Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-02-01

"diidH WcotDIoOh sat III tuc iSiVoS
living room of the old Westbrook
country home, her hands lying idly
in her lap, her brow knit In strange
abstraction OF thought.
After all. she wondered. had she
been justified in writing as she had
to Forest Newbury and young Robert
Thornton? She recalled, the wording
of the two letters. Each line was
strangely vivid, even though she had
hurriedly scratched OF the notes a
few days before, fearful lest. in paus-
ing for careful composition. she lose
courage and fall altogether in taking
this important step.
In Forests note she recalled the
old days they had spent together in
the little village where his father had,
ofiiciated in the quaint, ivy-grown
church of st. Vincent. and where his
grandfather had preached before him.
She spoke OF the long summer days
spent in gathering flowers and play
ing tennis. on the Westbrook courts,
and OF IN autumn evening conf
dences before the very fireplace into
which she was now gazing so intent.
ly. She ended the note briefly: J
you asked me many times during
those days one question. You recall
It? Inever wished to marry. was
selfish, perhaps. I am stif1 selfish.
Last night. when DR.. Morley told me
that the illness against which have
been fighting SO desperately had at
last reached its crisis and that the
change was for the worse. I decided
that I could no longer live In hope
less. bitter oneliness. II you still
want me, viii marry you.h t1,i
The second note was less intimate.
but equally to THE point. She had
met Robert Thornton on Western
trip the previous summer, and It
was with peculiar forebodings and
many inward promptings that she
had finally, summoned courage to
send him the simple little note.
MY Dear Mr.. Thornton II ran.
II remember that we were standing
at the top OF Mount Winslow and
the wind was keen and sweet against
iour faces. when you asked me that
|iquestion for the first and. perhaps
|.(who knows?) the last time. You
said then If ever you are tired, II ev-
er you are lonely, you have only to
summon me. will come l am no
longer that active, free-limbed girl
whom you used to compliment on
mountain climbing. ! am hopeless,
helpless invalid. but lam summoning
you"
Marian westbrook knew that both
notes had reached their destination
some SO hours ago, and that II they
had been received and promptly an
swered, she might expect 1.-THE replies
[by the evening mall. What would
be the result Of her impetuous dar-
ing? $3.50 \ a.
| or Forrest Newbury's answer she
was reasonably certain. He was a
frail young clergyman and had al
ways, In spite OF frequent advanceas
on the part of many moonstruck
Fdamsels Of his city parish. held aloof,
cherishing, as he frequently wrote
her. one glorious image In his heart.
Marian Westbrook. OF the old days,
had been inclined to treat the serious
young preached as a joke. Since her
fathers death, and the recent illness
that had cut her of from active life
and caused SO many Of her old friends
TO fall away from her, she turned
back, with not a little tenderness. to
the thought of renewed intimacy
with the old lover and friend.
About Robert Thornton she was
not SO certain, His was a more ro-
bust. care-free nature. unhampered
by the visions and moods OF the tenn
peramental young parson. She won
dered II he still remembered her, and,
II he did. whether that memory held
Anything of affection.
Well, II was game well worth the
playing. She had shown her hand
and now 1t was left to the ever ruling
Fates to decide the issue.
The great hall clock at the other
end of the room licked on monoton.
ously. The girl shook back the soft
lace from her wrist and searched the
table beside her for some paper oil
book with which to ristract heI
thoughts. She picked up a volume
NJ noefa hut threw n aside