Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1912-03-29

Miss Stone is nor vi mae, sir" tbs
maid had said
Winfred ran down the steps and
strobe along the street. He laughed
bitterly as he reflected that he had
staked his opportunity of seeing Ger
aldine alone on this one evening, and
she was out.
On Thursday evening Standsh, too,
faced the Stones parlor maid.
Miss Stone is not at home, sir" she
said in reply to his inquiry.
Standish turned away, and ques-
ton arose to his lips. Good taste for
bade its utterance, but jealousy forced
him to say:
"Mr. Winfred was here last evening,
Of course?'
"Yes. SIR said the maid demurely.
Standish returned home, mentally
blaming himself for being such a fool
Ms to make the absurd proposition he
had put up to his rival. Winfred had
called the evening before. while he,
W at uhOthCi NCGh bC-
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The next Wednesday evening found
Winfred again waiting on the doorstep
of Geradines home.
Miss Stone is not at home. sir"
said the maid respectfully.
Winfred was suspicious. He thrust
his hand in a pocket and withdrew 1t
rattling a crisp dollar bill.
Miss Stone is out, you sayT' he
asked. dropping the money on her
salver.
She slipped it into the pocket of her
dainty apron and smiled at him.
"Yes. sir; she is out"
"Humph!" grunted Winfred as he
went home.
In front of the little fire that bright
ened his bachelor abode he mused over
the period of his acquaintance with
Geraldine Stone In the beginning be
fore he had known her he and Jim
Standish had been chums, classmates
at college, neighbors in the big busl
ness building downtown, occupants OF
this pleasant apartment. Then hao
come Geraldine. their mutual admlra'
tion for her. her Indifferent acceptance
of their attentions. their fierce ana
Jealous rivalry that followed the de-
parture of Jim from the apartment.
From a warm friendship they had
developed bitter enmity. Winfred
missed his friend and in his darker
moods sometimes wondered whether
the distant friendship that Geraldine
accorded him was worth the aHectlon
of his old friend Standish.
Rather would he have continued the
hitter sweet pleasure of calling In uni
| son with his erstwhile friend AT ieas'
Geraldine had treated them equally
well. Now that they had severed forces
! it would not take long TO discover
which was the favored one. lie was
| nositiye that it must be Standish, FOL
| she had denied herself to Wmfred on
two Wednesday evenings, and the last
time ne was sure he had heard her
| Hpht laugh from the drawing room
Perhaps Standish had broken his prom
| ise and was calling there.
He banished the unworthy thought
| IF lin Siandish was one thing ne was
square.
The next day was Thursday. ana IL
| the evening Winfred stroled festlessiy
| about his rooms entirely conscious tha
| If his wandering feet had their way
they would carry him straight to the
Stone residence merely to walk pas
| tha windows and torture himself will
tbe knowledge that Standish was being
! entertained therein.
He was thinking of Jim and no"
handsome he looked when he smiled
in that peculiarly winning way or Ms
when the door opened suddenly anc
standish appeared before him. white
| and sullen. He walked to the taDie
and slapped his gloves down on tht
books. He looked down at MS OWL
clinched hands and slowly opened then
wide, with Il wry smile.
whats the matter. Jim?'' demanded
Winfled taking quick step forward.
| Nothing muc h-now, sald the othe'
bitterly. 81 thought you had done me
n wrong, and came up here to knoct
YOU down. but as | entered the build
ing bought newspaper, last edition
and coming up in the elevator learn
ed that we are both in the same boat
Explain Yourself" said the othel
impatiently. Notwithstanding thu