Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-25
CHAPTER U,-Continued.

'In the FIRST place, I must tell you that
Manors goes to you by entail, but that
all the rest Is Joey's. and you will be her
sole trustee and guardian. Lance is OF
age and Independent, and I have dis
posed Of things In such Q way that he
can't possibly interfere with the manage
ment of Joey's affairs. Secondly. I want
to tell you something about the children
themselves.
~ am not their father, though I very
nearly was, and though every old shrew
in the neighborhood thinks am. Their
mother was the most beautiful and low
able girl have ever known. and the only
woman in the world ever cared q rap
for Ours was boy and girl idyll. though
ives ten years her senior. had known
her ever since could carry her on my
back, and It was always sort OF under
stood thing between US that we were 10
marry each other when the time came.
It'll she was nineteen and I twenty
nine I suppose we were the happiest cou-
pie under the broad heaven. Then she let
down her skirt and put up her hair and
made her debut Il should say that she
lived alone with her old father. a retired
East Indian Of the time OF John Com
pany) To her own surprise and my
great pride-at first-she caused quite
sensation, for besides her face she had
the prettiest manners possible. II you
want to know what she was like you Will
find q miniature OF her among my pa
pers. Or perhaps it would be simpler to
look at Joey.
But now the trouble began. Irene
that was her name-eoon discovered an
immense appetite for admiration. which
was quite natural and excusable. Cone
can't blame q girl for making all the runs
she can while her innings lasts; God
knows, 1t is short enoughO But present
ly she could not do without 1t. She was
always asking for It, as they say nova
days. Sometimes she made herself rather
conspicuous and people began to smile at
her. ! ground my teeth, and. finally. at
the least suitable moment, / put my oar
in. / expostulated. No, didn't expostu-
late; / simply ordered her to mend her
ways, and generally acted the grand Turk
word, Hughie, she was furious! There
had never been any definite engagement
between us. and she opened her defense
by saying SO, pat. 1t happened at q ball.
noticeable with q seedy ruffian-ha!f actor.
half poet-called Gaymer, against whom
I had been fool enough to warn her. She
informed me that she was her own mis-
tress. and that was an odlcious busy
body. II had had the sense to tell her
all the world, and that I was jealous OF
the very ground she walked on-Iet alone
the people she spoke to-she would have
melted at once. swear; for she was az
She loved me. too. / know. II had even
lost my temper and called her a braxen
hussy. she would have forgiven me in
time; q woman regards q remark, like
that as Q sort OF compliment Butt
ders, and said that she would look at
these things differently when she was
older.
THAT did It. Apparently there is only
one crime In this world more heinous
and that n to tell young woman that
she IL young. Irene got straight up and
| left me- sitting. and went home without
ever looking In my direction again thai
Next day called It her fathers house
/ to make my peace. / was prepared to ad-
NIT that I had been an Irritating youne
cub and eat humble pie generally. But