Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-03-14

her sisters, starting at every approach
ing step; flushing one moment With eX-
pectation. and paling the next with
MISUNDERSTANDING. waiting. watt
ing. until the night came down and it
was time for her to go home.
All the evening she and her sister had
sat almost in silence. until at last the
elder woman could bear it no longer.
and looking up With grave, anxious
eyes. said:
Glare, dear. what has happened?"
Glare tossed her head and shrugged
her shoulders.
II don't know and l don't care" she
answered. Possibly he has forgotten
all about me and gone out of town for
a few days. Anyhow. it doesn't mat
ter now. Good night" and she went
off with a brave show of Indifference.
1t was not until Saturday that she
not altogether With regret. that her
eyes were wollen With crying.
Have you heard nothing??' she
asked.
"Nothing."
If he We're away. he must have had
Yes"
What does it mean. Clare?"
Glare caught her breath In Il gulp,
and bit her lip a moment. Then she
said. speaking in "A low, slightly UNI
1T means that he does not care.
That when he had his Freedom he
liked it, and has decided to keep it,"
II don't believe it," cried her sister
reSoluteiy.
1T is true. all the same"
There was a short silence.
Then suddenly Glare held out her
arms to her sister.
"Madge.' she said brokenly. "Madge.
! didn't know cared so much. l don't
know how to live without him." and
L Sha hurst into fna,o
Much at the same moment Stanmore
stood on the deck of II big liner and
looked toward England. His mouth
was very set. and his hand gripped the
handrail until his knuckles stood out.
while the receding coast line grew blur
red and misty to his eyes. II was al
ways afraid OF it," he kept saying.
She did not love me. l was always
afraid of it,"
In a small back room OF a high tene-
ment building two street urchins whis-
pered together over some trick they
had evidently perpetrated a few days
before.
MY golly, didn't it look rummy
smoking"' said one. rubbing his small
hands together i'm unmistakable enjoy
ment over some recollection.
And didn't 1t git 'ot?" chimed in
the other. What q lark il the old
post Johnny burnt is fingers. Think
e did,"
NAV, L NnaWS e qldnt. But you
should 'er seed lis phiz. There was Just
black cinders in the bottom o. that ere
letterboX, and nothing else. l stopped
to see. and then made tracks like ole
Nick. Guess some folks wondered
where their letters got to that day.
and they both laughed with huge de-
light.
And a certain little paragraph In the
newspaper. relating how some boys had
fired a pillar-box, out of mischief,
passed unseen by those whose whole
lives We're affected thereby.
Three years later. in a club at Mel
bourne, Philip Stanmore CHANGED to
meet a great friend OF the Linton fam
lily. And just as Fate by an accident
had thrust him out of his rightful hap
piness, so now, by another accident,
that or a chance acquaintance, she
gave him back his own again.
II am very interested to hear that
you know the Lintons,' said the stran-
ger. after half al hours conversation
tual mountaineering: Il have been
a great friend of the family for a long
time. and l never met Il nicer in my
life"
Il knew them very we'll before 1 left
England" replied Stanmore, now
bronzed and bearded and aged. but
have heard nothing OF them since.
That is three years ago. l should be
glad to hear concerning them.'
There are not many changes. Edith,
the elder girl, is engaged to be mar
ried. 1t is a surprise to everyone that
she SHOULD go off before Clare, the
family beauty
is Glare still unmarried, them"
Stanmore eaned back in the shadow.
n spoke casually.
Yes. She was engaged, you know,
but 1t ended very strangely. He was a
nice chap. and everyone liked him.
Then suddenly they had II row. and he
Went abroad. and don't believe any
one has heard of nm since. No one
ever knew the real facts. but Clare
seemed to fret a good deal. which was
very odd, as he had appeared the de-
voted one of the two
How do you know that Clare fret
ted?" In spite of his efforts his voice
would tremble a little. and his COM
panion glanced at his curiously.
she fretted so much that is affect
ed her health" he replied. in u con-
Nincing tone, but she never allowed
anyone to speak to her on the subject.
She went to live with her sister. Mrs.
Elgin, and l believe she has been with
her ever since. She changed very much.
Lost most of her go and spirits, and
grew very quiet. ] was always fond Of
Glare and / have felt exceedingly sorry
about It,"
Why do you suppose she let him
go?"
"Pique, l daresay. She used to be
rather u hOtheaded, hasty young per-
son. Possibly sent him away, n then
wished she hadn't: or something she
didn't mean. l can't help thinking he
must nave been u bit of a fool to go.
unless he had changed his mind n