The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-10

went tap, tap against the stone curb ing. Then he spied a familiar, broad shouldered figure swinging down the street--on the other side. He waited until MT. Henry was directly opposite then:
 over and see my new pantsT
 MT. Henry paused uncertainty S,. ana waived his hand in friendly fashion.
 "I'd come over and show 'em to you, only Aunt Helen won't give me jam for supper when leave the yard
 .Tisten to the poor dear." exclaimed Mrs. Johnson, Aunt Helen's next door neighbor who happened to be settins out some new rose bushes at the tlme'
 "The very idea of an old maid like Helen Bertram trying to train boy:
 MT. Henry crossed the street ne had seen Mrs. Johnson watching him from the corner of her eye anu ne knew that Bertie was terribly Tn ernest. He inspected the new trous- ere in deliberate, critical fashion and nronounced then good. Then he pat. ted Bertie on the head and started away. .o,, asked Bertie, with an odd break Tn his voice and troubled look on ms face. w,,.s
 lawfully sorry, old man." replied MT. Henry. with forced sprfgntiness, but I have dinner engagement ana I must run along and dress. See you later"
 But Bertie clung to his hand.
 "MaRefe made some sponge cakes with icing. I know I licked the icing bowl"
 Good for you," said MT. Henry. still drawing away from the clngin9 moist hand. You eat one Tor me won't you.'
 And then he was gone. He plunged diaronally across the street and cut strainht across the tidy lawn of his sisters home and dashed through the front door. His face was drawn and white, and he paused just moment beside his sister who came to the door at the sound of his step
 'Its no use, Nell I've got to get | out of this. I believe I'll run on to New York for a week or so--" And leave George to claim the vic | tory of the Hardman case after you've worked hard on it for months. Oh, Henry, think 1t is shame that You 1 will let a silly girl ruin your whole | life The very idea"
 You don't understand her. She thinks she Is right and what she thinks is right she must do. no mat | ter at what cost to herself" l "or others" interrupted his sister. bitterly. For foolish conception of duty to the child of her dead sister she will wreck your life" "She thinks she cannot divide her love and her interest-it must all go to him"
 "Fanatacism. pure and simple" ejac- ulated his sister.
 "Whatever it is- love her" was | the simple reply, "and I cannot live so near and yet so far from her. Per haps when come back" he mounted the stairs and closed the door of his | room
 With a sigh his sister went back to her embroidery.
 In the meantime Bertie. with a quick glance over his shoulder. had delib- erately turned his back on home and long instilled obedience. If MT. Henry was not going to share the pleasures l of tea. sponge cakes and new trous' CTS, what was the use of having them at all? And over there, beyond the railroad track. lived a little boy who had three big brothers and a jolly father who smoked a pipe and whose mothers did not write letters and cry
 A minute later 1t came to Aunt Helen, one sharp, shrill cry of boyisf terrer. She sprang to her feet, terri fled and trying to figure the direction from which it had come. When she reached the street Mrs Johnson. white of face. was leaning against a tree.
 "Bertie-he's caught on the railroad track-the express is backing down my heart--I can't run
 But Aunt Helen could run and dowr the street toward the track she sped She could see the small. dark-blu< figure huddled in tha middle of ths