Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-04-09
TWO MEN AND A WOMAN.
PART l

was left behind. She sat listening to
his footsteps, straining her ear to catch
the last sound How many weary
months would il be before she again
heard that step on the stairs? 1t might
even be She shuddered at the
thought and thrust it back
The door opened. but she did not move.
80 he's gone a woman's voice said
Poor old girl ] expect you feel bit
down in the mouth. Good-byes are hor-
rid things. ] make it rule to avoid
them myself; / don't like to be narrowed
up--life isn't long enough"
THAT was my philosophy, too, until
Garth made his appearance. Now it's
different. Perhaps you'll understand
some day"
L hope / shan't if it makes me look
like you do now. The emotions are raw
aging things wrinkles, sleeplessness and
general discomfort follow in their train
hope / shall always have the sense to
avoid extremes of any kind. Give me
neither ups nor downs. so shall | have
comfort by day and peace by night"
You are not very sympathetic.
wish you would go away and leave me
alone"
Il couldn't reconcile it with my con
science. As your best friend my place
| is by your side in the day of adversely
| Not that | think you really are so much
| to be pitied Nita. On the whole / con-
| slider you decidedly lucky person. No
longer in your first youth we may nc
knowledge that in a stealthy whisper,
mayn't we?-you have succeeded in cap.
| turing a prize that would do credit to
the youngest and prettiest debuJante
Garth Houghton is handsome, rich, and
| likely to make name for himself be-
| fore he is Il year older. Already | see
| him." screwing up her eyes, crowned
with bay and laurel That is the proper
combination for conquering heroes, isn't
iit?"
| what nonsense you talk! And YOU
seem quite to forget that there is an.
other side Suppose he never comes bacN
at all. Suppose" he voice choking II
should never see him again.
Lefty !-Lettyi / am frightened when /
think of it. / couldn't bear my life
without Garth now; he's everything
all that really matters in the whole
world. It's too much---I haven't deserved
| it. -"
you think fate is waiting around the
corner to pounce ON you? That is the
way of all you people when you get too
! fond of anybody. You seem to think
you stand on such lofty emnence-that
you have risen so high above other poor
wretches-that, in the nature Of things,
there must come a fall Now, if | were
in your place l should just make the
most of my pinnacle while | had it. /
should put in the best time | could and
leave the dust and ashes TIC take care OF
themselves"
You don't understand"
| "Of course not. How, in my benght-
ed condition, could I? At the same tlme
| don't see why you should imagine that
Garth is singled out for misfortune He
seems to have been pretty lucky up till
now. Other explorers have gone explor-
ing and returned in safety Why not he I?
BY the way, who do you think has gone
with the expedition? l saw it in the
paper just now"
Il don't know listlessly.
why, your old friend and admirer,
Jack Delorme."
Jack Delorme 2" The listless figure
| flashed round, the beautiful brown eyes
stared in a horrible fear; there was
sound of lahored breathing you don't
know what you are talking about; it is
| possibe--,Jack Delorme" The last
words were spoken so low that Lefty
| did not hear them.
What fools women are. Letty-what
! fools!" Nita said. Especially the ones
who are left alone We want to be
| hedged round and guarded, we want
signposts up at every turning. When
| there's nobody to stop us we run on,
without looking where we are going, we
| stretch out our hands to grasp every
| pleasure that comes in our way We
want so much to enjoy ourselves and be
happy when we are young that We never
think of danger"
Well, that's quite natural" the girl
said sensibly Though. as | think
mentioned before, I'm too matter of fact
myself not to look where / am going
Natural? Yes. suppose so. but it's
a pity, oh, such a pity for some of us
And the best men never understand. As
somebody said Men serve women kneel-
| ing; when they get on their feet they 90
away Often we would rather they
| just put us on their own level, bur it
seems they can't. They must either look
up or down. And-and. Lefty. il they
find us out, when they have knelt at our
feet, then they go away. Isn't it cruel?
isn't it cruel? What should l do if
Garth did that?"
But why should he? 1t would be alb
surd ridiculous You have never pre-.
tended to be a saint"
no, but when have tried to tell him
Eanything-folGes / have learnt to be
ashamed of, things have done that had
50 much better been left uudoue. he has
laughed and kissed me- and said what a
tender conscience | had, or sotaa non.
sense of that sort" She laughed bitter.
ly. Il might have been girl of 90. with
an absolutely clean record. with no
knowledge OF life. 1t was so pitifu}lv alb
surd-and yet l would not have had it
otherwise"
Then don't know what YOU are max