The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-01-04
pv JOANNA SINGLE.
wright. 1910. by Associated Lit


From the first IL had been foolish.
IN explosive combination 81 youth
III xuY.,rarr, moonlight. and the propiN-
IA antilles of a vacation house parry.
Jack ana Angie met IN june, loved IN
sJuiv. confessed III September. and ny
Christrnas had coaxed her parents :"
consent to a February wedding inc
Aliens were reluctant. for Angie was
Yfdisalously young. hut they hau 20
objection n Jack.
E The course ut true love ran. for a
& ttrne. most sInocthly Holland -"
eaye his son en- adorable little cot
4 tage: the Aliens produced a-Sheek 10
Il cover furnishings, There was murn
4 slorping. much trnpssaau making.
n rnerry parties. and voNs and KISSES
Z hardy as surrep'itiors as they $h"a'"
/ have been. There was peace-d
treacherouS peace
JACK had made one blu06er ne
Il had not told her sill The expert
Ri ence 81, his elders seems never go
4 MAKE a young man see that when n
| puts his hrarf sor Nfc into Eirl 2
h soft hand. ne Is thereafter IL nght
place ske wfj3 ho supreme. she
wants to be not merely first. hut all.
~ she is jealous eff his mother and sis
tiers. his friends. his bulldog. his pipe,
anything whatever that before her
] time loved him or gave HIM aid "
comfort No oc, aston had 81 Tar
arisen for iesiclIst. and lack folg"c
4 tfas weak place IN his armor Hr vas
--nsI guard.
Angia had come upon his conscious
mess like oblivion OF a. that had
gone before Like all lovers. he said
he had never loved any one elsc-snn
theugat he spoke tho truth II was
u secret, unconscious disappointment
10 the girl that Iae n had no past
whatever Sh">~Wouid have liked &C
forgive him. to have conaolcd him for
rDrrows---aeep wounds of cruel tale
from which her love would hsuc'-
forth protect him She would have
liked details of past unhappiness Of,
Tered up To- her like incense.
TELL her before some body els
does. il tho first commandment t,
En engaged u1cu- lark tltsfri1rtt-ti-
and suffered At first, to do hin
5ustirn- he had really fnrgnttsH T.
tell Angie about Tessie Burton. III
had been engaged 90 Tcssie at col
lege. The affair vas hricf. ending II
trouhe as the sparks fly upward
Tessie broke i; because she saw an
other man. Her methods were prompt
NJ ieast He rad tol3 TcSsie he woul
alwars be truc to her. and wait r.
her until he died. and other familia
quotations,
When he did remember this h
Knew that il he told Angie now, sh
would ask why he had not toI1 he
before II would have seemed 81
rious. worth having hidden until h
was more sure OF her. No. II wa
400 late Jack trusted 10 luck. an
40 the fact that TesSie WAS in IN
Fast and lived in another town.. II
Thought himself safe.
Early in January that fatu1HS youn
man took his hride-to-be on one e
their many shopping tours. which al
ways ended with tea or chocolate an
= iosers' tese~a-tete before going hac
10 the family circle. where every
ming Was hustle, despite the ia,
that the wedding was tn be strictly
family and intimate-friends aftai
The gift season, 3ust past. had broke
INTO prepar atoms and dressmakeI
Possessed the house, Now. Jack an
Angie were choosing the last of tn
furniture sewing chair and tab
for Angie, who vas hesitsting hetwee
mahogany, Ctrcassian walnut or a pei
fectiy cunning arrangement in wtcke
Enamored Of the wicker. TesSi
Etood with a dainty gloved finger I
her lip and considered. Jack M
loving every look of her. the brow
hair and eyes the demure. bird lik
plumage Of brown cloth and fur. Al
iett alteration shone from his eve
Then light laugh beside him mad
him iump-it was a laugh he knew.
4 cold wave scurried down his spin
as he turned and knew that his al
had found him out. He lifted h
hat and took Tessie's offered han
with what grace ne might. while sh
swept Angie from head to foot Wit
glance Of her wide blue eyes. Sh
took in the situation, but waited Il
her cne---to do her Justice she gay
Jaek his cnaTlce, ''4 t@.'
Jack funlbled shamefully. Had h
Immediately and delightedly presen
ed Angie To his old college frien'
Miss Burton. of whom he had go ofte
spoken" II would have been all RICH
M Instead, he presented Miss Burton
10 Angie as he might have any mel
acauaintancc. Angles perfectly coui
focus but Indifferent manner Shove
she had never heard Re sse Burton
name before
Tessie hardly believing her ow
aenses. took characteristicaliy prom
revenge-she never waited. Chattin
q lightly, she said she had come for
week with Cora Chandler, and NE
out shopping Her manner to Jac
was artiessly familiar She Gale
him by his first name, and sever'
times by a college nickname, as
xF InconsclousIN. Also she let her hal
rest moment on his sleeve.
Cora told me of YOUR good fol
Il tune she remarked. settling her We
over her shining fair curls ''It make
me very happy for YOU. Miss Allei
am delighted Jack has fallen int
such charming hands Now sha
never reproach myself about hir
Again--he was go young and tragi
Won know" Here she laughed
forgive the creature for having fol
gotten me Its fortunate men ca
forget SO soon. isn't il? So cnmforts
hIe for them, So pleased to haY
met you, and wish YOU all happiness
Good -bvi"
She fitted out. and Jack stood da7
I'd. He wished duly thai TesS.e wer
not SO canfoundedly prettv. WouI
1explanations help him He trte
careless nonchalance. and returned I
the matter Of the chair,