The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1907-10-31
~ ~'1N~4a-~D!lf4sss-Ns'igy>zs-asfagsts:
s A SUMMER )
| AFFAIR !
I By CoRNELIA REDMOND
d ssRtse~SS@Jsv ~~spN lp~~ss~Njl~E:
(ConyrIRht bV JoseDh r. BowiegN


"And you have been merely making
a plaything of my heart!" | exclaimed,
holly. you were engaged before you
came here, and you never told me-
1T is not yet announced" replied
Miss Mason, with a movement OF her
graceful head. Il have told no one eX-
cept my most intimate friends. George
Mr.. Sanford-does not wish 1t to be
known until his return from Europe
He was Obliged to go over on business
two months ago
And in the meantime my devotion
has served to make the period of his
absence a trihe less dull than you
would otherwise have found it," in.
terrupted, bitterly
1T was summer" answered my fair
companion, alphabetically; Il thought
there was an pawrtten agreement
among people OF the world that sum,
mer affairs were never to be taken Sc.
riously,"
Il have not been brought up in q
school where such lessons are taught"
returned, CURLY. Il know very little
Of women and their ways, l thank
you for the opportunity that you have
given me Of learning something about
them"
l picked up my hat and leaving my
companion seated on the grass strobe
away across the field in the direction
Of the railroad station 1t was not
the most gallant proceeding in the
world, but had Just received blow,
the bitterness of which had made me
almost irresponsible for the moment.
had come to Beachport about the
middle of July for much needed rest,
legal business having kept me hard
at work in town up to that time The
one boarding house In the quaint lit.
tie New Hampshire village was kept
by two dear old ladies', the Misses
| Wrinkles.
Eleanor Mason was a splendid look.
ing woman of three and twenty, tall
and slender in figure, and with a dig
nifty of carriage that was almost
queenly.
went at once to my room at the
Misses Wrinkles, packed my things,
and in less than an hour had settled
everything, made some incoheycnt ex-
cuses to the astonishod elder Miss
Wrinkles, and was on my way to New
York
Once back In town, was soon deep
In my work again, and in the hurry
and hustle of the city life began to
recover from what had been the bit
terest disappointment that had ever
come to me.
One evening about three weeks aft
er my return to town, | was looking
over my summer clothes with the in.
tention OF packing some of them away,
when / found In the pocket of one of
my coats pair of lady's gloves.
thought at first that they must be
Miss Mason's, for remembered that
had worn this coat on that day when
we had parted for the last time Then
recalled the fact that Miss Forest,
the little school teacher, had pulled
) of her gloves, and having no pocket
in her dress, had asked me to take
: care of them for her. Sc these were
; doubtless hers.
! unrolled them and looked at them
curiously. l was unaccustomed to
women's things, and as | handled
them it was with feeling of some
thing like reverence. How small they
were, and what tiny hand 1t must
be that could wear them. had never
noticed Miss Forests hands, or in
fact anything about her, except In a
passing way. All my looks and
thoughts during those summer days
at Beachport had been for Miss Ma.
son.
had half formed intention of re-
turning them to their owner, but some
how / shrank from my communica
ton with the place which still had I'M
pleasant associations for me, and SC
from day to day put it off.
A week went by, and one morning
received q letter In handwrltinG
which recognized as that of the
. elder Miss Wrinkles.
Dear Mr.. Trevor" 1t read, Miss FL :
, est has lost a pair Of gloves, and seeinl
to think that she gave them 10 you /,
safe keeping on that day that you all
| In ba Of
} ant on your sudden departure that after.
noon you doubtless forgot that you had
them, and 1t has occurred to me that pos.
sibly they may still be in your pocket
| trust you will pardon me for troubling
, you, but as you perhaps know Miss For
est is entirely dependent upon her owr
exertions for her support, and feel sure
that the loss of even a pair of gloves Is
OF consequence to her. She does moi
know that am writing to YOU SO If by
any chance you should find the gloves
viii you kindly send them to number -
: Madison avenue (Which il the address OF
| the boarding school where she teaches)
without mentioning my letter. She Is
leaving US to-day to return to her du-
ties With kind remembrances from m,
sister, am yours very truly,
BARBARA Wrinkles"
ldlu INC lolIel uO"n, anu opSuiHs
my bureau drawer, took out the little
brown gloves. They had come to look
I so at home in their corner among my
things, that l did not altogether like
the idea Of parting with them-anG
yet my conscience troubled me wher
thought that perhaps their owner
D WAS actually wanting for them,
!, The next day | took one of the
a gloves and made my way to shol
n where such things were sold, and pur
chased pair of the same size ana
color as the old ones. That evening
tied them up neatly. and dispatched
them by mail to the little teachers al
a | Arass With tho follavvfuo note.