The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-20
No Mistake After All
Ry GERALp pRIME.
1slo. by Associated LIterary Press)

Hathaway,
time 1t was made clear to Dick Hathaway that 1t
nathy
And this all because Molly had become
fellow he always had been. After almost unin-
tsrruptsd compsnionship OF considerably longer than
the period of their engagement. each willing
as ever to bear testimony the Huperatively good
qualities of the other and would have been highly
indignant over any suggestion to the contrary Molly
sui regarded Dick the dearest fellow in the
of Molly as the sweetest girl the footstool' Moth
ing Whatever had occurred TO convict either OF these
thoroughly conscientious young persons OF Inconsistency
but
The but" in the Molly Abernathy was a
young man or sngnarly unattractivs personal equip
ment and name that offered recompense for his
lack OF good looks As lie burden H. Darlington
topper was serious enough but It would have been
crushing with the initial expanded Its full.
with the victim OF such a baptismal combination
because he had contracted 1t into euphonous
In point OF fact there fault to be found
with n Darlington Hopper account. He
shingle as lawyer. and he had scarcely captured
MS rst Client before praeteay an Of the very
speed with which he became social favorits In
Eureka was phenomenal He was SO genial so alive
to the expectations of others. unfaiiing in his
Efforts to establish frank understanding with
/ body that he recognition immediately as an A.
No. fellow among the and--the women.
Ignoring his plainness Of face and awkwardness
of figure and movement the Eureka young
OF all ages had become greatly interested In the
savings and. even more especially in the doings of
! Molly Alternately, who for some reason unrevealsd
to her led by this interest the
ton OF heaven in her choice OF Dick life COM
panson.
BY amazing coincidence there was also a
but In the case OF Dick Halfway certain
young woman named Helen Ware had come
Before she had been at the rectory a fortnight
the young men iii the parish, and host of those
she was an unusually attractive young person. and
Dick was one OF the Young men Of the parish He
! did not precisely understand how was when
ever he stood in1the presence Of Helen Wars-
! found himself wishing-well--he found himself
/ wishing.
/ Both Dick and Molly members OF the mixed
choir Mt St Jarlsth's Dick sang tenor when he did
not forget and relapse baritone. and Molly
possessed OF an excellent eontralto voice. but she
was Indifferent reader. That was why it
necessary for II Darlington Hopper. who had been
made choirmaster on account of his musical ability,
TO coach Molly privately whenever alto solo
TO he sung Hopper believed that he had discovered
alto solos were frequent at st. Jariaths
About that time the organnst auccnmhed to the
substitute temporarily. She did not profess TO he
mistress OF the noble instrument but she agreed that
her thsbeneh rshearsals pun stops and turn
nusie--she would do her best. Every In
/ frightened Molly Alternately discover how little
1t disturbed her to have Dick named the preferred
one
For than years Dick had walked home
w ~ n SaoF but the time
ness OF the other to abandon the habit. The inter
| sponsible for the deed. one evening after an un-
usual tug at refractory anthem. which persisted In
going wrong after every effort had been made
induce otherwise the organist requested the
tenor to remain for few minutes after rehearsal
In order to perfect himself In his part.
i Instead of waiting until Dick should prove himself
eithsr the victor or sanaashed Molly was possessed
| terceptsd at the door OF the parish house by the
| he had rnisatd
IF you viii give one minute. Miss Aeernathy'
course. you viii permit me-
Without pausing receive her consent. he disap-
| than the specified time with the recovered paper
II notified Hathaway of my intention" he laughed
wasn't at all necessary. she declared en-
phatiealIy
ton"
wanted TO hear the answer
He hadn't begun. He seated the bench.
his back toward me- and Miss Ware was talking earn
estg-siving instruction probably"
Probably" she said. with air OF indifference
that seemed genuine to him. lawyer though he was.
After Dick had sung the bathing two measures
or 70 a. ess, . dozen ms, and had at last
Injunction not TO forget that he was tsner
depripins her Of your compsnS"or You either .hs
added. without looking at him.
no nsea % worIg On my account DICK assured
II suppose Mr.. Hopper awaited himself OF the OPP
greatly taken wth---with voice" she said
sy n,a ina at the door Of the parish a.
ing to pn. out the lights stood grumblng aadibly
Wouldn't It be jolly IL those two" Dick began
woa'dn' .h. returned promptly and
ask her why had hidden him hasty good
night and passed within.
Next evening when Dick put in his customary ap-
pearance at the Alternately house he told by the
maid who admitted him that Molly had gone over to
= the rectory He both ashamed and relieved
Inundated by his treachery toward the girl who had
promised him what he asked and relieved
that the dreaded confession might still be postponed
1t SO happened that Dick spared the pain OF
that confession. An affatr that culmina-
ton the very next night-an episode that stirred
the social fabric of Eureka TO Its foundationbrougb
Dick and Molly together again. this time secure in
the belief that their only mistake had been to doubt
oven for single moment, the gentlensss of their
tachment
This final state OF affairs made possible by the
elopement and marriage OF III. Darlington Hopper
and Helen Ware. They had been lovers long before
coming to Eureka, but the young woman's friends
had not taken kindly to the man OF her choice. She
however, knew Of her mind and convinced
that she making mistake
Farmer Not thu Villain.
The who started the hue and cry against the
farmers charging them with being responsibfa for
the high OF living. must have had either a most