The daily Alaskan., 1912-08-28

because MiSS FeifOn Wna so sWeeL
 "well.- said Miss Felton. dropping her work and folding her pretty white hands. it had s background of tiny butterflies with roses nere and there. A friend of mine originated the pat tern and set the stitches for me just before I left home. She has since died. So the midsummer love pattern--thst's what she called twill never be made after all"
 Midsummer love" repeated Phin- eas reminiscently. Seems to me used to know siong called that"
 "Yes. there is one-I used to know that. It went thls way" And Miss Felton hummed under her breath in a sweet. rich tone. and Phineas Joined fin his good tenor, ard they both blush cd and looked guilty when the bridge players at the ether end of the room encored their effort
 After awhile Miss Felton went to the piano and played some accompa. niments for Phlnens. who sang ''The Soldiers Farewslr' and Mary of Ar. gyll." Then. to Phineas delight. he learned that Mtis Felton was devot. ed chess player. and the rest of the evening was spsiut in $ quiet corner of the room over the chess table
 At exactly SEQ ihc next morning Phineas Clode put on his hat and macintosh and picked lis umbrella out of the haIl stand, for it WIS rain ing again As he accomplished this apparently unIniportant act Mics Eel. ton came slowly down the stairway. while at the same moment there emerged from the dining room. which he had just left. Mrs Bennett and Miss Chase. the stenographer.
 When morning greetings had been exchanged Mrs. Bennett called up to Miss Felton. who had paused halfway down the stairs.
 "Did you find your lace. Miss Eel toni"
 No. Indeed: not trace of R."
 odd where tis," clipped Miss Chase "RainingT' she asked Phlneas.
 "Yes. [ believe so." replied Phineas, giving his umbrella little shake as he opened the front door
 Then that spool of thread Gew out and rolled slowly down the breadth of red carpet
 Phinras stared. Mrs Bennett smiled significantly at Miss Chase, who mur. mured. Search mer' Miss Felton peered over the banis;er and looked at the spool
 "why. that looks Ike my thread" !" she cried. Where can it have come from. and where Is my lacer'
 'It came out of Mir Clode's umbreI' Ia,r said Mrs. Bennett dryly ss she picked up the spool and handed It to Miss Felton. Mrs. Bennett did not like Mir Clode-that Is. not since he bad given her plainly to understand that he was quite satisfied with his state of single blessedness Mrs. Bennett was a stout, blond widow.
 "So long!' inurmured Miss Chase, taking herself and her stenographic sentences from the house. and she was immediately followed by Mrs. Ben nett
 "I haven't the slightest idea how H happened. Miss Felton," stammered Phineas. growing redder every moment as Miss Feltoh looked oddly at him. "That is, thought plaeed the spool on the table last night It must have fallen Into my umbrella"
 But where did you find It. Mir. Clodef" asked the little woman gently.
 Then Phlneas recollected all about the kitten which had been playing with a spool of thrcad in the front hall the evening before and how he had rescued the spool and carefully wound the loose thread upon it and finally had fastened the little loop In the end of the thread in the notch in the spool.
 Miss Felton shook her head regret fully. "Ah. Mir. Clode, see what you have done. 1t was you who unraveled my knitted lace, the pattern of mid summer lONe. it WIS uh lht N"bio w side me. 1d | never saw 1t as 1t was pulled to tie floor. It is amusing toof' She laughed gay little laugh, and Phlneas Clode felt desire to embrace her then and there for her sweetness in not being severe with him. He un- derstood that ladies were very partic- uIar about their lace patterns and might become attached to some partic- ular ones, and he would not have blam- ei her if she had cut his acquaintance then and there.
 For the first time In hls lie he was late Go business that morning, and he paid so little attention 10 his under Hngs in the office that they put in an amazingly idle day When the office was closed he put on his hat and paid a visit to an old friend of his mother's, an aged lady who lived in Brooklyn and whom he remembered to be al- ways engaged In some sort of "fancy work"
 "Midsummer love lace patteraT she murmured in response to his blushing inquiry. What's got into you. Phin-
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