The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1912-03-15
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(Continued.)

- lucy Wdlkcu luc SIcpS. w ucu
read your name in the Sunday list of
Motel arrivals l just felt sure that it
must be our Phillip Kelvin, and told
father that 1 was bound to write to
you and invite you to come out"
II wondered how you found me so
readily" he commented, smiling.
Its because I'm so lonesome" she
replied. Eve don't make friends here
as we did in Tennessee. so am
for ever and ever reading the hotel
arrivals, hoping that among the names
Ill find somebody we used to know"
She paused a moment and laughed at
herself "But 1 never found one I'M
til now" she admitted, because they
don't publish the arrivals at the cheap
hotels, and we never knew anybody
who was likely to be able to stop at
the more expensive ones. That is how
I came to be sure it was you"
81 don't see why" objected Phillip.
when you knew me was as poor as
a church mouse"
ST know, but that was five years ago,
and felt sure that in five years you
ought to be stoppine ut the Esplanade
or you wouldn't be the Phillip knew"
'That's a very pretty compliment,
Phillip" said Rensselaer,.
"This young lady couldn't say any
other sort of thing about me If she Is
like she used to be-" replied Phillip,
placing his hand anfectionately upon
her shoulder "She was one of my
stanchest adherents in those days, long
before she was a young lady. How
old were you when left, Elsie?"
Fifteen" she replied.
Five years ago." mused Phillip.
"Now you are twenty"
"And you're thirty-one," she re-
turned. my, how old we're becom-
ingr'
She led them into the little parlor,
which opened directly from the stoop.
In one corner was music rack filed
with music, and though that corner
was filed with big chair it seemed
conspicuously bare. To Phillip, who
knew the Whites SO well, that space
told its own story. The payments on
the installment piano had not been
kept upi
Elsie called back across the dining
room to the kitchen:
Mr.. Kelvin Is here, mother"
i very much faded looking woman
Of forty-two' or forty-three came in,
drying tae backs of her hands with her
palms.
"Pm mighty glad to see you," she
said, shaking hands with him, and her
tired eyes grew triflO brighter. my,
how solid looking you've grown!
Seems to me you look as If you was
hunting for somebody to contrary you.
You didn't use to look that way
when you boarded with us-did he,
Elsier'
Kelvin turned to Elsie, and in his
gaze Rensselaer, thought that he read
friendly admiration and nothing more.
His look had not that rapt eagerness
Of her gaze and never would have for
any woman, Rensselaer, found himself
deciding. He decided wrongly. KEEL
vim had found himself strongly drawn
to Elsie, but he sternly suppressed
that tendency as quickly as he recog-
nized 1t In himself.
81 don't know" replied Elsie to her
some slight change, but to me he is
just the same old Phillip, whom I'm
glad to see again and hope to see
often"
II suppose you're married by this
Time" suggested Mrs. White
Il have never stayed in one place
long enough to get married, except in
Tennessee, and there I was too busy"
laughed Phillip.
ELSIE has never forgot you" Mrs.
White next observed "She thinks
aboUt you all the time, and she's been
talking about you ever since we moved
away"
The connection of Mrs. Whites re-
marks was so absurdly palpable that
Rensselaer, could not help letting his
eyes twinkle, and Elsie, catching his
glance Of amusement. laughed out
right, whereupon the two callers join
ed her, very much to Mrs. Whites
surprise.
You was a mighty busy young man
even in that six months before we
moved away" ratified on Mrs. White.
I'VE was all sorry we had to go and
leave you behind, and it nigh broke
Elsie's heart. But she's KEEP track of
you all right. She made us take a
paper from back home on purpose.
First we saw that you struck oil on
that cheap little two acres Of ground
you scraped together and bought. then
you bought some coal land and built
foundry and a railroad or what not.
i don't know what all you done. but
Elsie can tell you every bit Of it, from
A to lizard. She's
Mother. did you call fatherT' in
terrupted Elsie demurely.
Eyes, he'll be right in. He's out in
the garden pottering around. You
know he al ways was crazy about gar
fening, and he amt working now
How are the rest of the famify?''
Kelvin aske d.
Both Elsie and her mother looked
"Grace is married" said Mrs. White.
sd got his spine hurt in football
Knme, and he's upstairs now. You
must see hi m before you go. He al
ways liked you so well. ALI three Of
the children did, for that matter. al
though none of them put crown and
/ royal robe on you like Elsie did. Yes.
you did, Els lie, you know you did. and
you never would give any encourage
ment to a b eau from that day to this.
rm afraid z DIS going to be an invalid