Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-19

dreamly at alert, moving white patch the lawn.
1t the bull-pup Mr.. Marvin had brought Religious
controversy not in her mind.
l didn't go to confirmation because Mama had bad
porch to cool off, and there Captain Kent again He
had brought note from Mrs Seymour, asking to the
tennis tournament few days later.
wouldn't have told him where Portia was, but Papa
had mentioned it already and they had been laughing
it. know very WE'LL from the way they grinned at
each other when said she was out.
Well, that organis stayed i'll and Portia played every
Sunday she with She prolonged her visit too,
and stayed over two months.
The last night-she was to leave next day-she
looked quite pale when she in from church. Mr..
Marvin remained only moment
"Therei She's refused him !" thought.
I must confess l dsgusted, for she must have
known she was leading him
When we reached our room, she suddenly flung her
self into my and cried:
Oh Constance, I've been such fool-a fooI-A
FOOL! But I'm so happy!-oh, so happy!"
! thunderstruck.
I've told Jack all about it" she went on in bissful
murmur, 81 and he showed just where [ had gone
wrong Oh he's so good dear And so strong! You
can lean on him and feel how he will take care of you
and guard you always! He's so tender"
Dc, you mean" I asked presently, Mr.. Marvn?"
At that she began to laugh and cry both together.
of course, goosiel" she said; who else is there like
him?"
Do you know Mama and Papa weren't at all sur
prised, astonishing it all was?
She told them right after breakfast and then went
upstairs to write to him. because he couldn't down
that evening.
And in the evening she wrote to him again, so he
would be sure to get a letter in the morning
went the porch after dinner feeling little bit
lonely, if the truth must be told and rather left out
In some got to thinking of those girls we had met
It's all very we'll to be told that one is welbaanced"
but there other qualities which useful in certain
contingencies The Fort naturally suggested Captain
Kent my mind and what lot of lovely girls he must
know.
At this point my musings interrupted by the clip
cop of horses hoofs and the Captain drew rein at the
Al1 alone?" he said, settling himself comfortably in
a Dig 0oST me- Even t .p PSf9Oq ghs
Every time he had been there during those two
months-and it had been pretty often-he had found
Mr.. Marvin calling, too.
l laughed
"a great deal has happened to Mr. Marvinl"
"What?" the Captain shouted.
Then he modified his tone, with glance toward the
open door behind u.s.
You don't mean it =" he said in geeful undertone
"No, you didn't either !" contended, feeling little
cross though I couldn't have said why "You said
ooh, well said thought he could do it in a month
If he ided away his tmeddnt attend strictly to busi
ness-that isn't my fault"
| laughed in spite of myself I was getting used to
his teasing. He always trying to shock me by
such light remarks which, had learned not really
"Well, I think this is much too soon"I said, severely
"What can two people possibly know of each other
after two-months' acquaintance" l inquired ju-
dcially.
"A lott" replied the Captain, with conviction "Of
course it depends ON circumstances However vou're
right from point of view A decent sort of fellow
does lot of hard thinking before he-asls girl to be
his wife For one thing, isn't much of compliment
to assume that she's too easily And if she
lght-mnded to be taken by sudden fancy
who was any sort OF man wouldn't want her How
that doesn't in But these glib sort of chaps
who propose after they've known girl week, aren't
the right kind
az think, though, you're little too-inHexble-in
your opinion that two months is always too 1t
depends much on circumstances. Sometimes, you
make up your mind pretty quickly abou--people Some
times doesn't have to spend much time making
his mind. FOR instance long time
in a lifetime-you a little who you just
feel is so sweet and sensible and unselfsh and-and
dear-you know-and you think, There's the wife for
soldier George Shed stick to him through any
moonlight, and laughed, a trhe unsteadily
So he in love, too!
My heart beating so I could hardly hear his last
words
After he had spoken them he sat gazing into his hat
looking and rather foolish, as though he had
said something he hadn't intended to-
After moment / arose
" l must go up to Mama Captain Kent" said. "She
heard him stammer something, but I went in not
shaking hands with him.
l wondered If ought to have congratulated him. If
I only had, then he wouldn't have had any to
think, that perhaps thought
In short cried myself to sleep. wished Portia slept
in another room, for couldn't cry with bit of
FORT and almost smothered myself in theplow. And it
hot tool
till the screen-door ratified and Captain Kent came in.
He looking pale and worried.
wretched myself that was almost glad of it!
1t funny for him to to the back door, but
didn't think of that-ust glowered at him. with my
hands in the dough, my eyes wet and cheeks streaked.
couldn't make anyone hear at the front door" he
apologized,
Then he went on, in a hard voice:
I've got some bad news. l mean-bad for me. I'm
ordered to Porto Rico"
"Are your" said in such cool tone that was
amazed myself.
Then turned around and began kneadng savagely,
without quite knowing what doing.
He step
Constance" he said huskiy, "I don't suppose it's
amy use7-I know it's awfuly soon even if you
could-but-wont you go with me?"
burst out crying, like ninny, and in moment
Tom was holding and calling me too dear to
be written down here and drying my eyes the bread
cloth
Now you'll have to help me brace up, little woman"
he said after few minutes, and then he went ir to
speak to Papa in the library