The Washington herald., 1919-09-23

all. they retained their genuin.
simplicity and sweetness of heart.
And when, one day. they all went
over with Jean to visit the li.tIe
church. and Bettina at the or,an
played reverie Of Chopin. good
gentle Able Constantine heart was
filled with such JOY that the tears
came in his eyes.
But all this left a deep problem
in jeans mind-"Which Of the two
sisters is the prettier?" At first he
was convinced that il was the
coquettish Mrs. Scott who charmed
him the more; then he would see
Bettina, smiling and bIushing amid
the sunlit clouds Of her floating
hair, and he would declare to him
self Il was mistaken, the pre- ttier
was Miss Percival"
So, in the confusion of his m.di-
tations, he would say. rs 1t possible
that ! have fallen madly in love at
first sight? No; one might fall in
love with a woman. but not with
| two women at once"
The days went on and Jean and
| Bettina were often thrown into each
, others company. What resulted is
best pictured in Miss PercivaTs own
remark to her sister when one dav
she exclaimed:
He Is the first man. positively the
flrst in whose eyes I have not read,
oh. how glad I should be to marry
that little body's Millions"
And then as Mrs. Scott went up
stairs to kiss her sleeping children.
| Bettina remained long leaning on
the balustrade Of her balcony.
Tt seems to me-" said she, that
I fvFnuinc n hr -
this place"
One day when Jean was telling OF
| his expectations of promotion ard
| the probability that he should wan
/ der from garrison to garrison fin-
| ally coming back to the little house
| that was his fathers. as an old
colonel on half pay. she exclaimed q
always quite alone?"
Why quite alone? I certainly
hope not"
You intend to marry"
Yes. certainly"
! Yet you have refused several good
opportunities. Tell me why"
! Because" he replied. II think il
best not to marry rather than to marry
without love"
And I think so, too"
She looked at him: he looked at her
and suddenly. to the great surprise OF
both. they found nothing more to say
nothing at all.
But now Jean is no longer tranquil
with impstience. and. at the same
| time. with sorrow he sees the moment
OF his departure approach. Yet how
could he stay and resist the tempta
ton of Bettina's charm?
AS an honorable man Jean felt for
Bettina's money horror. positive
horror.
In Bettina's mind the sensation oi
love had come at the same time thai
it had to Jeans. But while he, horr..
fed. had cast it violently from him
she, on the contrary. had yielded In al
the simplicity of her perfect Innocence
to this food of emotion and of tender.
ness.
As Bettina grew more tender. Jear
/ became more gloomy. He was not only
afraid of loving. he was afraid of be
ing loved. He felt he ought to remair
away. but he could not; the tempta
ton was too strong.
| He tried to avoid Bettina at recep
tions and even TO leave without sayiag
goodbye.
IF I touch her hand" he thought
my secret will escape me-"
His secret. He did not know tha
Bettina read his heart like an oper
book.
When Jean descended the stairs
these words were upon his lips:
II love you; I adore you. and tha
is why I will see you no more"
But he did not utter them; he actu
ally fled into the darkness.
Bettina, standing in the hall dool
and taking no notice of the rain driv
ing across her bare shoulders
watched him go.
"I knew very we'll that he loved me, {
she thought, but now I am very sur,
that !, too-oh! yes, I, too
Meanwhile Jean hastens to his deal
old friend the cure to tell him tina
he is going away Immediately to Par!
ito seek exchange into another regi
ment, to leave the little hamlet for
ever. And then. in his emotion, h,
confessed to the Able that he adorec
Bettina.
ut is madness which has seized me,
he exclaimed. "Ah, If she were onl!
poor"
:. DO you know what I thiuk. jean
exclaimed his good friend. Jean.
believe that she loves you"
And I believe it. too; but tina
IS the very reason must go
Her money is the great obstacle
At that moment someone knock
ed gently. at the door
| 1t was Bettina.
Going directly to Jean she cried
"Oh, how glad I am you are here.
Then she took both hands in herr
and addressing the cure she said
Il have come to beg you. Monsieur
lie Cure, to listen to my confes
fession."
And to herself she was saying. ="
wish to be loved! wish to love
I wish to be happy and to make
him happy, And since he canno
have the courage to say it. 1 mus
have the courage for both"
Il am rich, Monsieur le Cure
she continued, aloud. very rich
but love money most for the goos