The Washington herald., 1918-12-28
THE LOVE AFFAIR OF A HOMELY GIRL
ny JEAN LOUISE DE FOREST.

which meant nothing short Of defeai
to him.
Billy
No answer
BILLY, dear" A face slightly flush
ed, and twinklin as to the eyes. slowly
came into view beyond the edge Of the
paper.
What is it?" he inquired
For my sakeg'
The infection which Maud put into
7 the words. making them a cross be-
tween a declaration and an appeal
proved too much for her husbands
i gravity. He laughed outright and
came around the table
You old humbug." he said, pulling
her head over backward and kissing
her
When do we START"
] "A week from Saturday" she made
answer. her face growing satisfied
and smiling. We can't go this Sat
urday. because I've promised to pour
for Eunice Reeves. You can take
the first train back on Monday morn
ing"
But don't see the sense: honestly.
Maud. ] don't"
Mrs. Billy Poutes.
Aren't you anxious TO have a good
visit with Mart after all these weeks
Why. he has been there for three
months. Here IL is September and
Mrs. Nanderpool says that he doesn't
look a day over thirty. She says that
the Improvement is marvellous. I'm
simply wild to get there And don't
you suppose that il will be a godsend
to him 10 meet an old friend again.
! Il presume so"
Now. Billy. why do you speak In
that tone. and what are you laughing
att"
Mrs. Billy pouted
You know perfectly well. grille"
/ and here Mr. Billy assumed an air OF
| provoking masculine superiority. that
your feminine heart is on the nam
page TO find out whether Mart has
fallen in love with Becky"
It's no such thing"
Well. what did you wriet her that
letter for7'
Billy. you know why. I believe that
I Rebecca's shyness. and her awkward
ness with him. are due merely to the
/ fact that she is conscious that she L.
homely. Ugly women who don't know
/ that they are ugly or at least don't
Z
as well as beautiful women. that Is.
/ il they have brains. and nine times
out Of ten heap better because other
women aren't jealous Of them.
Now il Rebecca had not plenty OF
/ brains and the sweetest nature In the
world / should never have dared.
But who knows, Billy. what Il NAV
do for her to believe that some human
| being really considers her beautiful
Yes. frankly. I do want TO Sc
whether my theory was a correct
/ one, and what the effect has been.
| She wrote that she was very angry
at first. but that she had thought Il
= all over. and that. in spite OF not
/ being able 10 feel that ] had acted
| rightly, she had forgiven me. She
would never have written In that vein
II my action had caused her the least
unhappiness. Poor old Rebecca. I'd
be willing to wager that these have
been the happiest three months OF her
life. And, Billy. II Martin should
Aha" chuckIed Mr. Billy. u
knew it,"
Now Billy" Mrs. Billy looked
aggrieved.
Never mind. dear" He grew
penitent.
suited 10 Esch Other.
IT'S all right: Heaven knows. I'd
be glad enough TO see Rebeccs settled.
and Mart. blind as he is is the more
/ than equal OF any man whom know
'Well-at all events" pursued his
/ wife. they are exactly suited to each
! other. I always said so. But. Billy
dear, that is not thu only reason that
l want TO 20 TO Huddlesford There
are two other men in the running
Mr. Farnum, whom Becky knew when
she was a little girl: he is a pro
fessor at Harvsrd''-Mrs. VsnderpooI
had stretched il a bit-'and the
there is a young doctor. Here. read
for yourself what her mother SAYS.
She secured the letter in question
and passed II to her husband
IL was another one Of those letters
which had brought rare pleasure in
the writing
Seems to be it doesn't sbe"'
grinned Mr.. Billy. We'll I'm Glad
/ Of it. I'd gladly have her marry
Mart-but OF course-it might Just be
1 that she'd take TO a younger man
and one who can see"
! You talk as though Mart were a.
old as Methuselah. He is only =.
and ! told you what Mrs. VanderpooI
wrote about the way he has i'm
! proved"
That's ten years older than Becky
This chap seems TO be about her own
age. Must be il they were chfIdre1
together" Mr. Billy indicated the
letter as though Tom were hidden
between its folds.
| That's horrid OF you. Billy. when
| poor Martin is blind ana moods bsr
so. And probably this Farnum fellow
Is poor and only wants her for her
money"
"By Jove.''
Mr.. Billy threw up his hands
IF that isn't a woman al oy.-,
| Here you don't even know that Mar
tin cares anything about her or that
the other one does either. ard Becky
may fancy the doctor or else none or
the three. Jove. but you women can
jump at conclusions though"
Intuition. my dear" said Mrs HUly.
putting the letter back into its en-
Velope. and moreover YOU will fpd
out that I am right. I hone that
Becky won't make any mistake When
a man falls in love at IS for the first
time it is no laughing matter. Isn't
II fate that she should 20 ali this
time without lover and then hay.
four at once2''
'Ye gods-hear her" Mr.. Billy
clutched at his hair. -Four. Who's
the one?"
Have You FerrettesF
DIR. Maufred-the rector returned
Maud compOsedly. Have you for
gotten so soon?"