The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-01-30
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
} A SUMMER ]
AFFAIR !
by CORNELIA REDMOND
SUPERINTENDENT
(CopyriEht. by Joseph B. Bowlesl

And YOU have been merely making
a plaything of my heart!" ! exclaimed
hotly. you were engaged before you
came here, and you never told me-"
1T is not yet announced" replied
Miss Mason, with movement Of her
graceful head. Il have told no one ex-
cept my most intimate friends. George
Mr.. SGnford-does not wish it to be
known until his return from Europe.
He was obliged to go over on business
two months ago"
And In the meantime my devotion
has served to make the period OF his
absence trife less dull than you
would otherwise have found it," | in.
terrupted, bitterly.
1T was summer answered my fair
companion, apolQg2 81 thought
there was an uawritten agreement
among people of the world that sum
mer affairs were never to be taken Sc
riously"
u have not been brought up in a
school where such lessons are taught"
! returned. curly, Il know very little
Of women and their ways l thank
you for the opportunity that you have
given me Of learning something about
them"
/ picked up my hat and leaving my
companion seated on the grass, strobe
away across the field in the direction
Of the railroad station. 1t was not
the most gallant proceeding in the
world but had Just received blow,
the bitterness of which had made me
almost irresponsible for the moment.
| had come to Beachport about the
middle Of July for much needed rest,
legal business having kept me hard
ct work in town up to that time. The
one boarding house In the quaint lit
tie New Hampshire village was kept
by two dear old ladies, the Misses
Wrinkles.
Eleanor Mason was a splendid look.
Ing woman of three and twenty, tall
and slender in figure, and with dig.
nifty OF carriage that was almost
Queenly.
/ went at once to my room at the
Misses Wrinkles packed my things,
and In less than an hour had settled
everything. made some incoherent ex.
cuses to the astonished elder Miss
Wrinkles, and was on my way to New
York.
Once back In town, was soon deep
In my work again, and in the hurry
and hustle Of the city life began to
recover from what had been the bit.
terest disappointment that had ever
come to me.
One evening about three weeks aft.
er my return to town, Il was looking
over my summer clothes with the In.
tention of packing some of them away,
when l found in the pocket Of one of
my coats pair of lady's gloves.
thought at first that they must be
Miss Mason's, for l remembered that
had worn this coat on that day when
we had parted for the last time. Then
recalled the fact that Miss Forest
the little school teacher, had pulled
on her gloves, and having no pocket
In her dress, had asked me to take
care of them for her. So these were
doubtless hers.
unrolled them and looked at them
curieusly, was unaccustomed to
women's things, and as l handled
them 1t was with feeling of some
thing like reverence. How small thew
were, and what tiny hand 1t must
be that could wear them. had never
noticed Miss Forests hands. or in
fact anything about her, except in 8
passing way. All my looks and
thoughts during those summer DAYS
at Beachport had been for Miss Ma
son.
had half formed intention of re-
turning them to their owner, but some
how l shrank from my communica
ton with the place which still had I'm
pleasant associations for me, and sc
from day to day put it off.
A week went by, and one morning
received letter In a Handwriting
which recognized as that of the
elder Miss Wrinkles.
Dear Mr.. Trevor" It read, Miss Fo.
| est has lost q pair OF gloves, and seem,
| to think that she gave them to YOU fN
| safe keeping on that day that you al
| went grabbing In the confusion attend
ant on your sudden departure that after
noon you doubtless forgot that you hat
| them, and 1t has occurred 10 me that DOS
/ sibly they may still be In your pocket
| l trust you will pardon me for TROUBLING
| you, but as you perhaps know, Miss For
est is entirely dependent upon her owl
| exertions for her support, and feel sur,
that the loss OF even pair of gloves |,
| of consequence to her She does no
know that l am writing to you, SO IL b,
any chance you should find the gloves
| will you kindly send them to number -
Madison avenue (Which is the address O
| the boarding school where she teaches
without mentioning my letter. She ii
leaving US to-day to return to her du
| ties. With kind remembrances from mi
sister. am yours very truly,
BARBARA Wrinkles"
laid the letter down, and openin,
my bureau drawer, took out the littl,
brown gloves, They had come to lool
so at home in their corner among m,
things, thatI did not altogether lik,
the idea Of parting with them-an,
yet my conscience troubled me whel
l thought that perhaps their owne
was actually wanting for them.
The next day took one of tn,
gloves and made my way to a sho,
where such things we're sold, and pur
chased pair of the same size an,
color as the old ones. That evening
tied them up neatly. and dispatche,
them by mail to the little teachers ad
dress with the following note: