The Washington herald., 1920-11-30
CONTINUED FROM rnsrERDAr.

| CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY.
Lynn, IL you'd take John Drew
in his best drawing-room scene and
compare the two. you'd have John
arrested for disturbing the peace
TIL spare you the particulars;
and I were engaged. He preached
at a little one-night stand of a
Methodist Church. There was to
be a parsonage the size of a lunch
wagon, and hens and honeysuckles
when We were married. Arthur
used to preach to me a good deal
about Heaven, but he never could
. get my mind quite of those honey
suckles and hen.
mo: didn't tell him I'd been on
the stage. hated the business and
all that went with It: I'd cut II out
forever. and didn't see any use of
stirring things up. I was q good
girl, and I didn't have anything to
confess, except being an elocution-
list, and that was about all the
strain my conscience would stand.
"Oh, tell you, Lynn. was happy.
sang in the choir and attended the
sewing society, and recited that An
ME Laurie thing with the whist
ling stunt in 1t, In q manner bor-
dering upon the professional as the
weekly village paper reported It.
And Arthur and I went rowing. and
walking in the woods, and clam
ming, and that pokey little village
seemed to me the best place in the
world. I'd have been happy to live
4 o1x
But one morning old Mrs. Cur
ley, the widow lady, got gossipy
while I was helping her string
beans on the back porch, and began
to gush Information. as folks who
rent out their rooms usually do.
Mr.. Lyle was her idea of a saint on
earth-as he was mine, too. She
went over. all his virtues and
graces. and wound up by telling me
that Arthur had had an extremely
romantic love affair. not long be-
fore, that had ended unhappily.
She didn't seem to be on to the de-
tails, but she knew that he had been
hit pretty hard. He was paler and
thinner. she said, and he had some
kind of a remembrance or Keepsake
of the lady in a little rosewood box
that he kept locked in his desk
drawer in his study.
| Several times says she, I've
seen him gloomerin' over that box
of evenings, and he always locks IL
up right away IL anybody comes
into the room
well, you can imagine how long
IL was before / got Arthur by the
wrist and led him down stage and
hissed in his ear.
That same afternoon We were
Laying around in boat among the
water-lilies at the edge Of the bay.
Arthur says ], you never told
me you'd had another love affair.
But Mrs. Gurley did, went on. to
let him know I knew. 1 hate to
hear a man lie.
Before you came says he, look
ing me frankly in the eye. there
was a previous Affection strong
one. Since you know Of II, I will
be perfectly candid with you
ct am waiting says I.
MY dear Ida,' says Arthur-of
course I went by my real name,
while I was in Soundport-'this
former affection was a spiritual one.
in fact. Although the lady aroused
my deepest sentiments. and was. as
I thought, my ideal woman, never
met her. and never spoke to her.
II was an luedl lONe. MY IONt toT
you. while no less ideal. Is different.
You wouldn't let that come between
u.s.
WAS she prettyr asked.
"'she was very beautiful said
Arthur.
Ibid you see her often% 1 asked.
Something like a dozen times
says he.
always from a distancer says l..
! always from quite a distance
says he.
"And you loved herr asked.
She seemed my ideal Of beauty
and grace-and SOUL says Arthur.
"'And this keepsake that you
keep under lock and key, and moon
over at times, is that a remembrance
from herr
"a memento.' says Arthur. that
1 have treasured.
Ibid she send It to your
1T came to me from her. says
he.
"Tn a roundabout wayT I asked.
| Somewhat roundabout says he,
| and yet rather direct
] "'why didn't you ever meet herr