The Washington herald., 1915-01-02
DAILY SHORT STORY.
JULIA's JEALOUSY.
BY JEROME sPRAGUE.
fGu,.s-a.t rarsN

Copyright I9lS)
The engagement OF Julia Ward and
Philip Hargrave came as more or less
of a surprise to village society. Some
how it seemed strange that Julia, with
her most apparent pettiness OF char
acter. should have appealed to Har-
grave. Yet appeal to him she most
certainly had; otherwise why should
he have asked her to become his wife?
The spiteful feminine element in the
village predicted an early shattering
of Hargrave's illusion regarding Julia.
The masculine point OF View was varied
some considering him lucky and some
| seeing Hargrave the constant victim
of a suspicious, Jealous wife. He, how
| ever, was totally oblivious of public
speculation regarding his love affair
and accepted the good the gods allowed
him with thorough enjoyment. Har-
grave was a man of clean. wholesome
mind and possessed a strong hatred for
petty gossip or anything bordering on
tale carrying about his neighbors. Had
he been prone to listen occasionally to
a scrap OF village gossip he might not
have succumbed to the charm OF Julia.
Her true character would perhaps have
sifted into his blind alteration of her
Dresden doll beauty.
But II Julia concealed her jealousy
from Hargrave 1t was none the less
SllTTlnB Wllnln neTs anu since lne even
ing she had learned that Hargrave's
sister was entertaining a college chum
she had concentrated her entire mental
energy in trying to ascertain the exact
state OF her fiance's attitude toward
Mary Lee, the guest in his house.
Hargrave was of necessity much oc-
cupied with his sister and Mary Lee.
He adored his only sister. and his
effort to give pleasure to one Of her
II 10 az Ia
have behaved in the same manner had
the friend been masculine.
But the village gossips. ever ready
to fling bones of scandal into the
seething pot, delighted in the advent of
Mary Lee, and waited impatiently for
the boiling over of Julia's caldron of
jealousy. The spiteful element realized
that Julia was not broad enough to see
the situation as it really was, and even
ing for Hargrave.
SO unconcerned was Hargrave about
public speculation that he went where
he chose. always taking Mary Lee along
with him and caring not one whit as to
village conjecture or gossip.
Not so with Julia The green monster
of jealousy was consuming her, but she
disliked to let Hargrave realize her feel
ings so early in the game. She wanted
to be the wife of the rising young law
yer, and she felt instinctively that he
would object most strenuously to having |
liberty interfered with.
The arrival of a palmist in the village !
suggested a rather tactful manner of
approaching the subject Of Mary Lee to !
Hargrave.
For the purpose of trapping him into |
an expression of emotion of some kind |
regarding Mary Lee, Julia concocted a |
story as having come from the palm |
ist.
In the evening, one Of the few spent |
with Julia since the arrival of the other |
girl, Hargrave would have greeted his |
fancee with the usual lovers kiss, but |
she drew back. There was a smile on |
her lips, but a peculiar light in her |
eyes.
'No-you can't kiss me until 1 tell you !
what the palmist told me today" she |
said. She says you are not faithful to |
me-"
II don't fancy being put on the judg-
ment seat because of some silly palmist's
rawlings" Hargrave said briefly. IF you |
will not kiss me now you need not |
trouble to after you have told me what
you have heard"
Julia flushed and her small head went |
up. She might have known enough not
to tamper with Hargrave's affairs for
the time being. but she struck blindly At
MIN, knowing InlS was no QOuDI Ine enQ /
of their engagement.
THE palmist told me that you were
with another girl-a girl with
dark hair, who was seeking to win you
away from me-"
why didn't you tell me frankly that
you are jealous of my sisters guest?"
Hargrave suggested calmly. "I told you
before she came that I would be taking
her about and showing her a good time.
II you cannot realize that 1 am doing
this for my sister and that ii is only
temporary absence from you'll am
sorry"
You deliberately fiaunt her in my
face" Julia said hotly, land all the viii
lage is talking about it,
MY dear Julia, I cannot see what the
opinion of the village has to do with an
affair between you and me. II you trust
me as do you there would be no occa-
sion for scenes such as this
well, I am not going to be pitied
by the entire populationI II you intend
to carry on as you have done with that
girl you may have your ringI' She took