Evening journal., 1907-06-08
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lOriginaIl

better than poverty. at the gold fields
/ shall'-
"a bird in the hand Is worth two in
the bush"
"Well2' anxiously.
"Within a few days I shall be en-
gagged TO a man whose fortune is not
in the bowels OF the earth"
1t was with sickening sensation
about the heart that he went away
from the place where he had been told
that all he cared to strive for was de.
MED him. He turned and looked back
at the lights, and the music came TO
him in mockery. Should he go to the
river and end It all OF carry out his in
tention TO go to the gold fields2 The
former course was but momentary
weakness; the latter would take him
far away from the girl who was about
10 pass to another.
A man with n few streaks Of gray in
his hair and beard entered a ballroom.
At the farther end a woman stood with
her back to him. The moment his eye
lighted on her costume he started. Fif-
teen years before the girl who had
worn that dress OF It's counterpart had
refused him and told him that she was
about to marry a man whose fortune
was a real tangible thing. not q dream
OF the future The ngure was the
same. and the hair, like hers, was Jet
black He advanced, and when stlll
at q distance she turned. She was like
his lost love. too much Ike her for the
interval Of years that had passed since
he had seen her He had expected to
see her look older. But 1t was she.
OF that he was quite sure.
She walked past him on the arm Of
an attendant but gave no heed 70 the
newcomer who was so much interested
In her. He was not surprised that she
did not recognize him. II she had not
changed he had He had been buried
In wilderness and had done nothing
but dig In the earth.
That" he said 70 a friend, pointing
at the same time to the girl, "is or was
Miss HowesY'
ayes. Miss Howes"
"Please present me to her without
speaking my name plainly, so that she
viii not hear Il"
The Introduction was made and
'Donald King" so distorted as TO sound
Ike another name.
"Are you a resident Of the cityT
asked the girl by way Of introducing
conversation.
81 was at one time. I have been
away a long time"
Il thought You must be a stranger,
since I don't remember ever to have
seen you before
''YOu have known me we'll"
"I?' She looked at him searchingiy.
'I must admit that you have passed ont
Of my memory"
That's natural. It's years since we
parted. / might not have recognized
you had it not been for something to
guide me-
"And that isT'
The orchestra gave the call for a
dance. A man came hurrying up to
Miss Howes anu led her away.
Donald King laid his plans to make
more than a casual acquaintance of his
former love and kept his identity so
well concealed that he did not reveal
himself. He was careful to chat with
her only on subjects entirely discon-
nected with their past affair and learn
ed little more about her life since then
than she knew about his. He wished
to know why she had not married, as
she had intended. but feared to reveal
himself by asking. He made rather
quick love, but the lady seemed in
clined to listen.
Finally ho revealed himself in this
wise:
'When I went away you said that
you considered a bird in the hand
worth two in the bush. Why did you
not take the bird in the handy
"You speak in riddles"
"You are the woman loved and the
only woman shall ever love. might
not have recognized you on my return
had It not been that you wore the same
dress as the night before my depar-
ture, when you told me there was no
hope for me on account Of my poverty.
But on my return I recognized you.
and you excited in me the same"--
"Are you bereft Of your senses, OF
have you mistaken me for some one
else? That dress was given my older
sister years ago by my cousin, Edith
Howes. My sister wore It occasional
~. and now that its sleeves and other
things IN its makeup have come again
into fashion l have been making use
OF It."
+ "And you are not Edith Howes7"
''No. am Rebecca Howes."
Donald King married Rebecca Howes
One day while driving with his wife
they met woman fat and forty with
premamrely white hair. Rebecca smil
ed at her
"Who Is she2" asked the husband.
Edith Howes, the only woman you
ever loved" replied his wife. with a
laugh. EMNiALINE G. BURKE.