. Alice, I've
changed. really have. I'm older now
and have gained swads Of tact. Alice.
will you try me againr
was talking to the back Of her pref
ty head, but kept on desperately At
last she turned around. I leaned for
ward eagerly.
Joe" she said. "Just look out here"
looked out grlmly. A woman was
running toward the train, followed by
a thin girl and fat little boy. Into
the car they tumbled, not breathless,
for they all talked at once. and fell into
q seat across the aisle.