El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-28

My dear CuAlQs e&C4dAlleu MI. = Gel
testify, what is the matter?'
Derrick will be-hOme soon now"
gasped Doreen; "he will be here on
Saturday"
Indeed, that is splendid. How many
years is it since he left2 One--twO-
four years You have changed, DOreen,
he will hardly know you"
DOreen sat twisting her diamond en-
gagement ring round and round IN
silence, and her sister Wilhelmina-al-
ways called Billy, for shOrt-stared at
her with a mixture of fun and surprise
in her sunburnt little face.
said.
course DOreen is delighted to see her
fiance-a fine man like that, with all
the money and fame he has-aren't
you, DOreen?'
ooh, let me go out. in the garden,
father" said the girl: 7 feel faint
She stumbled out through the open
t, windows into the garden The sun
was shining, and the flower beds were
full of late spring flowers. DOreen
was very white; her pretty fair face
was full of a wistful unhappiness-
Clutching the letter in one hand, she
crept to the end of the garden and lay
down in a hammock slung at the end
Of the tennis lawn Then she burst
into passionate sObbing.
'Doreen, what on earth is the mat
ter% Billy was standing by the ham
mock-Bnly in her old shabby blue
cotton dress, with her untidy curly
dark hair tied at the back OF her
head with an old brown bOOtace.
You are a dear little soul, Billy"
Doreen dabbed her Redeemed eyes.
"I-Oh, Billy-dO you remember Jack
Sheltenham, who was staying at Sand
gate last summer"
yes" said Billy. "The one who was
in the navy-the nice looking one VINO
gave you the photograph of the Dread
uOught?"
Yes" DOreen nodded.
''Weu?" Billy sat waiting.
He and I-Oh, Billy-he is in love
with me, and I an with him. He
wants me to run away and marry him"
'DOreenr
I'VE have been writing to each other
since last year-and oh, I have felt
such a beast-such a coward"
Billy little face flushed.
You must break off your engage
ment with Mr.. MeryI. Doreen." she
4 daren't tell father. Billy
daren't. You know he would never
let me marry Jack, and shall am
going to run away" She spoke with
tremor In her voice.
My hatF Billy spoke very slangiIy
What will you dO2'
II cant meet Mr.. Meryl, Billy said
Doreen, Il simply Garland I daren't
say a word to father And last night
tell father the whole ming. but I won't
let him-father would be furious No
I shall run away and marry Jack be-
fore Mr.. Meryl comes, ana you must
Il viii. BilIy's eyes sparkIed at
the prospect
1t is Tuesday now, and he comes on
Saturday-that gives US four days
You can''-here she blushed prettily-
get special license in three days;
Jack will get One-and viii run away
and We shall De married"
eOh, DOreen, how thrillingr' Billy
ciasped her sunburnt hands.
Derrick says he will motor over
in time for lunch on Saturday. Father
mustn't know as soon as that-he
mustn't know till after we're married
But If you aren't there to meet Mr..
Meryl-it viii be so extraordinary"
I know knOw-oh, Billy, dear, do
suggest something"
Il know" Billy had been sitting
with her head in her hands thinking
hard. 'IU pretend to be you"
The country station was almost de-
serted, and the pOrters stared at Billy
without recognizing her. When the
train was signaled she suddenly felt
terrified; she would have given any
thing to have run away; the enOrmity
of what she was doing came to her
Her heart beat quickly, and she felt
almost faint
II shall tell him very soon" she
thought I can't bear it."
The train came steaming in. and
one or two people stepped out on to
the platform Then she saw a tail,
weather beaten man, clean shaven,,
with fine, square shOulders-he was
looking about him. She went timidly
forward and said bravely: Derrick"
He came forward at once, and raised
his dark green felt hat
'DOreen,' he said hesitatingly as
it DOreen?'
Billy ehoked back a truthful mo-"
and nodded.
Why, I hardly recognized you. You
have changed, little girl-yOu don't
look older, but you look different" He
drew her into the waiting room.
Billy laughed. She had recovered
from her, first desperate shyness.
Have I changed for the worse?'' she
asked, not without cOquetry.
No, thousand times no." he said
vehemently.
"GraciOusT' thought Billy She stood
demurely looking down.
Its aSes-it seems ages since we
saw each other, DOreen- You were
simply a child; now
There was deep admiration in his
eyes; even Billy, unused to such
thing, could not mistake it She hated
herself bitterly If she had known he
was as splendid, as fine as this. she
doing, not even for DOreen; but as she
had begun she must go on.
I have got a little plan" she said
softly. You don't mind. do you Der
rick?"
He took her hand, and smiled. say
ing nothing.
I thought we wouldn't go home to
lunch, but that we'd go and picnic
somewhere together. Would you like
that? Father isn't expecting you till
this afternoon
Rather his eyes shone. "PII Just
see about sending my baggage up to
the house, and then Wen hire a motor
and go to Cartridge for lunch. Shall
Yes" said Billy. Ct should like
that.
A quarter OF an hour later they had
hired a motor from the hotel garage
and were spinning down the white.
dusty road.
When they were out of sight of the
town he slowed down a little and
turned to her
That was a sweet little thought OF
yours, DOreen," he said
She laughed and made no answer.
scented by the immigration commits
sion. taken in conjunction with the 1
statistics of birth and death rates I
available in the United States, indi-
Gates that if America were dependent
Tor her future population upon the !