Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-04-18
THE FOUR OFHEARTS
BY VIRGINIA VAN DE WATER

Livingstone had been shrewd enough
to look ahead and see how valua BILE
that property would some time be-
come. Your mother was only a girl
then.
She was devoted to her brother
and yielded to his entreaties that
she sell him the land for the price
that he named-a fair enough price
for such property as that seemed
to be then. Livingstone has made
fortune from it, as he hoped to
do when he bought his sisters share
from her. He was sure she would
marry the man she loved-your
father-and expected that her hus-
band would be able to supply her
abundantly with all the necessities
and most of the luXuries of life. -
"Then'-Cynthia had to moisten
her lips before she could speak
"he took advantage of his sisters
faith in him, and of her ignorance.
to make money for himself that he
might have made for herr"
We'll, yes" Darius Blake admit
ted reluctantly, but, dear girl. he
| did not put it that way, even to
himself. You see, he owned half of
the property already, for sis father
had divided it, evenly between his
| son and daughter. If the son saw
the possibilities in it, and the
daughter did not, Livingstone rea-
soned, might not the son profit by
| these possibilities? He told your
father once that if the investment
had proved a failure he would have
lost by it-and his sister would not.
He stood to lose or gain, and, as he
put it, he happened to gain"
\ Disagreeable Subject
And he never offered to make up
for it to my mother"
Blake smiled cynically. We'll, he
never called it exactly that. He used
to send your mother very hand
some gifts at Christmas and on her
birthday. She never blamed him for
his action, and she begged her hus-
band not to. That is why your father
never told you the facts"
And that is why he never sug-
gested that if anything happened to
him should live at Uncle
Stephens" the girl said musingly.
II wish 1 had known the truth
mo. dear, you do not" her COM
panion corrected. 1T is better that
you should not have known it. Only
your evident reluctance to allow your
uncle to do the fair thing by you
moved me to tell you now. Now you
comprehend why you need not hesi-
tate about letting him pay you back
in an infinitesimal degree some of
what he might have paid your
m other"
II see," the girl said. but" shak-
ing her head impatiently, 81 hate
| it,"
Even so-it will soon be thing
of the past" Darius Blake reminded
| her. "At what hour are you to meet
| Mr.. Stewart?"
His change of tone was so marked
| that Cynthia was aware that he
wished no further discussion of the
| subject just dismissed.
"At a quarter of Six" she said.
"It is that now" Mr.. Blake in
formed her. HE will be waiting for
you. I would like to meet him. il
I may-unless you. have not told
him of our appointment here this
afternoon"
'I have told him." she rejoined.
ct said nothing at the house about
| it but Gerald is-well-he's differ
ent."
A Strange Expression
The lawyer laughed affectionately.
"Of course he is my dear. That is
| because you love him. l could wish
nothing better for you than that
you should have the ideally happy
marriage that your father and
mother had as long as she lived.
And it was happy because it was
founded on love. Without love. mar
riage is hell With love, it is heaven.
Your parents daughter wou d
marry only for love-"
A flood of crimson swept across
Ttx.,,tIfosg 20 rnnodnd
ing it very pale. Her fathers friend
gazed at her. startled.
The blush might denote the self
| consciousness of a woman when
speaking of her lover. But what did
the pallor mean?
Gerald will be wondering where
I am" she said hastily, pushing her
chair back from the table and rising
! "Shall we go? / am to meet him in
the lobby"
The waiter had brought the
change from the bill handed him
by Darius Blake. His face spread
into a grin as a dollar tip was laid
on his silver tray.
1--WE have kept your table for an
| unconscionable time" the gentle
man murmured. Good day!'
Three minutes later he was shak-
ing hands with Gerald Stewart, look
ing him squarely in the eyes. Gerald
was a handsome fellow. and Mr..
Blake decided that he liked him.
Yet the thought thrust itself upon
his mind as he got into the cab that
was to take him to the railroad
station-it was difficult to imagine
those two delightful young people
Stewart and Cynthia-deepIy in
love with each other, and Cynthia
What was the natter What was
wrong?