The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-01-23

fresh from her boarding school, who
shared with him her beautiful half.
sisters heart.
"You have never seen her." said
Ruth.
"No-and would rather not!" he
answered, plaintively.
Ruth smiled. "You do not yet
know how sweet and lovable our
Mimi isl"
But | know we'll that she cannot
compare with my beautiful, stately
Ruth"
She flushed with pleasure while she
said, smiling, You do not believe
what 1 have told you, then. Just
wait, and see!"
He had not long to wait. Almost
as Ruth was speaking the old stage
came numbering into sight, and soon
had stopped before the door. Then
there was 4utter, a rush, little
outburst of happy laughter-and
Mimi was in her sisters arms.
Mortimer looked on, half jealous
and half amused.
But after moment Ruth unclasped
Minis encircling arms and said:
Mimi, darling, 1 want to introduce
you to my friend, Mortimer Lacey"
So for the first time Mortimer saw
that lovely blossom face upturned to
his. And he noticed with an artists
quickness the merry eyes, the small
straight nose, the smiling lips just
parted over the small, white, gleam-
ing teeth, the dimpling chin and the
crowning waves of sunny hair above
the low, white brow.
She was lovely to look at. A
merry child, he thought, when the
low ripple of her laughter broke upon
his ear.
But my poor, sweet little man.
ma" she cried a moment later; 81
must go to her!" And she darted
from them, up the stairs to the room
where the patient invalid lay wait
Ing and watching for her darling's
home coming.
Ruth turned to Mortimer with
bright, questioning smile.
Eyes, she is very charming" he
admitted, half-grudgingly. But she
reminds me of hummingbird-"
you do not know Mimi yet," said
Ruth. Where once she fixes her af-
fection she never wavers. The child,
for all her gayety, is true as steel"
Mortimer and Ruth had been play
mates in early childhood, and her
first real grief had been his going
away to school. At first he had come
home again at vacation time, but by
and by came college days and then
long years of art study and travels
abroad. And Mortimer had returned
this spring time, on a sketching trip
to the home of his boyhood, for the
first time in many years.
There are places on our coast which
change but little in the course of
years, and Bay Point was one of
these. But the people change. Nor
timers old home had long ago been
broken up, and of all his childhood's
associates he had found but one re-
naming. In some odd corner of his
memory the name Ruth Pemberton
had fingered. And the lovely, stately
girl who had greeted him as friend
instead of the utter stranger he had
at first felt himself to be, had seemed
the fairest creature he had ever
known.
She had seemed from the first his
Ideal realized, and he was jealous
of her many household cares which
prevented him from enjoying the sun
shine of her presence every hour of
the day. He was jealous, too, of the
invalid stepmother and Ruth's devo-
tion to her, and of the absent young
half-sister.
Ruth's love for her early playmate
grew and blossomed as naturally and
as beautifully as the rose vines over
the arbor where he had told her of
his love.
1t had seemed as if no mortals
happiness had ever been so complete
as theirs. And Mortimer felt that
any change must mar it in some way,
so he had begged that for a time it
should be a secret between them
selves. Ruth had given way to his
wishes.
After Minis homecoming it was
natural that the girl should be much
in the society of her sisters artist
friend. 1t was natural that the in
valid mother, not knowing of her
stepdaughter's engagement to Nor
timer Lacey, should begin to build
up hopes and airy dreams for the
future of her only child. 1t was nat
ural, too, that Mortimer should soon
feel and begin to show an indulgent
affection for his loves young sister.
And Ruth, with her daily cares and
household duties and few hours of
leisure, saw nothing amiss.
Suddenly the invalid fell seriously
i'll. Well meaning but blundering ng
Mimi had to be banished from the
sickroom, where Ruth stayed night
and day. 1t was seldom that Morti-
mer could see her for more than a
moment at a time. He felt 1t was
very hard upon him; but he tried to
be magnanimous and to comfort poor