Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-09
Copyright by Charles scribner's Sons.


At first nobody knew him: then the
Hotchkisses knew him, and then it
seemed as If everybody had always
known him. He was first noticed sit
ting In the warm corner made by
Willcox's annex. Pairs or trios Of
people, bareheaded, their tennis
clothes mostly covered from view by
clumsy coonskin coats, passing Will
cox's, would break in upon whatever
else they may have been saying to
make such remarks as, He can't be,
or he wouldn't be at Willcox's;" or
contradictory, HE must be, or he'd
DO something besides sit in the SUM-"
or. Don't they always have to drink
lots of MILK" or, Anyway, they're
quite positive that it's not catching;"
got" ..' -Ai' ~ :"
The suspicion that this interesting
young man was a consumptive was
set aside by Wilcox himself. He told
MRS. cambridge that Mr.. Masters
was reeuperating from a very stub
porn attack of typhoid. So Mrs. Balm
bridge drove out to Miss Langrais's
tea at the golf club. and passed on
the glad tidings with an addition of
circumstantial detail. Mister Mas
tiers had been sick for many months
at-she thought-the New York Hos
pital.
Mister Masters never remembered
to have passed so lonely and dreary a
February. The sunny South was a
medicine that had been prescribed
and that had to be swallowed. Aiken
on the label had looked inviting
enough, but he had found the con-
tents of the bottle distasteful in the
extreme. 1.-THE South is sunny" he
wrote to his mother, "but, oh, my
great jumping grandmother, how
seldom! And it's cold, mummy like
being beaten with whips. You were
right about the people here all being
kind; they are all the same kind.
know them all now-by sight; but not
by name, except, of course, some who
are stopping at Willcox's.
But in spite of all this there is
truth that must be spoken. l feel
thousand times better and stronger
than when | came. | have no one to
talk to but your letters. So don't
stint me- Stint me with money If you
can (here | defy you), but for the
love of heaven keep me posted. II
you will promise to write every day
I will tell you the name of the pref
test girl in Aiken. She goes by eight
times every day, and she looks my
way out of the corner of her eye.
And / pretend to be reading and try
very hard to look handsome and in
teresting."
Such was the usual trend of his let
ters. But that one dated March Z
began with the following astonishing
statement:
81 love Aiken" and went
on to explain why.
But Mr.. Masters was not al
lowed to love Aiken until he had
urbnla pQ11nflnt nf
gossip. But finally the real truth
about him, or something like it, got
out; and the Ratchet of suspicion was
buried, and there was peace in Aiken.
This was the truth that got out
about Mister Masters. He was
nephew of the late Bishop Masters
His mother. on whom he was de-
pendent, was very rich; she had once
been prominent in society He was
30, and was good at games. He did
not work at anything.
So he was something that Aiken
could understand and appreciate: a
young man who was well-born, who
didn't have to work-and who didn't
want to.
Aiken took a great fancy to Mr..
Masters First because Aiken was
giving him a good time, and, second,
because he was really good company
when you got him well cornered and
his habitual fright had worn Off
But gradually he became almost at
ease with nearly everybody; and in
the shyest, gentlest way enjoyed him. |
self hugely. But the prettiest girl in
Aiken had very hard work with him.
l don't mean that the pair sat or
stood or walked in absolute silence. |
Indeed, little Miss Blythe could never |
be silent for long period nor per-
NIT 1t in others, but mean that with |
the lines and the machinery of a |
North Atlantic liner, their craft of |
propinquity made about as much |
progress as a scow.
NO" said little Miss Blythe upon |
being sharply cross-questioned by |
Mrs. Hotchkiss, "he practically never |
does say anything"
Mrs. Hotchkiss dug a little round |
hole in the sand with her long black |
cane, and made an insulting face at |
little Miss Blythe.
Some men," said she, "can't say
Boo to goose"
Little Miss Blythe had many broth |