Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-06-25
4 PRESCRIPTION.
Imiginal. l

Russell Seymour at twenty was des, s1erate]y in love with Barbara Ward, few months his senior, but since he
 had nothing except what he might carve out of the future q marriage be tween them was not to be considered. Seymour went to a distant city to puS.l
 his way in the world, declaring that
 wben he had q competency be would
 eturn and if he found Barbara still
 Unmarried would claim her.
 Twenty years passed. Seymour had
 orospered, but had not married. At
 forty he WAS still very young looking. young feeling and young acting. but he was at that age when q man begins te tire of clubs and the laborious part
 of Keeping in social life. He longed for d home, and what was more natu- rsl than to revert to his old sweet 9,eart to make that home for him! He
 wrote her that he was intending to snake a trip and would call upon her He inclosed his photograph.
 Now, Barbara Ward had been good $Jeai of an invalid for many years. Her face was creased and her hair was almost white She looked ten wears older than she was, while the likeness she received looked ten years yaunger than Seymour Here was q g2p i'll appearance alcne of twenty wears. In addition to this, she wtS Broken down in health, and her time fog rearing family had passed She was too sensible woman to receive Russell Seymour as lover. Her sis ter's child, now a woman of twenty seven, had the same name as she and pictures of the two taken at the same sage looked like twins.
 The Wards lived at a suburban town near q city. Seymour sent word of the day and hour of his expected ar r1val. and Miss Barbara drove to the station fer him. Seymour, who was aware that a woman of forty would s,ave passed the bloom of youth look ed forward to the meeting with mis- gjyings When he saw what he mis- tooll for his old love but slightly aged i,e was astonished and delighted. In s1eed he began to worry about a few gray hairs that were creeping into his Deard.
 Now, Miss Ward had instructed her niece .e entertain Mir. Seymour and make cseUscS for her own nonappear sance. fer s,:,' did not intend to show Herself. Il did not occur to Barbara to play the part of her aunt till she saw that she had been mistaken for her; fhen, the spirit of mischief being rife In her, she played it to parfrction
 -'How in the world" he asked. "have you managed to retain yonr youthful appearance:"
 f'No cares and q good conscience"
 f'You don't look a day over thirty
 Barbara winced at this. but managed t,1 reply And you don't loa. a day over thirty either.
 "How fortunate that we have both retained our youth! But the heart that never grows old
 Sometimes it grows cold" She cast aside her eyes.
 @'I assure you mine beats the same as when l parted from you"
 <SThen why have you not come for ssoe before?'
 This was q home thrust. He pleaded absorption in business, q desire to ac- gumulate a certain amount and other excuses ir which there was no warmth Gf love. And you." he said. "why did you cease to write mel"
 ~+HoW could 1 continue to write when Nonr letters came at such long inter- vals as to indicate that you were e.hanged:"
 Neyer mind that, sweetheart We are united now, and we'll never part again in life"
 Had the young lady not held the selns ne would have taken her hand, stolen all arm around her waist, possi oiy a kiss As it was. he was ol! .@el flo defer caresses till they reached guome, where he found her unwilling to submit to them. He protested. and she dropped d hint that she must be won ssnew. Indeed. she left doubt in his mind whether she could be won at all IIbey dined together, and Seymour was surprised that no one except Barbara TNas at the table He asked if she lived alone, which disconnected her s5ut sEe stuck to the truth by telling alim that she lived with an aunt 1 ho svas an invalid.
 Ihat night Barbara confessed to Miss Ward the part she was playin. ltfer aunt after reflection told her 10 continue the deception. Seymour was made welcome at the house and show ed no inclination to depart. The Jay :after her arrival the invalid came down for dinner, and Seymour was in- aEoduced by Barbara. A sadness came nver Miss Wards face when her for sner lover showed no recognitioa of her whatever. Indeed, he sat at t:t lc with bored look on his face thi :, third person should have come to i! srude upon their companionship.
 There were many conferc'N~os os lso tween aunt and niece The ,i,,r Nj Ward, fully realizing that he aa,i Seymour were not for each c :,'g. Le- aired Barbara to accept him ill her stead. Barbara would have been pleas ed to do so but for what she considered dNSlOyalty to her aunt. One day after