The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-10-28


20 eslTange her by those words. IL
was as il Helen's whole soul had
shrunk back ia horror, and she sat
staring at her aunt with open eyes.
Il suppose you think the other
went q grimly, that / am going to
share all this wonderful sentimentallty
with Won about that boy; but ! as
sure YOU that you don't know me. He
may get you 20 weep over him be-
cause ne chooses TO behave like fool.
but not me-
Helen Was stul for a moment. and
then she said in an awe-stricken
voice; Aunt Polly, / have wrecked
Arthur's lfe!" Mrs. Roberts respond
ed with loud guffaw. which was u
the other SO offensive that IL was ike
blow in the face
Wrecked his Ifc"' tAe woman cried
scornfully. Helen, you talk like
baby. Can't you know ia the first place
that Arthur IS doing all this high
tragedy acting Tor nothing ia The
world but 10 frighten you? Wrecked
mis- life. And there you were. l sup
pose all really 10 get down on your
knees 70 him and beg his pardon for
daring 10 he engaged, and 90 promise
10 come Ia his uJtIc and live on bread
and water IL he would only be good
and not rLn away
Mrs. ROBERTS voice WAS bitter and
hooking. and her words seemed 10
Helen almost blasphemy. II mai never
occurred 20 her THAT such grief as hers
would not be sacred II anyone Yet
there was NO tuuIZlt of anger III nsr
nina just Laru, Iur sine nId been
chasteEed lu fiery furnace, and was
too full OF penitonce and humility Ton
even that much egOIism. sue only
bow ed her head ana said. iu "a lTemul-
Ing voice. "Du, Aunt Polly, ! would
stay in ara attic ana live OH bread ana
water Tor tH- r,sJ of my days II
could only clear my conscience OF the
dreadful thing have done
"A beautiful sentiment indeed" sad
Mrs. Roberts. with ID snin OF disgust,
and she stood surveying her niece III
silence for a minute or two, Then,
smothering her feelings a little, she
asked her In a quieter voice And
So, Helen, you are really going 10 HiLg
aside the life opportunity tG..t Is yours
Tor such nonsense AS this. There is
no other reason"
mere - taaAHfAA4f.. tf.ta7h1tar aunt ta-
Iy,' said HyIe4, 1T Is so d.ytdiul
uI you 10 ASK me IA that Way. dow
can you have expected me 40 marry
a man just because he vas EtA.
ON, said tue oI4,r, $50 that is il.
And pray what pax tHe ,oea into your
bead So suddenly sue sauseu "a a.y-
mv,sJ and lueu, as Iue sIrl dId uOt
RAISE her head, she went OH, slrcas-
uc-lIy- Il fancy 4 know pretty well
where you got AL 81 THESE wonderful
new Ideas You have uJt been talking
sIlh All Howard Tor nothing. 1 see
"Not LOT nothing. said HeieI, gen
uy.
A nice state of affairs" continued
the other, augriiy; "a knew pretty
well that his head was IuII OF non
sense. but when j asked him here 1
thought Al least that he would know
enough about good manners 10 mind
his own affairs. So Ae has been talk
ing 10 you has he? And now you
cannot possibly marry rich man
Airs Roberts stopped, quite too
angry 20 fEd any more words, but as
she sat for minute or two, gazing
at Helen. il must have occurred to her
that she would not accomplish any
thing IN that way. She made an ef-
fort 10 swallow her emotions
Helen, dear" she said, sitting down
near her niece. why Will YOU worry
me ia this dreadful way and make me
speak so GROSSLY to you? / cannot
tell YOU. Helen. what "a torment II
IL 20 me TO see you throwing your
self away In this fashion. ] implore
YOU TO stop and think before you take
this step. for as sure as you are alive
YOU will regret IL all your days. Just
think Of IT,. how you will feel and how
j wln feel, when you look back at the
happiness you might have had. and
know that il Is too late. And, Helen.
il is due to nothing ga the world bat
to YOUR inexperieuce that YOU have let
yourself be carried away by these
slblimities You must know, chill,
and YOU can see II you choose, that
they have nothing TO do with life, they
Will not butter your bread, Helen, or
pay your coachman. and when you
get over all this excitement You viii
find that what / tell you is true. Look
about you in the world, and where
can YOU md anybody who lives &c
cording to such ideas?'
WHAT ideas do you mean, Aunt
Pollye'' asked Helen, with puzzled
look.
"Oh. don't YOU suppose answered
the other, that i know perfectly well
What kind OF stuff il Is that M. How
ard has .alked To you? 1 used 10 hear
all that kind OF thing when 1 was
Yong. and j believed some Of It, too
about how beautiful il was To marry
for love and TO have a tine scora of
wealth and AL the rest Of il; but it
wasn't very long before / found ont
that such opinions were Of no use in
the world"
Then YOU don't believe In love.
Aunt PoIly9" asked Helen, fixing her
eyes On the other.
What's the use of asking such an
absurd question: was the answer.
'.Of course l believe in love; l wanted
YOU to love Mr.. Harrison, and you
might have. If you had chosen. 1
learned to love Mr.. Roberts; naturally,
a couple have 70 love each other, or
how would they ever live happily 70
gether? But what has that to do with
this ridiculous talk OF Mi. Towards?
As II two people had nothing else to
do in the world but to love each other,
It's all very well, Helen. for a man