Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-01-31
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HER BIG BROTHER"
Love Took Usual Rough Course,
but Surely "A!l's Well That
Ends Well" Is True.

and flung himself Q0Jecteuly lHto Tue
.rvit,ng arms Of his chair. and gazed
~ the heart of the glowing fire.
The flames danced in weird fantas.
Ac shapes, first springing high and
I. then crouching low along the logs un-
I'll they leaped into space. Their an
tics were unheeded, for he saw only
the face of Ethel Ward as she said,
"Heath, I am going to marry a man
have loved long. long time. Tell
me that you are glad"
Glad? OF course he was. Ethel was
created for happiness. Lucky devil.
whoever he was. Heath had heard
of heartaches, but he had never suf-
fered of the malady before; the loss
Of Ethel gave him chronic case. for
which there was no relief.
Since the day before his sixth birth
day. when her family moved to the
house next door, they had been the
best CT chums. She was introduced
to the social life of the little suburban
town at his party. He wildly recall
ed the shy, dainty. golden-haired elf,
as she chung to his mothers skirts.
Her dress was white. and huge pink
bow poised like graceful butterfly
on top of her head.
He was glad that she had no broth
ers to fight for her at school, and
gave the other boys to understand
that he was her sworn knight Grant.
and no one ever infringed upon his
right.
When his exciting high school days
I we're over, he entered an eastern col
lege and Ethel attended a school at
Washington. What pangs of loneli-
ness he endured! How he longed for
Il her sweet companionship! Even the
( splendid fellows who were his class
mates were poor compensation for the
loss of her congenial society. Then
vacation time came and passed, much
too quickly, but they crowded it full
I Of happy experiences. Picnics, canoe
trips and horseback rides were taken
\ over the glorious country roads.
Finally they were graduated. He
and his family accompanied hers to
Washington. 1t seemed but yester-
4 day. How proud they were when
Ethel was named an honor student!
To him she was the prettiest and best
4 girl there. Any fellow that she deign-
ed to notice should consider himself
favored by the gods.
I Several weeks later, when he re-
ceived his degree. he noticed her
sweet face beaming. as he was de.
cared to be "the best all-round fell
low" in the class.
Both families spent the summer
abroad. They explored the chateau
country of France, climbed the Alps
and sailed up the Rhine together. If
only he might relive those happy
days! &~.a
The voyage home was trying ex-
rerience. He felt the first, fierce
pangs Of the green-eyed monster Ted
Carter from Virginia, happened to
be on board, and from the moment he
introduced him to Ethel, the pest had
followed her like shadow. When he
left her for a moment. on his return
he would find them engaged in seri-
GUS conversation. So engrossed were
they that for several seconds his
I presence was unnoticed.
4 Then he decided that no one had
any right to claim even a minute of
her attention, which should belong en-
tirely to him. After dinner they prom
enaded for the last time, as they were
to land at New York in the early
morning.
Heath shaded his eyes with his hand,
trying to shut out the vision of her,
sitting beside him on the anchor, as
he told his love, begging her to marry
him Immediately. Her eyes glowed
with that wonderful light which he re-
membered shone from his mothers
eyes when the goodnight kiss was
given
He thought her won, but after gaz-
ing intently in his eyes she answer
ed: Il am glad you are fond of ne,
Heath, but we are such good chums.
90 not spoil everything. You are my
great big brother, and I can not ex-
change you for husband"
When Ted Carter did not visit her
home, he knew that permission had
been withheld, which was some con-
ISOLATION. e
year had passed and they "chum-
med" together as in the old days. She
mad informed him of her intention to
marry just as he left her home the
evening before.
With an unsteady voice, for his
heart was pounding in his throat like
piledriver, he gasped his hopes for
her happiness. .I>>. .~
He wondered where she had met the
man. They were sure to be happy. II
they were not, the man would have to
account to him. her "big brother" -
de never realized how cheerless
me library was before. The tele-
Phone bell interrupted this thought.
4 was Ethel, asking him to come over
g DISCUSS a matter Of grave import
ance He wondered what was wrong?
She stood waiting for him at the
ooor and when they entered the living
room she said: Heath, you forgot to
ASK me whom intended to marry, SO
7 called you over to explain" He
never would have believed she could
nave been SO heartlessly cruel, but he
pravely asked the expected question. i
~ answer she flung her arms about
nls neck and lightly pecked him on
sne lips, saying: Do you mind If I
marry you r" Buffalo Express.
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