Evening star., 1918-02-10

n, MR. BECK, you must
SSn " take my part now. won't
80 III ~ you? He's SO headstrons
W about -four marriage, I
mean- But I have coaxed a promise
from him to follow your advice. and you
must advise him to postpone 1t"
Mamie Coyle was walking impatient
Iv mn and down Mr. Beck's comfortable
1ittia sitting room while she spoke.
and he was sitting deep back In
huge easy chair. leaning Sideways on
one of the arms. with his hand under
his chin. watching her. kindly "hilh-
sical look on his broad face.
"oh! I have no patience with you!
she burst out. There you sit ana sit'
sayins nothing. and trying your pest
to look stupid.
.,fy dear young lady" he said, with
~entle amusement at her vehemence'
.ft.s my business Just now to listen, not
talk"
ooh. I see, You want to hear the
what you call, the facts. before you
give your advice; And ID. supp1se "avsn.t MUCH MUCH
time. as he will be here in half an hour;
i came early to have the nrst WORD
with you Now. where shall I begin!
"At the beginning"
"Weil. that's nearly two years ago.
We were all walking-we school girls
! mean-two and two. In kensinston,
and he came riding slowly by on MS
I'd. with = laugh in his eye. Miss Gurdy
our dragon, you know-was Just MT
TO be tied. Some Of the girls Uttered.
and I laughed myself at Miss Gurdy 8
straight into mine and sent thrill
through me that killed the laugh He
raised his hat politely and rode straight
away and Miss Gurdy called me
WAS ali very wrong, of course, but 1
couldn't keep him out of my mead ior a
week nearly: till one day when we
were alone in the dormitory Flossy Bur
ton-you know little Flossy? she knows
you. anyway-you got something or did
Something for her; something wonder
ful. but I forget what 1t was!
'oh. well: she gave me ie.ter WITH with
and love and all that; and ending up
beautifully:
"1 win your faithful lover be
Through time unto eternity
He had met Floss at her uncle's.
Mr.. Warrington. and had asked her
all about our school. He knew me by
The little dimDls aps so,S on him, my Ma. pey
favorite Of all the girls, and he sent
the letter by her.
Miss Gurky would have packed us
both out Of the school II she had
known; at least. she would have sent
mo packing. but Flossy Is an heiress
and q first cousin of hers is a lord.
and she can do just what she likes
with Miss Gurdy.
'T had three letters from him be-
fore I wrote one little line: but he
said he would kill himself II didn't,
10 had to. of course. After that I
think Miss Gurdy began to suspect
something. F1ossy wanted to visit the
on taking me to hold her hand. One
day Miss Gurdy nearly caught US
Give and me, you know. She came
suddenly into the reception room when
No were alone together. But luckily
WsPd Just had q tiff and he was sitting
IN the far end Of the room, reading q
newspaper upside down. and I was
looking out OF the window.
When left school and went homo
to live with mamma he called to see
her one day and told her he loved me,
and quite won her heart. So now we
are engaged, you know. and we can
60 to places together. and-still-and
still he isn't satisfied"
What more can he possibly de-
sire?" asked Mr.. Beck. without smile .
He wants me to marry him straight
half. and I'll be nineteen my next
birthday. and he thinks we are quite
old enough to get married, and agree
with him in that, but-oh. it's ter
whats terrible?"
sOh. the way he goes on! You see,
he is An only son; that is to say, he
and his mother. too. and I don't trust
hfa uncle Marmaduke and whaf's more