El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-04
The Herald's
Daily Short Story
A Question OF Inches

wyburg kissed her at the gate that
evening
They made pretty picture 1 watched
them through the rose-hedge, and 1
could not but admit that they were a
charming picture
Rye called to me through the hedge
the next morning.
Sensible fellow said l. No doubt
he'll soon find another lady-Iove.r
Rye shook her head with delightful
conceit.
7 am afraid he won't" she said. He's
the sort Of man who takes things
badly"
I was rather hard on wyburg. but
then my fear was that Rye was riding
for a fail
And I was right.
His visits to hose Cottage suddenly
ceased
Rye said he had gone to London on
business.
I suppose she read disbelief in my
eyes.
sort Of defiance in her voice. when he
comes back, everything viii be all
right-and 1 shall have my gloves" she
added. trying 20 speak playfuIy.
Hes coming back. this evening" said
Rye
I looked up from my book. and men
tally noted that she was wearing a new
frOck-
so I observe" I said She looked
down at her dress. it was blue. like her
eyes. and blushed-
I had had a letter from BIB Hillyer
7 that morning, and II had told me some
thing that had di<quieted me-some-
thing TO do with Wyburg and lady
! from the chorus Of a musical comedy
and a registrars office.
"Hillyer returns tonight as We'll" I
said.
But Rye evinced no interest and after
a moment. during which it was perfectly
evident that her thoughts were not
with me, she took herself off
sat out in the garden late that
night. and 1 think I must have fallen
into a doze, for I woke with a start to
find IT nearly dark. and to hear the
sound Of voices from over the hedge.
They were both mems wholesome. 1
knew 70 be Bob Hillyer's. and the other
after q moment, 1 recognized as Wy
! burg's.
The latter was speaking rather loudly
and rather nervously- Didn't expect to
meet you here. Hilyer. The fact
/ is, 1 just came along to tell Rye the
news Perhaps you've heard, I fancy
it's in the papers-but Rye and I have
been such friends" He broke off. 1
thought of the kisses at the gate the
night the nightingale sang in the trees.
You mean" said HiIlyer, that you
have come TO tell her about our mar
/ riage?" His voice was delightfully."-
cool.
I'm rather fraid she'll cut up bit
rough You know what girls are, and
and" 4
And then Hnlyer's voice cut the ST.
lence like knife
I'm afraid 1 don't understand what
possible interest Miss Farlane could
have in you Wyburg, seeing that she is
my affianced wife"
If the moon had fallen out OF the sky
on to my lawn, l could not have been
more thunder>truck than 1 was at that
moment
Rye engaged to Bob Hinyer Why.
only that mOrning-suddenly the truth
dawned upon me-and knew that Hill
yer had only said what he had TO save
her pride.
1 raised myself on my elbow. and
peered at the two men through the rose
hedge I was near enough TO see them
plainly bv the light of the summer
moon and TO me- in that moment in
spite of his splendid inches. Wyburg
seemed the verieSt pigmy. as he stood,
I speechlessly looking at the man before
him.
HiHyer might be short. plain. unin-
tereSting, but he was a man every inch
! of him. and I wished with all my heart
that Rye had been witness of the
scene, even as I had been. and that she
might at last see for herself what she
was throwing away.
But in the morning a note came for
me from the house next door.
Il am going away" wrote Rye in a
/ shaky hand. Il can't come TO say
Goodbye to you, because I am so
ashamed. I was in. the garden last night
hiding behind the bushes and heard
what L know you must have heard
And the best thing that could have
happened" I said aloud.
Rye stayed away nearly month, and
then. one afternoon when 1 was doing
under the trees in the garden. I heard
steps across the lawn. l knew whose
they ere. and I kept my eyes closed
They came close to me, quite near. and
then two kisses were softly printed On
may forehead
1 had won the bet.