Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-09-23
DAILY SHORT STORIES

und the name mad leopeu 10 Stella's
delicate lace sleeve and would have
speedily enveloped her fiimy gown had
not the tall waiter who. unnotic,sl. had
served them stripped off his COAT aud
wrapped It about the girl. cxtlnguiSh-
Ing the fire. .
lie had scorned Ercd's generously
preferred reward. received with urhali-
ity Mrs. Livingston's patroniEing com.
incubation and thrilled at the gratitude
In Stella's dark eyes. He had pretend
eel not TO see the soft little hand she
graciously extended and. slipping on
his coat. had rcarranged the table.
served the dessert and sent the hotel
physician to see them.
The week that followed WAS
strange one for Stella Hewitt. Proud
and high spirited, reseuting the love
making OF her cousin. allotted by his
mother. who was Stella's guardian as
well as aunt. the girl found herself
deeply interested in the Individuality
or the~man who waited on the table
He had never presumed by so much
as q glance upon the incident In the
dining room. and Stella liked him the
better for II. One day she had met
him on one OF the mountain paths
and she had stopped and thanked him
prettily for the service.
I'm going TO let you thank me some
other time" he had said gravely.
Just Mt that moment Fred had M.
peared. and he had uttered some sharp
words that dlvulgcd the fact that he
knew who the waiter was.
10 q IA.
and two days afterward Mrs. Living
ston found IL convenient TO move on To
another resort. Stella understood and
smiled bitter little smile
Now she felt little throb OF exulta.
ton that her instinct had not been
wrong. Sho had recognized I'm the
man who had saved her life some
claim TO distinction. She admired him
for his pluck and perseverance. She
felt that he was more 10 be respected
than Fred, who laZlly accepted what
the gods (and his Industrious fnthcr)
/ had provided and was without nmbi.
ton OF any sort II one excepted his
| desire TO wed Stella.
Dessert was served. and StclIa. play.
Ing idly with her spoon. looked across
Il
looming large in the distance. bearing
n tray carefully poised on one palm.
/ Their eyes met across the intervening
space. and Stella smiled. Forrest did
not return the greeting
WHO were you smiling at. Stellar"
demanded Fred hastily.
She did not reply.
Mrs. Livingston had seen. however.
and so 1t was the very next day they
gave up the rooms Fred had engaged
and went back to town where there
would be no doubt as to who would
serve the soup and where there were
no dangerous cnndelabra on the table.
september came. and Fred went back
| to college, rejected sutton Stelln
was most unhappy with her aunt. who
could not conceal the bitter disappolnt-
mont she suffered In her sons failure
to win Stella.
The girl was very gentle with the
older woman. who chided her WITH in
gratitude and coldness At last che
sent Stella away for. long visit TO
another relative In the west. while she
turned her thoughts TO other matters
and tried TO forget the failure OF her
cherished plans.
In March Fred suddenly married u
pretty girl-the sister of one OF his
cl3ssmates-and his college career
came TO nm abrupt close.
one night Mt dinner telegram was
brought to Mrs. Livingston She read
It and uttered startled exclnmntion.
Why Stella Is married" she ex-
claimed
TO whom" asked Fred.
she doesn't soy-merely "Will be
With you during our honeymoon. Lot.
er captains Who can Il he? She
hasnt mentioned any one I'm her lei
'crs"
"SQme cOwpuncher." suggested Fred
{ llt'lc drcarily. then with more ami
nation, 81 say. mother. you Jrcmem-
her that chap. jim Forrest. who wait
ed OH table at Bellairy last summer
the one who saved Stella's lIfeY
yes"
why. he's turned out 20 he all sorts
Of n big gun. Seems his father made
him work his way through college
told him he didn't care what he did so
long rs the labor was honest-and now
the old mans dead nnd Forrest IL
worth a cool ten million!
Mrs. Livingston flushed deeply. "It
would have mndc n splendid match for
Stella" she said rcgretfuHy. Bot
that's always the way. II she had
chosen him It would have turned out
he wns beggar."
You could trust Stella 10 pick out
'hc right party. only. you see. you
scared them both of, mother. don't
believe either one OF them thought Of
love or anything else. lie was merely
polite. and Stella was grateful to him.
n they had been left alone it might
have developed into n pretty romance.