The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1913-07-19

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mense seriousness in her eyes,
my Godl'' began Proud Face with a kind of sob
in his voice, but he could not go on, and he said My
IGod!' again
Little Heiress "when love you so. Tell me. Are
you TRYING to help itf
Proud Face thought for moment and then he
smiled.
perhaps AM trying" he said.
''But you mustn't try NOT" said the Little
Heiress. "You must try TO- Think how happy
you will be when you do"
81 am not worthy" said Proud Face, ''to kiss the
dust your little shoes May I?''
eff you do" said the Little Heiress, 81 will kiss
the dust on yours"
eff come to see you,' wrote Proud Face to
the Little Heiress "you will hypnotize me and
won't be able to say what mean. Do you
think it is easy to write it? And to confess that
am fool? Sure anybody but fool would love
you, and most of the FOOLS toe, as think. But
this fool doesn't. Hate me-hate mel Hate mel''
And the Little Heiress wrote back:
IT draw the line at any further humiliation.
give you up. Think of me kindly if you can.
We shall not see each other any more, except by
accident. I can't think of any more to say.
Goodbye"
Though this answer what Proud Face told
himself he had hoped for, it came to him some
thing of shock. There were not, after all, so many
flowers in the garden of his life that he cared to
have the Little Heress lifted from it, roots and all,
and set in other garden beyond the wall, where
he could not even see her any more. All that day,
and for many days, he would have in the midst of
his work sudden sinking feeling, and would realize
after a moment two that he was thinking or the
Little Heiress and how that she was gone out OF his
life forever. He was not the least little bit angry
with her for having first announced the engagement,
and then the disengagement. He met the looks OF
his friends with an unabashed look, and nobody
dared ask him questions. But in his heart he was
ashamed Inundated and troubled; and he did not do
.c1.r. x.rx,fr
away from him. He felt obliged, too not to go any
more into society for fear that he would meet the
Little Heiress.
Meanwhile the shirtfronts gathered moro
about the Little Heress and beset her goings and her
comings with attentions.
81 will make you love me- one would say
eff you only can" she would answer earnestly.
eff you'll only give me the chance"
"Now is the chance"
But the suddenness of the opportunity always
found the shirtfront unprepared and left him stutter
ing before the sweet gravity and readiness-to-be-
made -to-love of the Little Heiress.
Very late one night as Proud face was walking
home from an ushers dinner full of discomfort, he
passed by Aunt Katherines house, and, looking up
the shimmering marble face OF it, saw that III the
windows of one of the rooms there were still
lights.
"The Little Heiress is still up, he thought and he
stood in the shade of lamp-post and watched the
lights It seemed to him that not for long time
had he been in any employment that was SO pleas
ant FL, hoped that the lights would not soon be
put out
"But they must go soon," thought Proud Face,
"soon.''
And with that, just if they had been waiting for
a signal out went the lights.
The next morning he accepted the California
branch of his firm and began his preparations for
the long journey.
h +o1d no la
that Proud Face was going to shake the dust OF New
York from his feet is unknown. 1t doesn't matter
She wrote him note.
ssDon't go without saying goodbye. If you could
come Saturday at three You start Saturday at hve,
don't you?"
three) he found the Little Heiress expecting
$50 it's goodbye" said Proud Face, land good
luclz.'' 80,
eyes" said the Little Heiress 1But why dld
YOU stand SO long and look up at my window-tne
other night?'
ooh said Proud Face, and he blushed
ssI watched you watch, said the Little Helress,