Evening star., 1914-11-24

near the registrars Office a month
later. She was beginning to feel lit
tie annoyed with this young man who
was prepared to assume his matrimo-
NAL responsibilities in so matter of
fact a way. Once or twice. however.
when he thought she was not looking
at him, although, as matter of course
she was, she had seen an expression of
yearning wistfulness in his fine eyes.
He despised her as much as she did
him: they had an equal right to despise
each other. She knew him, in spite of
his misfortune, to be the very soul OF
honor Somehow, 1t had been necessary
for him to come to her nearly every
day for a month. She had invented
anecdotes for Heriot. taught him the
point of each, and was much grained
to hear of his social success as sub
urban raconteur. When her stock OF
anecdotes ran short she racked her
brains for fresh ones-mostly about
dukes; and when the anecdotes would
not come she invented them ON the
strength of the ducal anecdotes. RACK
tons raised his salary ten shillings per
week.
But the shameful deed was nearly
done. Even the gutter sparrows chir-
ruped cheerful scorn at Elsie Leclaire
as they went about with straws in
their chubby little bills-straws good
deal longer than themselves. Iney
were busy building nests, making
homes for the draggle-tailed feathered
ladies who sat on the edges of the gut
ters and noisily encouraged them.
The girl gave a little shiver After
today l sha'n't have any one to invent
and I thought of a beauty for him
about prince-just as / got into my
bath this morning.
Heriot, dressed in black. awaited her
coming, with a nondescript sort OF a
witness, who might have been any
hi np Say n a
matter of fact. he had been Heriot s
fathers trainer. and was under the
impression that Heriot was the nap
piest man in the world. He stood
female in a bonnet. which had once
been black. who was the other wit
ness, and, after the gray-haired regis
trar had complied with the usual for
malities and scrutinized their certifi-
Gates of having resided for three weeks
in the parish. he set to work in ear
nest and pronounced them man and
wife. gazing at them the while with a
certain satisfaction in their youth and
beauty. They took it very seriously,
too. he was glad to notice. And he
sighed the sigh Of a man who has
once been young and handsome himself.
When Heriot's witness had departed
and the bonnetted female more than
adequately remunerated for her serv-
ices, there was 4 slight pause. Mr..
and Mrs. Heriot stood on the steps
hat and was about to move off. after
handing her the marriage certificate,
when she touched him somewhat timid-
Iy on the arm You will see me back
to my fiat? Miss Jones' Miss Jones
was her chaperon) expects US"
"Td rather not. if you don't mind
But, of course. 1 mind she said.
cheerfully. We've one or two little
matters to settle up before we-sep-
arate."
"Yes, of course he said. absently;
and led her to the hired brougham.
When they reached the fiat Miss
Jones was out and Heriot followed his
wife drearily into the room. Gu
riously enough, the late breakfast-their
wedding breakfast-was laid for two.
We'll have some breakfast" she said,
''and then we can talk. I've another
beautiful story for you
1--WE lived in one for the last month" T"
He answered her even more drearily
than before, and, with a thrill of pity,
she noticed the blue shadows under
his eyes. Then, with an effort, he
reused himself and tried to discover
the point of her story about the prince.
But she had to give it up. Although
he had called himself stupid, she knew
very well that he was not really so.
When he was not paid for telling
stories he could tell very good ones.