Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-24

thing on his understanding far from
unpleasant, Yet unexpected and unusual.
but the sisters perceived nothing.
Elmer Sweet had boarded with them
four years. For four years they had
cooked for him, darned his socks and
sewed on his patches and buttons. and
let his manly but diffident personality
creep further and further into their
hearts. They had We'd with each other
to make him comfortable. They had
overlooked his masculine habits of oc-
casionally scattering pipe ashes and leav-
ing his newspapers flung about They
had wiped up the tracks his big feet
made on the clean floor without a muir
muir All this not because he was a reg
ularly paying boarder whose money they
needed. but because he was Elmer
| though they would not own it to each
other.
Elmer in his turn was very nice to
them. He carried up the coal, mended
hinges and the like and saw that the
walks We're kept clean Occasionally he
took them to the moving picture show.
He was never communicative about his
affairs and they had ceased to suspect thai
he had anything sufficiently important
to talk about. He worked in the factory
and spent most of his evenings at home.
And he laid by" his money. This seemed
to be the sum total of his innocent oc-
cuped existence.
Neither sister could have told when
she began to dream dreams about Elmer
to imagine a time when he might be-
come d permanent possession. Moreover.
neither could have told when she began
to look at the other with slowly encroach-
ing jealousy. The fire had smoldered so
long in secret that when today it showed
an actual flame they had been dismayed,
amazed 1t seemed incredible to Libby
that Abby should imagine herself the
chosen of Elmer, and it seemed equally
incredible to Abby that Libby should
have so far-fetched fancy as that of
Elmer's preferring her. Underlying this
mutual establishment was another feel
ing more active and bitter-a violent en-
nifty, which was bound to grow surely,
although SO tardily.
When dinner was called the sisters
sat each at her end of the cozy table
Abby portioned out the food while
Libby poured the ''drinka bles. as she
expressed it. Between them, at one side
sat Elmer. The other side was empty
and had been now for something over n
year, ever since Il had objecteI to Miss
Marian. because he had been removed
to another school Tn sisters had 4
faint idea that Elmer had objected t.
Miss Marian because ne had always
seemed uncomfortable shy in her pre- S.
ence so when she went away they had
not let anybody have he" place. 1t made
them. of course. plan a ltt!e more closely.
but this was small considera ton when
Elmer's comfort hung IN the balance.
Elmer" said Libby, I've made some of
the black tea. Would you like to try it %
II certainly would. thank you, Miss
Libby
I'm very fond of black tea myself, -
said Libby. She shot a triumphant
glance at her sister.
Then why haven't you had it all the
time? I'm sure I'd been agreeable. Tea S
tea to me- said Elmer comfortably
There's no sense in drinking what you
don't like said Abby tartly.
:'Eut In bound to like black tea
cried Elmer jovially DO you use sugar
Miss Libby? Then l will. too"
Libby passed the sugar, her cheeks bril-
liant with exultatiazE while behind the