Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-26


gesting that she and her lover talk of
something besides the war, for she was
| certain that she had said enough to
make her companion as uncomfortable
as she wished him to be.
The seed she had sown so wilfully
had begun to bear fruit in Arthur
Bruce's extreme mental discomfort by
! the time he was ready to go home that
night.
He bade his betrothed goodby with
out smile.
"You look awfully glum," she re-
marked.
II was thinking" he informed her,
"of something you said a while ago."
She did not want to say any more
on this subject. She preferred that
he should retain the Impression she
had produced early in the evening.
Anything she added now might detract
from the force of her former remarks.
well, you love me, anyway, don't
you?" she smiled up at him.
! He put his arms about her and
kissed her again and again. You are
adorably pretty, darling!' he murmur-
| ed.
| That was the effect Mildred always
had on him, he reflected, as he walked
home through the soft Spring darkness.
She would disagree with him until he
was bewildered; she would show her
displeasure at some of his views; she
would actually disappoint him. And
then she would look up at him with
that wonderfully sweet smile of hers
and her beauty would make him her
slave. She was certainly the prettiest
| girl he had ever seen.
Compared with Honora
Now there was Honora, for instance.
She was pretty, too, yet not nearly as
beautiful as Mildred. In fact, by COM
parison, she was lacking in color and
regularity of feature. Her beauty de-
pended upon her mood and her ex-
preston. Yet that, too, was one of her
attractions-she had so much variety of
expression. And she was capable of a
tenderness that was lacking in Mil
dred. Milly never had the look in her
ewes that he had seen in Honora's eyes
| "a look of almost maternal compass
sion.
What a dear, understanding friend
and chum Honora was He did not
know how he could get on without her.
But, of course, he could never love her
as he loved Mildred-not in that Pc
culiar way. Yet he certainly under
stood Honora better than he did Mill
dred. And she understood him SO we'll.
Was there more in the elder girl than
in the younger?
| He stif1ed the thought as disloyal.
Honora was older-that was the diff
ference. OF course nobody was quite
Mildred's equal.
J AS he went up the path to his home
| AhaE 4ba oI,t fo hi 30
room was still burning. That was a
sign that she was up and waiting to
speak to him. He hastened his steps
He hoped nothing was wrong.
| He expressed this hope in words as
| he entered her room and found Mrs
Bruce sitting in her armchair reading
mo, there is nothing wrong" she
assured him. "But I was not sleepy
so thought would read for a while"
She was looking at him searchingly
Did you have pleasant EVENING""
she asked.
"Yes," he answered. Il always have
a pleasant time when 1 go to see Milly."
His words did not carry conviction
with them. And a mothers sense are
acute where her children's happiness
is concerned.
Mildred is very pretty" Mrs Bruce
commented. 'I met her this afternoon
on the street. Did she tell your"
4 Feminine Excuse
mo, she did not mention 1t. sup
pose she forgot"
perhaps she did," the mother ad-
mItted. "She was apparently absorbed
in her thoughts. She said she was
thinking about the war. That is
enough to make any woman serious" /"
"Yes, 1t is," he agreed. "And, moth
er, it is enough to make any man think
pretty deep thoughts. too. A well.
strong man ought to do his part to-
ward ending the awful condition of af-
fairs"
"Ah" the exclamation was full OF
pain. "That is just what was afraid
of, son You have always wanted to
enlist. I have known that. Yet ]
hoped you saw that your duty might
lie at home just now. Then, when ]
talked with Mildred this afternoon, ]
was frightened lest she might unsettle
you"
"Arthur. do not let what youne
girl says--no matter how dear she ID
to you-sway you and make you dc
that which is certainly not the right
thing for you to do"
Mildred wants me always to do only
what is right" he defended his be-
trothed. "You misjudge her, mother, II
you think she would try to persuade
me to neglect anything that was my
duty. Yet, after all. two duties do
sometimes confict-dont they?"
Not If we keep sane enough to see
them both clearly" she argued. "Oh,
Arthur. please do not allow an i'm
pulse that you mistake for patriotism
to run away with you! You have no
right to enlist"
mo right?" he repeated. Perhaps
not now, but later I may-later, when,
as hope may be the case, business is
bbetter than it is at the present time"
YES" she agreed. ''and when your