The Washington herald., 1913-10-22
DAILY SHORT STORY

/ story again. ..and she died without knew
| ing that he kept an old picture OF me
ami this ring locked IN secret drawer
In his desk. Only his son knew-the son
OF his old age. He brought the ring 10
me and told me all aboat-the end. At
the last he said, Patty he always called
me 30. Patty, IL you'll give me your
! hand. well go up on the hiiL where the
flowers zre in bloom. It's summer up
there, Patty. Let US goi He thought
that we were young asain, Betty"
What a beautiful love story, Aunt
Patricia" the girl said when she could
| control her voice. What beautiful
story. and yet how sadi-.
II had any dreams, child. and the hope
that he was happy. He loved his boy
he was happy I'm him"
The old clock in the hall struck 6, and
Miss Patricia sat up hastily and brushed
her hand across her eyes. His son is
coming to dinner tonight. Run. dress,
and look your prettiestI II love eyer
comes take it. my deari Don't let any
thing stand In your wayH'
| For a long time Miss Patricia sat be-
| fore the fire. dreaming the old dreams
4 that had lasted and kept her heart young
| for seventy years SOMEBODY stoopei
over her. chair and kissed her lightly
upon the forehead. She looked up and
smiled to see him there. 1t was only a
part of her dream. she thought. until
| she heard Betty coming down the stairs
humming an old love song.
$50 Miss Betty is really here?"
Miss Patricia laughed. a little s!lvery
I, laugh that held in II a minor note Of sad
ness that always made the mans heart
ache.
81 didn't realize that II was you. Bob.
! thought was just dreaming when you
kissed me-" Then Bob Thorne knew that
she had been dreaming OF his father.
This is Betty, Mr.. Thorns.'
Miss Patricia herself gasped at the
lovely picture In the doorway. The fire.
light silhouetted the slender figure
| against tbs velvet hangings, touched the
brown hair to gold and set the sapphires.
no deeper blue than the girls eyes. to
sparkling like the waves of the sea when
| the sunshine kss>s them and set them
to dancing like fairies at play.
"You-you are just like the picture
Of Miss Patricia when she was u girl. =
he said slowly.
Il have seen picture OF you." said
Betty. Aunt Patricia keeps 1t in a lit
tie frame on her desk"
1T was his father when he was
young"
It didn't take Miss Patricia long to see
that although most OF her dreams had
been In vain. her very last dream could
| come true. So after dinner she left the
two together in the drawing room. sweet
as incense with the fragrance Of the
| memories stored th-re through the years
Betty's heart futtered In a new and
wholly unexpected way whenever she
met the calm. deep eyes of Rob Thorne.
Miss Patricia has been telling me a
lot of interesting things about you. but I
believe that you are younger than she
\ thinks"
/ He was 30 serious about 1t that Betty
laughed while she secretly blessed the
skilled fingers that had created her
| youthful frock.
Don't you see. won't you know, that
we are going to love each other7' He
went over and stood by her chair look
ing down at her. Don't you see how 1t
Is given to us to bring to fulfillment all
/, the love Aunt Patty and father felt In
those long. lost years. BettyF'
Betty's breath seemed to stop In her
throat. She stood up clasping her hands
together neryously. why, have only
known you-"
Time makes no difference. When I
| first saw you in the doorway, I knew
| you were the woman / had always been
i waiting for. Don't fight against fate,
Betty. You are to me what Miss Patty
was to father all of his life. Aren't you
4 going to marry mer'
Betty looked up In his face. and what
/ she saw there made her surrender
promptly. Il think-I WILL" she whis-
pered.
Miss Patricia, coming in at the door.
smiled at the two figures merged into
one before the dancing flames. All of
her heartaches were forgotten. She re-
membered the JOY Of her own union when
she saw the happiness Of the two before
her.
His love and mine" she said softly,
! '.at last combined in their love"