The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-29


 slender beauty of her friend Vida.
 At first Rose did most of the talking.
 T suppose" she said that we shall be losing you soon."
 CT have not heard. said Phil smiling; how am I to be lost?" He thought it was a question of some chatter of their rustic bourg.
 Why" said Rose, MT. Morris is to go to a great appointment in Spain, so they say, and you are to go with him as his assistant"
 T wish I were ready" cried Phil, with a new glint in his eyes; "but l must work hard at the book part of the business first if 1 am to do any good. I must go to college, and how I am to get there, except by working as an office assistant. I do not see.'
 As he spoke, Vida looked at him, and was not at all sure whether or not she really liked the new man who was being evolved out of her old dreamy Phil. Sometimes he reminded her too much of Vic Morris She noted for instance, that he never lounged back in the arm- chair he had made for him self in the privet hedge as of old. He was so much out of practice that the spines pricked him when he tried. Formerly he could locate every one, nestling his shoulders securely among the thickest of them.
 50 you are fairly at work Phil Mir. Calmont. I mean?" she said. the first time that Rose went into the house and left them alone.
 Poor Phil looked so grieved that Vida relented.
 Well, Phil then" she said. But really you ought to be proud of our feeling the difference. The toga virilis, isn't it, Rose-or something like that? There Is a difference. and you can't blame us for marking ftp
 'I don't want there to be any diff ference" said Phil mot between us three. You were always glad to see me; and scolded me when I was lazy good for much yet, though on the way to improvement. Your denunciat tions had had their effect. So don't make me suffer for my very virtues. 1 want you to be just the samep'
 The same number of Jumps of sugar in your tea?" queried Rose; I've are poor now. and we really cannot stand up square after square till the top of the pyramid showed itself above the tear
 These nothings of talk made Vida curiously happy. She was feeling the rebound from the anxieties and dismay of the past night. She had got away early, leaving Billy Bryan alone with the cooking, task he was quite ca pablo of performing. She had no de- sire to confront the reproachful face of old Dick on his return from the mine that afternoon.
 She was in need of a confdant. And, for once it did not seem that the man was in the way. The possible mascu- line electricity which generally pre- vents all real talk between women when there Is a man present, somehow did not hold with Phil. A woman knew at a glance that he knew. He was free of the guild. He understood In deed, he understood some times. when the woman did not herself understand That was perhaps the reason why Rose. being some years his senior, had made such a pet of him in the old days. Phil had been like girl ftiend to her-yet he brought with him some of mans out of door life, together with the sub tie difference which is the salt of all intercourse between men and women the salt of sex that never loses it's savour.
 q have hurt Dick" she sighed, with her eyes on her cup. She stirred her tea gently with a spoon. though she took neither cream nor sugar. watch ing the clear garnet-colored liquid dropping from the spoon back Into the cup
 What have you been doing now?" said Rose. without much sympathy.
 T won't marry MT. Kahn"
 MT. Kahnw
 The cry came simultaneously from both Rose and Phil. "Oh, no, not MT. Kahnp
 And as if in magic crystal the vis- ion of the broad shoulders and master ful carriage of the dismissed under ground engineer rose before tn em. Rose said interchangeable ltr. Kahnn But Phil only sighed. Beside either of these-the rich bachelor man ager and the clever engineer. he seemd such a boy, feebly trying this and that, uncertain whether anything would sue ceed with him or not.
 And he asked you to marry him, really and truly" said Rose, with no trace of bitterness in her tone, why, you would have had horses and car riages and motor-cars-and don't know what elsen
 q know what else" said Vida, with a disdainful toss of her chin-"James Kahn"
 Well, of course, you will have to marry somebody, if only in the interest of the public peace" said Rose, caress- ingly. "As it is, the young maids who have admirers in and about Kirktown curse you with the curse of the Jack daw of Rheims. They cross themselves at your name, and I am very angel for putting up with you ever for mo- ment."
 Vida smiled at her friends extrava- gance but shook her head gently. You are too partial" she said; "I am just poor girl. without even right to the name I bear"
 Much that matters" retorted Rose sharply, when you have King Cophe- tuas coming at midnight to your beg garmaids hut and proposing to you the aoly estate of matrimony-besde goodness knows how many others One down-the others come on!'
 You are dreadful. Rose-1 shall wish I had told you nothing.
 q freely abandon to you the flock. said little Miss Nunsby, but l should like to keep one ewe-lambi But have fears even for that. You are perfect maelstrom, Vida-you engulf all, whale and minnows alike"
 And waving a hand so as to shut on Vida Bryans reply, which bore upon the folly of mixed metaph ors, she van ished indoors looking for once In her life Phil thought, almost pretty.
 She glanced at Phil as she passed out of sight, nodded, smiled, as much as to say, See what I do for you. un- grateful boy!''
 And so left him wondering what she could mean by her "one ewe-lamb."
 With Roses departure hush seemed to fall upon the wide old garden of the Nunsbys A silence and constrant de- scended on the two who remained be-