The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-31
BY LOUISE OLNEY.

/ Copyright. 1911. by the Associated
/ Literary Pressl
Prescott found his suit pleasant and
ridiculously smooth. lie had AWAY 5
thought of courtsh1p as stormy pas
sage from vaGabondase 10 response
bility, but lone Ward did not impress
one as d responsibility, II she gave
little she demanded less. There were
no narrowing periods OF estraugement.
40 disconeerting scenes Of reconciiia-
ton. 1t was ideally calm and correct
and confident
i 1t was by the very Iightest train OF
Z circumstances that 1t had begun at all.
Prescott had dashed out from the Of
ice one day 10 buy wedding present
/ for The last Of the old college fellow $
i 10 go into the united staie-that Is,
the last one save himself, While he
was giving the adress for the cleo
tric chafng dish. II occurred to hlm Ia
wonder how IT would seem TO swing
into the procession, too. lie was
young. good looking, successful There
Was no reason why he did not marry
except the lack of girl. TINS struck
him forCibly. lie was still thinking
about II whsn he returned to the OF
fee and took up his customary medi-
/ tatlve position at hrs desk. eyes fixed
on MS EktIi'S t al l143tf = AEl va a
shen-hke member with a tendril OF
brown hair around tin direct range
Of his vision.
lie really knew nothing else about
her except that size VAS prompt and
efficient. Bus no steupgrapher for him.
thanks. He had always advocated
that love should be guided If one
must love, why not love adv isediy
with socia! position. money, locks
thrown IN.
Then the 5hone brought him out OF
| his reN eT5t. w ard. tire president al
his company, speaking for has wife
begged his presence at dinner thai
. / evening. CandidIy, guest hao failed
Would be MI in3 Yes, no would. H.
remembered thriliugly that " ard hat
an attractive daughter.
She was amazingly so that even
ing They were thrown together a
. dinner when she talked very well aAt
/. afterwards she sang and played. Al
with a subtle Difference u MIN tina
fitted neatly TITO mis- vague mAtrinon
2 ial intentions Ii seemed the begin
ming OF the end There Vas no fam
, lis opposition. Miss Ward. herself
J, ypified all he had considered adntira
bic IN a wife. lie began to pay he
9 serious attentions.
, But Prescott with the instinctiv
: self preservation % the bachelor re-
Trained from making a pointA bian
t proposal He intended TO advance int
+ matrimony gradually so as 10 incur II
. / shock Il was, then. rather crue
- dispensation when he ran Up uneN
! ,ectedIy late one afternoon with n
a half formed intention of dining Wit
the family and spending the even
4 ing While the maid searched the up
rUar,s Mia Ward he SauH
9 tered into the drawing room and wit
= retreat cut of. oD@rheard CONVEX
sation in the library between mothe
and daughter.
you must land him" said Mrs
Ward peevishly. with your father
bad Investments, you on our hands
Marie to bring out. Clifton at Yale an
:. the twins III Europe MS inposslp!
u to make ends meet"
= 1T is not easy to land an unimpas
= stoned lover, Mamma. Hes as emo
l. tional as q crayfish, But ! do Xix
Z him and his income certainly appeal
TO me in view of the fact that m a
. enoumbrance here" Even cold
y blooded girls voice can culver whe
she Is thrust out from home.
: Now, don't be silly" protested ne
mother. He's good catch, and yo
= are getting on--twenty six neN
, him here so constantly: / must kee
up tha table. and have an exit
Il maid"
6 The maid returning and opening
door somewhere caused a draught tina
shut of the library with slam, an
in the interval Prescott fled to- tn
hall. When Miss Ward came he wa
a still excited enough to be breathles:
q and he explained hurriedly that h
ha tn VA "
g evening after all and departed ami
d entreaties to remain.
:, He hreathed like a runner in fror
= a race. II was like having narrowl
v escaped something that had almos
= seized him. Something was wrong
Either fellows who married neve
overheard intimate family conference
4 or else some families cloaked the ugl
facts with polite Illusion. Prescott
was stunned to find that he had ha
Illusions after all. The sortlidness c
the Wards shocked him. He foun
himself rushing back to the office. 4
was still early; perhaps he could bur
himself In work.
He was afraid he had committe
himself that he could not honorabl
withdraw from his suit OF course
l was possible to go elsewhere. Tha
would be better than wounded con
1 ceit He might have to break ava
1 by degrees. to avoid explanations. n
felt hunted. Inundated as he dashe
into his office and stopped suddenl
/ on the threshold. tho door swingin
behind him.
He remained quite still and locke
at his stenogra pher. The desk ligh
was on and it turned her dark hal
into a golden aura and shed the sui
4 lie shadows of cameo over her deli
cate profile. The click OF her ma
i chine had drowned the noise OF HI
1 arrival and She sat quite unconsciou
Of his presence. a trifie dropped wit
WEAKNESS, simply girlis1 and appeal
fnRiy sweet. Prescott had never real