The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-22

| Sylvia read the letter several times
with variety of emotions. Then she
crumpIed 1t and tossed IL into the
trash basket. After. she went over
to her writing desk and penned o
cloudy polite little note in reply that
effectually shut off any possible ex-
cuse for further correspondence.
When the letter was sealed. the little
resolute line of her lips relaxed into
auivering and she broke into storm
of tears
Early in the following autumn the
Marburys returned to America.
1t was on a glorious November
morning that Sylvia came In, flushed.
| from a downtown expedition. and hur-
ried straight to the little white sit
| ting room in their new apartments
at a fashionable New York hotel.
Without stopping to remove her hat.
she turned her bag upside down,
| emptying the contents on q small,
onyx table. There were several new
| postcards, half dozen newspaper
clippings, a few half-tones-of Brown.
them all In with painstaking fingers.
| Never had there been a man like
Brown on the Yale gridiron. Every
day added fresh laurels to his already
brilliant record. He was worshipped
of his classmates idolized by his
team and adored by the girls.
From the wreck of her shattered
hopes. Sylvia had risen to join in the
universal hero worship. On her man
tel was a panel of the invincible
Brown: in her bureau drawers were
innumerable nkenesses and unlike
nesses. She carried his picture In a
tiny locket about her neck. and on
her desk was porcelain painting OF
him.
She glanced smilingiy at the dozen
different caricatures each newspaper
had proudly named as the ..enly true
likeness of the mighty one. Then.
with a queer little pang at her heart,
she opened the secret compartment OF
her desk and drew forth an old photo
graph of Billy Chalmers. She looked
| into the handsome, serious eyes long
and earnestly; little sob caught In
| her throat. How she had loved him!
Could IL be really true. she asked her.
self, that he had changed 50 much
and cared for that other fgl. cared
enough to marry him, as reports said ?
/. A sharp rap on the door interrupted
| the painful train of thought. and Syl-
via rose and turned the knob, school,
| Ing her face into unconcern. 1t was
a special. In Billy's own handwriting.
and she tore open the envelope with
| crimsoning cheeks: As
Dear Sylvia, 1t ran; May, call at
on matter OF Importance? Am
sailing at daybreak for Germany to
| take zip the study OF medicine in
| Berlin. Please do not refuse me.
! Billy"
For an instant Sylvia stood holding
| the sheet between trembling, icy fin
gers Should she see him? All the
/ fierce resentment and wounded pride
of the past year surged up to her de-
| tense: with q swift impulse she seized
a pen and dashed down single word
and signed 1t sylvia"
The succeeding hours were the
| longest Sylvia had ever spent in her
| life. but Chalmers arrived promptly.
| She greetad him with her most for
NAL little manner, effectualiy screen
| ing wild inward turbulence from hts
eager. penetrating glance.
Every attempt he made to lead the
conversation into personal channels
was baked by her. and finally Chal-
mers broke out abruptly:
| Look here, Sylvania. the last time
I saw you II was an understood ching
between us that as soon az we both
| graduated we'd be-"
Have you orgotten---Alline?" she
| interposed coldly.
That affair was ali my mothers
doing. Only recently I learned u
| tho report In the paper which you
must h1ve seen. 4 went IT once to
Miss Bester and told her the true
situation She II to be married Ia
April to another man. We shook
hends and parted frtendA On my
kWord ok honor. thak n the sum anA