Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-18

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 came
in from church. Mr.. Marvin remained
only a moment.
"There!. She's refused him. I thought.
I must confess was Disguised, for she
must have known she was leading him on.
When we reached our room she sud-
denly flung herself into my arms and
cried:
"Oh. Constance. I've been such a fool
a fool-a fool! But I'm so happy!-oh. 80
happy!''
I was thunderstorm.
i've told Jack all about It," she went
on in a blissful murmur, land he showed
me just where had gone wrong. Oh. he's
SO good, dear! And 80 strong! You can
lean on him and feel how he will take
care Of you and guard you always! He's
SO tender"
DO you mean." asked presently. mfr
Marvin"
At that she began to laugh and cry both
together.
''Of course, goosie" she said: ''who else
Is there like him?'
Do you know, mamma and papa weren'1
at all surprised, astonishing as 1t all was:
She told them right after breakfast and
then went upstairs to write to him. be-
cause he couldn't come 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 out on the porch after dinner
HI ~, 20
be told, and rather left out. In some way
1 got to thinking of those girls we had
met at the fort. and Of how gay and fas-
cinating they were. It's all very we'll 10
be told that one is well balanced" but
there are other qualities which are useful
in certain contingencies. The fort nat
urally suggested Capt. Kent to my mind,
and what lot of lovely girls he must
know.
At this point my musings were inter-
rupted by the clip-clop Of a horses hoofs.
and the captain drew rein at the gate.
"All alone?' he said. settling himself
comfortably in q big chair opposite me.
mot even a parson to tighten the gloom?
Nothing sShappened to Marvin, trust?''
Every time he had been there during
those two months-and 1t had been pretty
often-he had found Mr.. Marvin calling,
too.
laughed.
"a great deal has happened to Mr.. Mar
VIM
''What?' the captain shouted.
Then he modified his tone, with a glance
toward the open door behind us.
you don't mean it," he said. In a giee-
full undertone. $50 they're engaged!
told you sou
mo, you didn't. ether" commended.
feeling a little cross, though I couldn't
have said why. you said a month. It's
two months"
''Oh, well! said thought he could DO
it in Month. If he idled away his time
didn't attend strictly to business-that
isn't my fault
I laughed in spite Of myself. I was get
ting used to his teasing. He was always
trying to shock me by some such light re-
marks. which. had learned. were not
really flippant.
''Well, think this is much too soon," I
said. severely. What can two people pos
sibly know Of each other after a two
month acquaintance? I inquired. judi
cially.
"a lot" replied the captain. with con-
viction. "Of course it depends on circum-
stances. However. you're right from one
point of view. decent sort of fellow
does a lot of hard thinking before he
asks a girl to be his wife. For one thing.
it isn't much of compliment to assume
that she's too easily won. And II she was
80 light minded as to be taken by a sud
den fancy. a man who was any sort Of a
man wouldn't want her. However. tina.
doesn't come In. But these glib sort of
chaps, who propose after they've known a
girl week. aren't the right kind.
II think. though, you're little too-in-
fexible-in your opinion that two months
is always too soon. 1t depends 80 much
on circumstances. Sometimes you can
make up your mind pretty quickly about
people. Sometimes man doesn't have to
spend much time making up his own mind
For instance. once in a long time-once in
a lifetime-you see a little woman who
you Just feel is so sweet and sensible and
unselfish nd-and-dear-you know-and
you think. There's the wife for a soldier!
George! She'd stick to him through any
hardship: She'd"
He broke of, looking rather embarrassed
III inc InOOuiiBHts duQ l8uSnoQ, q ITlne un-
steadily.
So he was in love, too!
My heart was beating SO could hardly
hear his last words.
After he had spoken them he sat gazing
into his hat, looking nervous and rather
foolish, as though he had said something
he hadn't intended to.
After a moment / arose.
II must go up to mamma. Capt Kent"
I said "She isn't WELL
I heard him stammer something, but I
went in, not even shaking hands with him.
wondered il l ought to have congratu-
lated him. If only had, then he wouldn't
have had any excuse to think. that per-
haps thought
In short, cried myself to sleep. I wished
Portia slept in another room, for couldn't
CRY with one bit of comfort. and almost
smothered myself in the pillow. And it
was so hot, too!
l heard step on the back porch. but
didn't look up till the screen door ratified
and Capt. Kent came in.
He was looking pale and worried.
1 was SO wretched myself that was al
most glad Of It!
1t was funny for him to come to the
back door, but didn't think OF that-just
-