Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-01
THE EVENING STORY.
Red GeraniumS.
Copyright. 1913. by W. werner.l


Over the wire came Raymond's voice,
modified somewhat by the conditions of
transmission yet sufficiently rich and
resonant to sound agreeable in Ada's
ear .GirEe," he pleaded. may I come
this evening for an hour or so? Say at
half past 80 I've something 1 must talk
over with you.
Certainly. come right along Ada re-
piled. heartily. She waited an instant
for his goodbye then hung up the re-
ceiver The next instant her head went
down in her hands and great sobbing
sigh stirred her from head to foot.
of course. she knew what he had to
talk over with her. 1t was the same
thing he had been talking over with her
for the past four months on an average
of two evenings a week. Isabel-Isabel
-Isabel-Ada had heard the name until
she hated it from very repetition and
for another and vastly more vital
reaso, 1t was as the very breath OF
life TO Raymond Since that far-off
evening when Isabel had fiouted Ray
mond, and. piqued. he had turned to her
for consolation, Ada had been the con-
dante of his Sb co She rs eGde aeeplv
what it meant to love hopelessly. Tor
thus she had always loved Raymond
Always since her first long dresses he
had been to her the one significant mas
culine being. But of course she had
always known that she had no chance,
for Raymond had always been in love
with somebody else. First it was this
one and then that one. until finally the
whole desire of his life seemed to be-
come centered upon Isabel Rich.
Isabel was the newest girl in their set
She was pretty. vivacious. blond. When
she entered a room she seemed to fill it
with light. melody and color in way
that made every man dash in her direc-
ton. 1t was like presenting particu-
larry honeyed flower to lot OF hungry
bees. Nobody else ever was noticed
when Isabel was about, least of all a
quiet plain girl like Ada. Isabel coquet-
ted with all her admirers without choos-
ing any. The instant she saw that she
could break Raymond's heart she broke
1t. In consequence he only the more
yearned after her.
That evening of his first heart break
he had poured out his soul to Ada, and
because she. too. was suffering she SYM
pathized. Frankly. she believed that
Isabel would take him one day when
she had played him the length Of her
line. And she told Raymond So After
that he flew to her with every fresh in
cident along the way of his wooing. Isa-
bel had done this. that. or the other
Isabel-Isabel. until poor, despairing
Ada hated the very name.
So he was coming tonight with fresh
story to tell. And she must listen and
smile and pretend to have only sisterly
interest in him. 1t was hard, and
growing harder all the time. Sometimes
she felt like crying out: "Oh, Raymond
blindest of all men, If could make you
see that |. even ], love you better than
all the Isabels in the world could love
YOU
She wondered YEARLY what he would
do if she should make such an outburst
He thinks j don't care for him any
more than he cares for me-" she thought
as she rose and left the telephone.
At dinner her father said to her:
Want to go to the show with me to-
night. honey
She shook her head. Thank you, dsd
But Raymond $ coming.
He scrutinized her a moment. What
are all these visits of Raymond's going
to amount to. honey?
Nothing. Ada answered honestly:
hes in lov4 with Isabel Rich.
Isabel Rich-Isabel Rich.'' her father
unused. II played opposite her at Mrs.