The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1911-01-28

erchleSS, love came not as a growth
but as a shock, like a sudden blare
Of trumpets. They had played
together in kindergarten, had. attend
ed the public school, lived as neigh
bors from childhood, and belonged
to the same set. They were friends,
even chums. When they went TO diff
feFent colleges they correspondent,
and saw much of each other in vaca-
tons Willis Freeman never knew
Just when love began its work on
him But he knew, through another
man, its pain stabbed at his heart
Ben Allen, his roommate at law
school, came back with him as his
partner in practice He was
pleasant addition TO Willis set
Another stranger was a friend of
Mary another, Mary, too, whose
father, John Newton, came to the
thriving little city for a few months
business.
The outdoor merry-makings began
almost as soon as everybody was
home from school and college. The
crowd kept well together, and the
pairing OF was for convenience and
mostly casual. Everybody was hay
ing a beautiful summer
Willis Freeman was not an excep-
ton His people were OF for the
summer and he and his partner had
the big cool suburban house to them
selves, and the family cook and
housemaid made them most comforta-
ble- Several good cases had come
to the young firm Things were
looking up.
Thus summer waxed and waned,
and finally the friendly little set
found itself in September, and again
in the midst of preparations for col
lege. Mary, like Willis, had been
graduated in June, and the two were
in the front of seeing others of. a
final and farewell picnic was given
with cooking and songs around
great campfire, with a great cOmpla-
cent moon, much banjo picking-and
some sentiment.
1t was full midnight and on his
way home from escort duty that night
his heart. Young Parsons was with
him and remarked, with a laugh:
Well, this is the beginning of the
end! Specialization has crept into
our hitherto safe and sane midst!
The fall crop Of engagements is due"
What do you mean?" asked Willis
a bit lazily, his mind vaguely full of
how sweet Mary had been that eve
ming. He had not seen who saw her
home-he had a visiting girl with a
giggle-he was glad Mary never gig
gled.
Mean? 1 mean they ought to be
careful when they want to be fools.
In plain American, saw your friend
and partner, one Ben Allen, kissing
Mary-she seemed to enjoy it. They
thought they were out of sight, and
1 did get blind as soon as I could.
Well, Mary's a princess. all right
glad she won't marry out of the
crowd and the town. Here's my cor
ner. So long,"
Willis Freeman stopped in the
moonlit street like one shot. He con-
tinued to stare after the articulate
and departing Parsons. Then the
numbness passed and the quick pain
came. He loved Mary. He had
always loved Mary. 1t had been or
dafned from eternity that he could
and should love her, and her only.
Life semed to be snatched from him
Ia second.
He entered the house, got to his
room and locked the door He IN
dressed mechanically, wondering just
why he was the kind of fool that
brings a stranger to his home to win
the love he himself had not knows
he wanted! He could not blame his
friend, but he hated him with a
mighty cordially. How could he
meet him at breakfast? How could
he meet anything, when Mary was all
that he could ever desire, and that
made anything worth working for
and having? Why, confound it, every
! thought and ambition he had were
hers! He lay down, and went over
and over his misery.
/ In the gray of the morning, he fell
I INTO dose and awoke from it with a
J sudden start. He sat straight up with
he impulse of a thought that had
! reached him out of the nowhere. In
4 moment he was up and on his way
| % the telephone. Parsons would be
furious, but what of it? What did he
care if He got the number in the
| linn dawn, got the Parsons residence
/ and Parsons. ST., Wroth at being
/ -oused from his soundest sleep. And
presently he got also the somnolent
| Parsons, Jr.
Say, Parsons-about what you said
last night-about Allen, you know
1 Which Mary was it?" His heart hung
IN the answer. Aliens Mary might
/ be the other Mary, Mary Newton
/ But Parsons was irate
'You precious idiot! Did you wake