Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-03

each otnef a. boy ana fri. though he al
ways thought of me as nothing but little
kid, until he saw me last year at home, and
just now, In New York. He told me how
hard he was working. with scarcely a min
gle It would be to get UP top. but that ne
meant to do II, IL he lived"
And he will-he willr' interrupted Mr..
Winstanley. in accents Of strong pride. He
up my ofYer to stake him with funds for his
expenses in New York. till he got square
upon his feet. and that he never drew
blessed cent of it?'
"He said you'd been more than good but
he wouldn't impose on YOU You see, daddy,
John knows that all these years you've had
as much as you could do to keep us going
and have me educated. I suppose he was
| as surprised as I. when he found you were
| taking me abroad in style-you extravasant
old thing, you"
"Of course. OF course" murmured Mr.
Winstanley. acquiescently. 1T does seem
extravagant, doesn't 1t? But Wen manage
| 20 make two ends meet, I reckon, II we
pinch, afterwards, to make up for 1t. Go
You and John. It is music to my ears"
IT thought So daddy the girl said.
| with tender sigh. And though ! wasn't
quite ready to do what he asked me,
| couldn't say no. So when he said you and
| his father had always wanted us two to be
married some day, and would l consider
myself engaged to him, until he was ready
| to give me a home in New York, 1 just
would telephone my answer before the
steamer sailed. And I did. That's what L
was doing when you called to me that the
1 carriage was waiting to drive us to the
pier I was shut up in the telephone booth
at the hotel saying yes to JOHN
And you never gave the poor lad a
chance to see you face to face again. ex-
| claimed her father, every wrinkle of his
| face luminous with satisfaction at the
news.
"Ye-es," said Posey, 81 saw him for a
| minute over the rail OF the, steamer: he
| he could get off. I'd told him I'd write him
| all the usual things by the pilot boat, and
| from Queenstown; and he'd laughed and
said he'd have to be satisfied with that!
| You mustn't expect John and me to be sill
| ly, father, for we aren't a bit, either of US
| I ought to tell you that he's been in love
with another girl and 1t didn't turn out
we'll, and he put her out Of his thoughts
forever"
80 that was what allied the lad last
| spring when 1 went north on that business
of the mine? 1 might have guessed it, poor
boy he was blue as indigo. Well. 1t was
| handsome of him to tell you, daughter and.
my word for 1t. your marriage will be just
as happy as IL he hadn't taken that other
little notion before he saw that you were
away like the steamer smoke yonder. and
he'll wonder at himself for ever thinking
| he could have put up with the idea of any
wife but you. For that's a mans way, my
dear, since the world began"
Was it your way, daddy?' asked Posey
archly.
my child, was ready to put myself be-
| fore the mouth of the first cannon met up
| with when 1 went into service, and be
blown to atoms. through calf-love for a
young lady of our neighborhood. She Tilted
| by the name of Simkins; no, it was Law
| son, 1 think-but never mind. She had nine
| children when 1 saw her next, and We
didn't recognize each other. When we did.
49,, rlv,zs "a ill.,
| was Simkins) asthma, without break for
fifteen solid minutes. and 1 got away,
| thanking the Lord it wasn't my asthma,
| and my fat wife, and my nine children.
| bowling and doing stunts all over the
| house-yet 1 lived to be happier than any
king with the real angel of my life! But,
| dearie, it isn't the time to be talking Of
anything but you and John Glynn and the
| joy you've given me in promising to marry
! each other some day. He is the finest
young man know, and the one Of all in
| the world I'd choose to share what-there,
you do the talking. 1 can't trust myself"
Daddy. do you want me to tell you the
! whole truth and nothing but the truth. the
way I always have? Then here it is. What
I've promised to do, I'll do. l think just
| as much Of John as you do, in a way, and
1 was proud to have him ask me. But I
| felt he was doing it because he had made
| up his mind it was the thing of all others
| to please you: also. because 1t was safe and
| right to anchor his life to girl who be-
| longed to his own class, and had no ideas
| beyond the plain, homely things she had
| been brought up to. But he doesn't know
me, In the least I'm not the girl he thinks,
only vain. conceited creature who loves
| admiration and fiattery and pretty things,
/ and all the luxuries l see other people hav-
| ing on this voyage, and the high-up places
| Of the world I want to live, to have my
| fling, and what's worse, want to be loved
| really, as think it ought to be!'
| Her voice dropped with her eyelashes: a
| burning blush ran up and overspread her
face. Old Herbert Winstanley asked himself
if this were, indeed his little girl. his romp
| in pinafores of year or two back? Whence
had come the blooming vision of young
! womanhood who had supplanted the Posey
| of his recent lean and struggling years?
| What were these obsessions controlling her?
He could not tell, and meekly bent before
| the blast.
! 81 reckon you know best daughter" he
said clearing his throat in some embarrass-
ment. But this much I'm as sure of as that
| the sun Is In the sky. You've done a wise
| self to John. Be true to him and to your
self. and the rest'Il all come right. Only. It's
! fair to tell you that you and John aren't
the way ss Sd Ssd as
| streak O. luck lately. and there's cash
| enough to give you your fling In Europe.
and start you and John to housekeeping In
New York in pretty decent style. He's
| luckier fellow than he knows, is John, only
| don't mean to tell him so yet while or
| girl
Gould 1 have cabin de luxe, and a
French maid and chaperon to travel with,
| daddy?' she asked. with glowing coun-
| tenance, instead Of half a state room with
a horrid woman who drenches herself with
scents and lectures me about keeping the
| light turned on while do my hair? Could
| have little string of real pearls, and one
| lovely pearl ring, and rug lined with otter
| for my steamer chair. and tailor-made suits
| that fit adorably-like Miss Carstairs who's
| just my ideal, though she'll hardly look at
meT
wen see, we'll see." mumbled Mr. Win
stanley, looking much alarmed as did
the fisherman in the Arabian Nights"
when he had let the Genie escape and soar
from the Magic Bottle. Seems to me you
spent good lot shopping in New York the
week we were there"
Il wish l could throw all that trash l
bought overheard said the girl, gritting
her teeth in vexation. Nobody but an
idiot from Alson's cross roads would have
chosen such things and thought them styl-
ish."
ut may be So" said her father resigned
ly, "but putting one fact alongside another.
it looks as II you'd had as good a show
as any young lady on board daughter"
Daddy, you are the dearest old bat!"
cried she, revealing to his astonished gaze
her eyes full Of big, bright, childish tears