Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-19

W&EEzW yawn. wonder who is drinking
V0V the health of the newly-dscov-
cred Raphael Idiot that I
am to crawl off in the dark and cry my eyes out,
simply because have done the thing have been
wild for week to do! might have known what
would be the end; but would die before would
let him suspect that care. And do care That
is the most unreasonable part of it." And the
rebellious tears streamed afresh.
81 love him. fool that am Yes, and deSptSe
him." she muttered as she sprang from the bed.
Lighting the gas, she stood for a moment blink
ing at her own tear-stained image in the mirror.
1t was a charming face-not beautiful but piquant
and full of vvacty with its dainty cooring, its
crown of tawny curls and its luminous eyes,
eyes too expressive to be blue,
Too lovely to be gray"
AS she gazed, the old reckless spirit awoke
within her. the spirit that Austin's serious phllos-
ophizing had lulled to sleep.
81 want to do something mean. want to shock
somebody" she exclaimed as she plunged into
the task of making her toilet
Presently she emerged from her room clad in a
dainty tea gown of rich crimson Half way down
the dark stairway she encountered Christine.
is that you Threny? I wonder why Sally
turned out the gas. I was just going up to call
you" the elder girl said as she turned and re-
traced her steps. "You haven't had any dinner.
child. Don't you want to go to the pantry?' she
continued, putting her patronizingly around
There was something suggestive of cold
pity in the unwonted caress that the girl shrank
back and an angry light leaped to her eyes.
"Look here. Christine Strand. what has Austin
been saying to you?" she demanded
poor little girl, am so sorry this has hap
pened" Christine said soothingy. II know it is
all misunderstanding, and if you will only ex-
plain things I am sure he will be willing to
make up. He told me it hurt him dreadfully 10
do it."
mo Christine, it is not misunderstanding
1t is too thorough an understanding. That is
the difficulty. Austin is your brother but you
must admit that he is conceited ass. / must live
here in the same house with him, and that Will
be trying for both of us, until the family grows
accustomed to the changed relations"
Then she entered the pantry and turned up
the gas.
"But there need not be much of change"
Christine returned You can have one or those
beautiful Platonic friendships that the senti-
ment and passion have died out of the affair"
Threnodora held a half-eaten pickle up to the
light glanced quizzically from it to Christine and
back again. Then she broke into a low sarcastic
laugh.
Beautiful Platonic friendship" she echoed.
mo, Christine, there never was such thing.
A relationship between man and woman must
be either something something less than
Platonic friendship. When you see a man and
a woman devoting themselves to each other
through long years, when marriage is not their
ultimate purpose, you may make up your nina
that it is case of unrequited love on the one
side and gratifed vanity the other. For
man and woman who have once been on kissing
terms, there be no halfway ground. Austin
might have been everything to me- Now he is
nothing" Then she returned to her pickle.
'Threny you do Austin a great wrong
know that in his inmost heart he loves you
devotedly," the sister protested.
eyes, l know it too" Threnodora said with a
show of Indifference "He has such beautiful
way of showing his devotion. But that is sub