The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1910-06-03

can resist a pink, dimpled baby.
Don't you worry about him, Fee
licia." ! said. Charlie Van Zandt is
a presumptuous little weed, and de
served pulling up from the roots
1T isn't Charlie at all" she sobDed.
IT'S Role Carson"
In my excitement | pushed her from
me. ROlfe Carson, | had forgotten
about him. This was too good. Gould
it be that Felicia had met and reduced
to his lowest terms the hirt par excel
lencc of all firts of whom | had ever
heard? And with my amazement a
great Joy came to me. For, years be
fore, Role Carson had played with
my little sister, and she-well, she
wasn't a tlirt | had vowed to get
yen and here was my chance.
Felicia" | said. Il am your friend
for life, and | tell you on my honor
that you need not weep over this
piece of work. The biter's bitten" |
quoted.
Felicia began t o sob. you don't
understand" she said. Il am in love
with him" 1t was a positive wall, a
l,ftle cry of helplessness, and it was
genuine and turned me sick. For.
often as / had wished for Felicia's
punishment. | hated to. see her suffer
in this way. But 1t was fine to know
That Felicia really had had a heart hid
den away all this time.
He said he knew you" she went
on sobbingly, that he used to know
You, and that was why | came. | have
just come from the beach-he vas
there-and ! feel terribly-as if ! had
been wicked all my life. Suppose
lie finds out what a hirt I have been.
Suppose that nasty little Van zandt
beast tells him"
Felicia was astounded at the reali-
cation of her own sins. | thought a
moment.
How long have you known him?"
] asked.
1.-TWO months-he's been in South
America, you know"
drew a long breath Of relief. And
then ! saw a sudden light. There is
no flirt who marries. willingly and to
his or her knowledge. another firt. |
might still save Felicia.
Dear" | said, and there must have
been something queer In my voice. for
| could feel her jewel eyes fix them
selves on my face. you never did a
wiser thing in your life than to come
to ne. But if Rolfe Carson had ever
thought you would come to me, he
never would have told you he knew
me-for | know him, too"
DO you near he was ever in love
with yOu?"
My dear, I'm ten years older than
Rolte-and always was. Also, | have
always been an old maid. But there
have been other girls"
And then for hours and hours | told
her about all the other girls. | spared
nc details which would make my story
more convincing. and | found that she
though she had not known that the
man involved was Rolfe Carson. And
she could not do otherwise than be-
lieve me.
But she took it all so ~queerly. |
had expected tears, stormy denialS-
anything but this calm. dry accept
ance. And | suddenly realized that
she did care for the man, terribly. and
| wished that had not told her. Real
love to no n twice. 1t wasn't
any of my real business. anyway.
AT d~aybreak | went to my couch in
the sitting-room, where / slept the
sleep Of the exhausted. And when,
late in the forenoon, | tiptoed into
the bedroom, found that Felicia had
departed, leaving this note on the
dresser: "Of course | believe you
but | can never forgive you. Some
day you will understand why"
And then | smiled with a positive
relief. | knew that she was already
recuperating and told myself that |
had done good work. Within a week
Wendell Hall was tagging her around.
to the great distress of Carrie Worth
ingtOn, who came to me and sObbed
out the tale of his faithlessness. |
was sorry for the child, too. for |
knew Felicia we'll enough to under
stand hat she would finish Wendell
Hall before she let him go.
The rest of the tale came to me five
weeks later. away out in Iowa. where
| had gone to visit relatives and where
/ found Rolfe Carson doing the same
thing. and incidentally teaching the
art of Irritation to an apple-cheeked
young cousin Of mine.
When | had renewed my %acquaint-
ance with him and had had the salts
faction of impressing upon his vanity
the facts Of my sisters very happy
marriage. he confided in me-, too. ire
Of my safety. even as the others.
He told me. and for the life of me |
could not help believing in his SINGER
ity as he told it. hat at last he was
really in love. with the most innocent.
sweet-hearted little girl i'm Massachu-
sets. And her name was Felicia. l
listened with a joy thai was deep and
f~ar-reaching. but somewhere felt