The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-12-05

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Swift confusion leaped into Cor
don's face, and his hand sought hisl
beard nervously.
"Ah, Miss Taylor-beg pardon, l'ml
sure. | did not know" he began
turning longing eyes on his friend.
But Grayson, ignoring the pleading
look, refused to come to his aid. With
low bow and mocking smile he
moved away, saying: '1'll leave you tel
make your peace, old man, as best
| you CAM"
Gordon turned to meet the unwaver
ing gaze Of two merry brown eyes.
I'll did not know" he began
| again, awkwardly.
THAT was NEAR" she interrupted
| brightly. "Of course not--you never
would have been so uncomplimentary|
to our sex in general II you had known
that one of its representatives was
close by SO you are going to doom
us to silk butterfies?" she went on
/ cheerfully.
I Don't" he objected, almost cross
| ly; you know very we'll what I mean
think the ordinary woman should
should remain in her own sphere" he
finished, with some pomposity.
"And that is-?"
| "Why--er-home, of course" he
supplemented; home and-er--all
that sort of thing" he concluded
vaguely.
Miss Taylor nodded her head slowly
several times.
Min see," she mused, aloud
Pots and pans well scrubbed
corners carefully looked to, and all
the eyes dug out of the potatoes
YOU are pleased to Jest, Miss Tay.
lor," he remarked, stiffly. You know
very well did not refer to household
drudgery. II is the real home instinct
that, to my mind, seems to be lacking
in the modern woman"
Very good, Mr.. Gordon" she said
with omlnous sweetness. Then you
regard woman as home-maker
merely, do you?"
Most certainly" he returned, un
easily, but with conviction.
Before the winter had passed Cor
don ruefully acknowledged to himself
that he was "absurdly and disastrous
ly in love" as he expressed it. To
him the name Birdie" gave the thing
touch of absurdity, and the fact that
Miss Taylor was an illustrator, and in
probable pursuit of a career, made II
| disastrous.
From boyhood his dream of a wife
had drawn the picture of a sweetly
gracious, dignihed, angelic being, fal
removed from a restless, energetic
self-sufficient creature, his only cen
ception of career-seeking woman
And yet the dearest thing in the world
to Gordon had come to be this ambi
tious brown.eyed maid with the baby
ish name.
For a time the man refused to thinl
of the future. He drifted along in {
bissful paradise of his own fancy I'M
til the announcement that Miss Taylo
was soon to leave the city for an eX
tended trip brought him sharply bacl
to earth
II was then that he seated himsel
at his desk to write once more to her
This time It was straightforward
avowal OF fervent love and an earnes
plea for a speedy reply that he dis
patched some time later addressed L
MISS b. TAYLOR
No. "a Howard Avenue.
At five o'clock he received from thi
hand of a messenger a note whicl
ram
81 shall be at home this evening
will you Gomez"
There was no signature. Gordol
was sure he needed none, and yeti
was a bit strange, after all.
She met him with luminous eye
and a face so unmistakable in its sh
loveliness that he would have take
her in his arms at once had she no
> suddenly drawn back with a startle
cry.
!, Mono! IL forgot. have cor
fession TO make. IL am no
Birdie"
Gordon's arms fell Imply to hi
side.
Not Birdie!" he exclaimed.
: She shook her head.
I'm Beatrice-Beatrlce Taylor"
| DHl hON-Nhu uoh hhhfl
stand! Why did you tell me you wer
; Birdie?"
She laughed softly.
81 didn't-and you wouldn't even lie
! me tell you that was not Birdie,
she retorted,
At his blank look she laughed agair
1T is the old story of family resen
blance," she explained. Birdie Tal
or, the illustrator, is my cousin; W
look alike and are often mistaken 10
each other, hence Mrs. Morton's intro
. duction. | knew about the letter yo
wrote to Birdie, and when you apolC
gized TO me for it ! tried to tell you
was not the guilty one, but you woulC
Mt let me even speak. After that
forgot all about Il until-until tha
e afternoon at the art exhibition an
, then-then ! wouldn't tell" she fiji
ished, with uptilted chin.
y "And-I never met this Birdie
he questioned
She shook her head gleefully,
INV cousin left the CITY. the Yer