The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-06-26
CONSOLATION.
BY Nellie X. Blisse.t.


"If it's any consolation to either of
u.s." Harley said, with a glance at the
girl beside him, II hear we've behaved
splendidly"
The girl poked the gravel with the
point of her parasol, and avoided his
eye.
81 wonder" she reflected, slowly,
"whether you find it consolation"
I'm wondering" he retorted,
"whether you do.
But what else" she questioned with
a touch of contempt, "could we have
done?
1t was Harley's turn to poke the
gravel
"Well, the chief point in our favor"
ne explained, Seems to be that we
didn't mope-in the middle Of the sea-
depending upon the support of our bril-
liant and successful presence. We
showed pluck. We didn't wear our
mangled and bleeding hearts upon our
sleeves, and retire into corner to be-
wall our forsaken lot Every one ad-
mits, with extraordinary generosity,
that we had every right to do so-but
we didn't. No, we said-in effect
Hang the faithless pair! They're not
worth our tears'-and society is CRATE
ful to us accordingly"
He paused and looked at her with in
hn
gravel.
after ALL" she answered, "moping
wasn't much good, under the circum-
stances. They were married. And
supposing things hadn't gone so far as
that-they didn't want us. They took
their own way out of the difficulty
without consulting us. think it
would have been better If they had
given us chance of surrendering our
rights to them willingly, but that's
mere detail"
She fell upon the gravel with re-
newed vigor. Harley watched her.
"Wculd you," he said at last, "have
surrendered your-rights-in such a
spirit of self-sacrificing readlness?"
'T wasn't Archie Lovells jailer,"
she retorted, little haughtily. 81 was
merely the girl he was engaged to-"
Exactly" he rejoined with warmth.
'That's what | told Angela Coventry
l mean, of course, Mrs. Lowell. They
might at least have given us the chance
Of being generous"
aTbo,, nboca cba np1dIu
consider us their jailers. They chose
to make violent escape from our
our custody. They assumed bolts and
bars. | always used to think elop
ments so romantic-in books. That
was because | never considered the
feelings Of the people left behind.
Now" she added, with laugh, 'T've
been left behind myself know what
1t feels like"
1t isn't Harley suggested, "the
most gratifying of sensations"
TT isn't. And our only consolation"
she declared with irony, sis to be told
that we've behaved splendidly-we
haven't moped!"
The gravel flew before the tip of
her parasol, Harley looked thoughtful
ly at the ruin she was making.
''It hasn't" he admitted presentely,
"been my only consolation. had an
other consolation, too."
what was that?" she inquired with
interest
''Well-if you want to know-it was
the fact that you were taking it so
pluciily. If it hadn't been for your
example"-there was the ghost Of c
twinkle in his eye-"I almost think |
should have been tempted to NOPE.
Think of that!'
my example,"
Precisely. You carried 1t off so
well that had to play up. We were
both in the same dilemma-we were
both cast for the ignominous role of
The Forsaken. And | imagined natu-
rally, that it would be worse for you"
He cast sharp glance at her. She
looked fixedly at the gravel
ut was worse for you-naturally."
he repeated, with emphasis.
Il don't see exactly why" she said,
in low voice. go on"
"And l felt myself responsible, too
in way. l felt that if had been able
to hold Angela, you wouldn't have lost
Archie. But I wasn't able. If she
ever cared for me, wasn't able to
make her keep on caring. There
was something wrong somewhere,
wasn't there?"
He paused for an answer. She shook
her head
II don't believe" she said. with
sudden frankness, that she was half
good enough for you'll never did"
That's odd" he said with laugh.
because I've. always doubted whether