The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-01-29
nation UNIT for publication In the
books OF the Elsie" series he flung

and watched the leaves as they shriv-
eled TO ashes. Even 20 the last page
the eyes OF leering elf seemed to
be cleaning at him from the bars.
Two days after Helen received a
manly, earnest letter from Mr.. Stu
art begging her to consider how ut
terly innocent he had been in his Of
fense, and how truly sorry he was
for any distress that she had suf-
fered. In fact, the letter was al
most too reasonable, too judicial in
its tone. Helen needed petting. not
logic.
So. when Harvey got home on
Friday night, after a weary day in
court, he found a white package on
his study table. On opening it he
discovered a bundle of letters, some
prettily bound books, and a few jew
eled trinkets. He opened a letter
which lay on top of the books. From
1t dropped ring. and he read:
Dear Mr.. Stuart-After reading
once more my unfortunate volume
and the criticism in the Stiletto.
have come TO the conclusion that you
are right and that the object of my
regard is deserving Of pity. In COM
passion for you | beg to say that you
may consider our engagement at an
end. You will please burn my let
ters. or, if you prefer, send a criti-
cism OF their 'sickly sentiment to
one of our high class magazines. /
ram aiD Vnnr cincara frianb
III. ROBERTS,"
The letter dropped from Harvey's
hand and he looked with a rigid face
at the returned gifts. He owed Hell
EN- in the silent, intense fashion
known only to such a nature as his.
That his earnest appeal to her affec-
tion and common sense (why on
earth did he appeal to her common
sense?) should elicit such a reply,
cut him TO the heart.
THAT settles it," he said grimly,
"and for the future may I be kept
far from women. The best Of them
have precious little brains or heart"
On Saturday Helen told her par
ents that there would be no wedding
in December and refused to give any
reason for this change of plans ex-
cept Mr.. Stuart and | could not
HIM The disagreement must
have been about grave subjects" "
said DR.. Roberts, with a keen glance
at his daughters face.
"We-did not think alike on liter
airy subjects" said Helen, in a con-
fused way. "Please don't say any
more about it,"
DR.. Roberts would have liked to
question her further, but he saw that
in spite of the girls pride she was
keenly. So like an obedi-
ent American parent, he shrugged
his shoulders and left her.
Helen was no believer in the By
ronic doctrine, that, as for love. 'Tis
woman's whole existence" There
fore. she took long and vigorous
walks, industriously translated the
driest German she could find, and
practiced Bach's fugues until she
was exhausted. When she met Har-
vey, her smile was politeness itself;
and Chesterfield might not have
blushed to own the air with which
Mr.. Stuart raised his deer stalker"
SO a month went by, and, on one
dreary November after
noon, Helen determined to take
ong tramp. She walked until she
reached Farmer Goodson's maple
grove, two miles east Of the city, and
here she sat down to rest on pile
)f yellow leaves. Helen had a sense
Df loneliness as she sat there, and.
after q few minutes. arose and tried
10 find her way back to the road.
There was a large field to be crossed.
and she had not gone far on the
path through it before she realized
that two dark eyes were gazing at
her in what she considered a highly
dangerous fashion. The eyes did not
belong to a ragged tramp or an es-
capped lunatic. All, no! they belonged
10 that infinitely more perilous crea-
IuTe-d SpIlSullN COW. 4NpW IltlSh
was possessed Of an unusually strong
mind and will. She had one weak
ness, however. that all her strength
Of mind and will could not overcome
"a fear of the bovine race. No mat
Ter how mildly the COW might regard
her, the glance Of those brown eyes
meant pursuit and violent death.
While Helen had been musing on the
charms of autumn and the dreariness
Of life "Bess" had wandered from
her corner. and now stood directly
in the path. BY some strange twist
Of Destiny. Farmer Goodson had been
seized with a bad attack OF asthma
the night before. and Mr.. Stuart had
been summoned that afternoon to
draw up the old mans will. He had
done so, and was walking iown the
lane from the house when lie caught
sight OF Helen seated in the woods.
a.