The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-05-02

/ Philip Vaudeville Brentwood stood
/ in front of Sam Whites drug empo-
| rum and glared at the moidy mince
pie that the ladies of the South Side
/ Methodist church kept in the window
as an indication that there were
Il choice vian6s to be purchased with
4 in. But Philip was not admiring the
/ pie. which had been there so long
that 1t might be said to have accrued
4 historic interest az well as spider
4 webs, and though the pastry was
/ heavy Philips heart was heavier
4 He was a fine looking young man,
I with certain pleasant traits that his
1 father openly declared were Grant
4 wood, and his mother secretly con-
/ sidered to be Vaudeville, SO they
/ were both immensely fond of him.
| But now his handsome countenance
i was c1ouded, his brow was stormy and
+. his soul was a chaos of rage and in
i dignation. He had been so iub.lantly
| happy when Pansy Borden promised
j To marry him and though she had
i made him promise to- keep the en-
gagement a secret he had only ad-
i mired her the more TO rthat. as
! Pansy had said that 1t would distress
her mother to know that che was
to leave home so soon. 1t was sweet
Of Pansy to think of her mother.
/ However, Philip was human. and.
when his best friend. Ben Davis, had
begun to act In an insufferably pa
| tronizing way he could not refrain
from giving Ben a hint of the glad
news. especially as Ben was a great
admirer of Panay. II know a secret
he had casually remarked. that
would make you jump II YOU knew
! it"
/ "Humpn" retorted Ben, scornful-
~ II know one that's worth two of
yours"
/ That was too much for human en-
dursnce. and having sworn mis- friend
IF, secrecy r n iiif, tttiA ittft4 he e.fa
derful tidtngs "Pansy Borden said
yes. It's to be in the fall"
The color eft Ben's freckied face,
and even his red hair seemed to turn
a shade paier. But. Philip" he pro-
tested. That's my secret. Pansy
has promised to marry me in the
| fall"
/ The whole world seemed 30 Philip
| to give way though 1t was only the
| cracker box on which he had been
| sitting. He sprang up and seized
! Ben by the throat ITS lie" he
declared angr.ly. You can joke mo
| about anything else, Ben, but not
! about Pansy."
When ne was excited Ben slut
I
! Philip locsened his grip on his
throat. There is no use In trying
| 10 choke II suffering friend. But.
! Philip, she's wearing my ring" The
anguish in Ben's voice was genuine,
! Philip sat down and buried his
/ face in his hands. Forgive me"
he said huskily; shes wearing
I mine too"
1t was the quick -witted Ben who
/ al h
| do you reckon she's wearing any
! other rings? Every man in this town
| is in love with Pansy, and even that
| fresh travelling man Arthur Dering.
| was wild about her"
From old Isaacson. who sold dia-
mond rings on the dollar down and
| fifty cents- forever plan, they mad
learned the ghastiy truth. Henry
! Blaine, Ely Canning and Willie 10
| Hall had also purchased rings for
| Miss Borden. Old Tsaacson was quite
elated and was planning 10 enlarge
his store.
so IT was that Philip Grantwood
/ had not waited long in front Of the
| White emporium before four other
figures stepped on, of the darkness
and the whole party started gioomily
for the Borden home. They had de-
cided TO go together to Pansy and
. crush her with the hideousness Of her
conduct. knowing the girls ready
wit, they had prepared beforehand a
J document setting forth in solemn lam
/ guage their righteous Indignation
their desire TO he freed Immediately
from their engagements, and their
! emphatic determination that all
! friendship with such Il person should
cease, Philip WAS to learn the speech
and act as spokesman fer the crowd.
He had been. studying II all day.
hut when they turned into the famil-
/ lar path that led 10 pansys home.
/ Philip felt that he could choke.
Stop. boys" he commanded, Il m
forgetting what TO say"
! They were all glad Of a delay so
! they retired to the old graveyard and
seated or the crumbling tomhstones
got out the paper and by the light Of
+ matches Philip conned ii. Il was
1 fine effort. an aggrieved in dignatinn
/ was It's keynote, 1t contained many
quotations from Lord Byron 50 TO the
/ falsity of the fair sex. Reading It
/ had tonic effect upon the FIVE, and
soon they marched boldly up to Pan
/ sy's home and were admitted by her
/ shy little sister Polly.
! Pansy came in Immediately. bring
I ing sunshine and gayety with her,
7 IN SO glad to see you" she cried.
with the most tiisarnling friendinesa
! And all Ave Of YOU at once, Why.
/ you frightened Polly SO that she
| can't say her prayers
The five looked at Philip and Phil
! ip cleared his throat and began in
| a rapid humble. I'VE have come to-
night, Miss Borden. TO ask you for
an explanation---" He paused. for
how could he say those dreadful
| things to Pansy. beautiful Pansy.
with her dear, disordered eurls. her
merry. brown eyes and her sweet, i'm
| partial smile? "Oh. Pausy," ne
! blurted out. "how could you do it?"
P-P-Pansy," stammered Ben, how
could you do it?"
Ell Canning surreptitiously wiped
a tear from his eye, for he was sure
that Fansy looked like his dead
mother. Mrs, Canning. the departed,
/ had been cross-eyed and had had a
| long hooked nose, but she died when
| Eli was two years old and the face
| that his memory pictured leaning
over his cradle was just like Pansy's.
To Willy 10 Hall she looked like the
| Madonna in the Sunday supplement
| of the Admission Hot blast"
Pansy glanced from one to the
other Of her lovers, then the gay