Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-05
seful
Hints
Woman and Home
The Morning Story
THE GREEN SEAL.
BY Jean Dickersou.

backed away from her fathers front
door and rushed to the nearest tele-
phone pay station TO make his con-
fession over the wire.
Alma's voice at the other end waa
soft. and hesitating and entrancingly
sweet; but the hesitation was madden
ing 10 Bob Noycs.
Tell me now" he urged impatiently.
II couldn't,' she pleaded. I'll
write YOU little note before I go
TO bed-honcst ] Will, Bob" she ended
i'm a auaverinr, childish voice, for this
proposal Of marriage. even over the
commonplace telephone wire, was u
life-s,irring thing 10 her.
Il wish you could tell me now and
put me out Of my misery" he urged.
Just think, when ] receive your note
in the morning after slcepless night
Ill sit and look AT II. ne, knowing
whether happiness or misery is con
cealcd under that fap Alma-dear"
he coaXed
Bob chidingly. You haven't any
riCht-yet-and perhaps never" she
added. hurrcdly. IN teal YOU what
III do. Bob: I'll let YOU know before
YOU ever open the note. If it's good
news there will be n blue seal on the
flap OF the cnvelope-and II tts--not
good news, why there will he n green
seal. SO YOU will know as soon as
you receive the letter"
With that arrangement, Bob had TO
be contented. and Alma having mys-
teIicusly vanished from her end OF the
wire, he went 10 his club to Kill the
hour. until II was his bedtime. In the
morning he would know his fate.
Would he be confronted by blue
seal or fatal green one?
All the evening the query haunted
him and when he went to bed he
dreamed about receiving huge envel-
opes spla shed with green sealing wax
and containing missives from Alma,
bearing the fatal No" in characters
ten inches high.
Morning brought light slumber and
awakening gave him new hope. Had
not Alma shown him in more than one
way that she cared for him? Were
there not precious looks-hoarded
words-moments fraught with bliss
when her eyes had met his?
He sat down at breakfast and looked
nervously Mt the letters neatly piled
beside his plate
On top was bill from his tailor
Dunn always had a gruesome way of
putting these unwelcome missives so
as TO greet his masters matutinal
hours.
Somewhere in that pile OF letters
was little white envelope with
splash of sealing wax on the flap
would it be green or blue? Blue, the
SPAR?
Blue. OF course he encouraged his
failing heart AS he darted at the let
tiers and briskly turned them over
All. here was the letter lie turned
II over.
Green
Turned down. by Jovew he NUT
tered, thrusting the unonencd letter in
mis- breast pocket and pushing aside
his plate. "A cup of strong coffee. Dunn.
md 4, al ia
Not a chop--or n hit o: fruit sir?"
protested the servant,
Nothing"
The coffee disposed Of, lie grasped
The remainder Of his mail, ran through
4 quickly, ordered Dunn 10 pack his
suitcase and then telcphoned to u
steamship line tc reserve u stateroom
for him.
a little golf In the Bermudas will
cure me-" he decided in his haadlong
way.
At 8 o'clock that evening Alma Ray
heard with a shock of dismay that
Rob Noyes had sailed for Bermuda that
afternoon.
lie wasn't in earnest after ALL" she
said with a pale smile as she danced
the evening away.
In Bermuda Boy Noyes hated golf
and bridge and spent his spare time
Riowering al the unopened letter with
the fataf'Sreen.'seal on the HAP
fhINnlcSS, ailcf an. ne S!Oaneu
one day as he strolird along Il snowy
beach. III a pair of blue eyes ever
said" he shook his head ierccly.
AT that moment he came face To face
with Alma Rays brother, Jack, who
was staring "a, him with maliciously
amusing eyes
You're looking seedy. Bob" said
Jack, after they had shaken hands.
NO reason why | should" defended
the other. I'm 1T as withdrawing
no end OF good lime. Surprised to
see you here at tAis season"
Governor had poor SPELL was
detailed To escort him down here: he's
on the links now, grinning like n
Cheshire cal and having no end OF n
good time. FOXY IS my dads middle
name" laughed Jack
"Er-family all wcli?" asked Bob
II told you dad was ai!ing." returned
Jack with Il surprised look
Yes. Mrs. KnY and your sister,
"Oh, yes Jack dropped the sub
ject IN AN eXasperating way that net
tied Bob Noyes, What was the mat
Ter with the boy did he know OF
Bobs d!sappointmcnt-did hc, pcrhaps.
know that Alma WAS engaged 10 some
other man?
I'm going over 10 see how dad :
getting along" Haid Jack Come"
Not now--lll ho over later" war
Bob's reply, and M was thankful when
he was alone. who could Imagine
Ia ever be weak -knced just because
little girl refused 10 marry me? By
Jove. ] wont! III go back Tomorrow
lie wh!rled around TO retrnce his
steps and almost ran into Alma Ray,
small and dainty, her lovely face as
white as her frock.
Bob" she cried sharply. Why did
you go away
Alma" he was weak with surprise
why why, ] got your letter tina,
morning the green seal, you know
lie stanmered.
We'll what OF t?' she asked i'm.
patiently.
What OF !;r Why | saw the greer
zeal and knew
She regarded him closely Then:
Did you read the letter." she asked
almly
Not wasn't necessary have +
here" lie held II toward her. the greer
zeal unbroken.
"Read H." she commanded. and re
ltt.f III