The Washington herald., 1907-01-08

why so glum?" asked Carl Bray. as
Aullie hurried up. You look as though
Jou had Just come from the funeral of
your best friend
'I come from the burial Of hopes" she
said 4 had q perfectly hoTrid time with
Aunt Edith this morning"
Doesn't she want a nephew-in-law2'
he asked growing grave.
When I told her that / had known you
4 for some time, and that you wanted per
mission 70 call, she answered that / must
have shown how much / cared.
That's no crime" he said. softly.
"Not that" she agreed, but she said
that if I had known you long enough TO
care for you, and yo5s- had not sought her
permission 10 pay attention 10 me, you
Were not the sort Of man to make a good
husband. and that ! must never see you
again"
But she never goes into society he
protested. and We were IN love with each
other before it ever occurred TO US to ask
permission Of her 70 do So
I told her all that" answered NIillie.
but it did no good. When Aunt Edith
has her mind made up. there is no use
trying 70 change IT,"
There isn'to" he said, with a snap OF
( MS determined jaw. III land the old
4 lady yet You watch me. So don't Worry.
dear. I'll make her ike me whether she
wants TO or not. Don't you think I csnE
| he asked, as her face did not clear.
You're a dear she said, hesitatingly,
but Aunt Edith is awfully stubborn
/ But you don't know how fascinating
can be to old ladies" he insisted. Some
/ times think I should have done better
! had I given up my business TO become a
book agent selling something that appeals
to old ladies'"
Aunt Edith hates book agents she
said dolefully.
well, I'm not one yet" he laughed.
/ 1T will come out all right
! AIilie took comfort from his confidence,
\ but Carl was by no means as certain as
! he tried TO appear. Miss Edith Ormsby
/ was not a person TO be easily won. She
/ lived IN the past. Life had stopped for
/ her when the man she was TO marry was
! killed IN a railroad wreck.
/ She had become a reclUse in the hand
/ some house at the foot of the Claire
]
/ left her little daughter to Miss Edith s
/ care. she had lightened a little the rfgors
/ of her life, but she had never gone into
/ society, and she was still of the belief
/ that an honorable suitor first made appli-
cation TO the parents of the girl he loved
/ before he sued for her hand.
/ When Mille confessed that she loved
/ Carl Bray, and he had asked that he
might see the old lady, she gasped, realiz-
I ing what would happen, but she had con-
lveyed his request bravely enough, only 20
\ be met by a rebuff.
/ She had been ordered never 70 see Carl
Iagain. and Miss Edith had departed 70
/ interview Drina Newhall, who chaperoned
IAnlne when she went out in society.
/ Carl left the girl with a heavy heart.
though his parting was a laughing assur-
Iance that all would come right Almost
/ unconscously he turned his steps toward
/ the hill He had half promised to drop over
and see how tie new coasting bob was
working. He and his two small nephews
/ had put a lot Of work in the construction
Of the bObs. and to-day was the first time
there had been a chance TO use them.
! The Claire street hill was the recOg-
nized coasting point There were no in
/ Itersecting car tracks, teamsters were used
to watching the point, and there was but
little traffic.
/ He found the small boys aglow with
pride BY cunningly weighing the sieds
the bobs had turned out the fastest on
the Hill, and Carl readily fell in with
their suggestion that ne try their speed
He had made two trips, and WIS pre-
pairing for the third. when he noticed an
old lady standing watching the boys
/ There was q wistfulness in her eyes that
appealed to him, and he stepped up.
Wont you try a rider he asked
pleasantly. THE hill is in splendid shape
/ Nonsense" was the energetic reply
/ 7 have not ridden on those things sine,
\ I was little girl
"AII the more reason you should seek tC
renew the pleasure he smiled. 1T.
i great fun"
The last time coasted down this hi!
was in the winter of '72. I was nineteer
/ then"
BE nineteen again." he pleaded, hell
/ by the look of longing in her eyes. 'Its
! helped me wonderfully to-day. I'll by
/ careful. VIII you Gomez"
! Carl had spoken the truth when h
\ told AIillie that he was successful Will
/ the old ladies. There was a genial frank
! ness in his manner and an honest look