Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-26
THE DAILY STORY.
When Romance Begins.
Copyright. 1913. by W. Werner,

Jane Maybee, at her window 0arninG
stockings, looked out and saw two peo-
pie coming toward the house-two young
people. greatly interested in each other.
1t was her niece. Althea- and Howard
Adams. Althea was a tall. thin. pale
girl who looked just as her mother had
looked at her age. Jane was aware of
the resemblance now, and she sighed. AL
thea's mother had been her older sister,
and she had married the man Jane had
| wanted for herself She wondered now,
quantity, II there was not some other girl
who liked Howard as well as Althea did
| If there was such a girl Jane felt sorry
| for her Obviously. Althea would have
Howard il she wanted him. He would
| not be able to say no to her.
! Since the death of her sister Jane had
lived in the house with Althea and her
father a salesman, who was much from
| home. She had two upper front rooms.
which she had furnished herself. She
| kept Althea company. and she was more
/ content there than she had been In the
other place where she had lived.
| Below Howard and Althea were sepa-
| rating reluctantly. At last Howard mt
came in, slamming the hall door until the
/ oid-fashioned fAnlights shivered. Sne
came pounding upstairs and burst into
the room where Jane sat. 80.
| Aunt Jane she said. HOWARD ana
are going to be married
/ Jane tried to think of the right thing
to say. That's very nice. dear" she
managed. finally
| We're going to be married in two
weeks1-next time father comes home.
There's no reason for waiting any longer.
] shall have white dress.-stik, l guess
and l shall be married downstairs In the
parlor We're going to Niagara Falls for
| ten days: then we,R come back here
for two hours. He agreed to everything.
guess l shall he, able to manage How.
ard. Mother always managed father
| She laughed.
Jane did mot speak. She darned stead
lily. but her fingers were growing shaky:
Those are my stockings. aren't they!
! demanded Althea. Il guess they're all
right. 1 hate to darn stockings: l don't
know what I'll do when have Howard 8
to darn as well as my own. For. OF
course, you won't he here them"
Jane caught her breath. No!
mo. You see. Aunt Jane. shall have
| to have these rooms. The house Is very
small and l don't like to feel crowded.
need a chaperon."
THAT is true" James hands fell on her
lap She sat staring before her at the
dingy wallpaper. ugly. yet how loved;
\
You see, shall want a BIT Of time to look
That's what thought "A week ought
to be long enough. II yob were out in
Iside of a week I could hive everything
Strengthened up before my wedding.
II will go at once Jane said. She got
I'D and began to tumble at the things In
the old dresser. She felt confused. II
had come so quickly and vet not unex-
pectedly. Still the blow was the same
4 tneu
she rose. II guess I'll go to see IL Mrs
Stewart will make my dress. l expect
she'll charge like sixty. but she's the only
dressmaker in the place that's got an
atom of style
She went out And Jane was alone
She had week in which to pack u!
her few belongings and leave. A weei
was short time. She found her purse
and counted its contents. She had ne
more money due in some time. and wher
it came it would be pitifuily little. Sht
had felt herself almost in affiuence since
she had been in this house. Now sh.
must go back to the old conditions. and
| they were terribly hard. The rent would
take nearly all. and she would have t.
freeze and starve and go without suit
able clothing. Not that she blamed Al
| thea. II the girl was hard 1t was be-
cause she had legitimately inherited the
hardness from her mother. But she did
blame that oid-fashioned. most incense.
| auent system of gentility which had bred
| her (Jane) to a point of delicacy which
almost meant helplessness. She was de.
pendent upon her very inadequate pr.
| vate means.
| After she had forced down a bit OF
lunch she went forth to look up a new
| shelter. 1t seemed very difficult to find
| one. It was not until the third day that
| she found one large room which she
| could afford. She said she would take it.
! She was svery tired with SO much run
ming about, yet she still had to engage
a van and pack her belongings against
! the time of its arrival. Althea had too
many affairs of her own to see to. She
! and her great friend. Anna Paul. We're
| very busy and very happy. BY the sixth
day Jane had everything ready for the
| van.
| Althea came up and looked about COM
| placently. I'm going to have pink pa
| per and white paint" she said. You
/ must come and see how Ii looks And.
| of course, I'll expect You to stay with
| me all the day of my wedding. Anna
Paul can't do everything. She's splendid.
! though. But being q married woman
| herself she knows exactly what's right
| every way. An old maid can't be ex-
! pected to have much ioea of such things.
| Can they. now?
Jane smiled feebly. mo, indeed. dear.
But any way l can I'll be glad to help
| YOU
Il know that, Aunt Jane. Say, do you
/ know time like this is when girl