Evening star., 1922-07-09

characteristic diversions from his
own line of thoughta line OF
thought which one suspected always
ran its own course without diversion
of any kind.
Yes"
1T would not do for you to marry
a poor or unsuccessful man." he said
laughing. You are much too-whai
shall 1 say?-rare, precious. daintil.
regal"
"NTONSENSE. You are too old a
friend to fatter me. And, be.
sides. though suspect you are tiny
bit right. San, l want you to know
that I'd rather like to picture myself
as brave and worthy enough to be
above worldliness-certainly in cases
of love"
Il often wonder whether you have
really ever loved any one" he said ir
the form of leading question.
She ran her fan Of rare feathers
through her half-closed fingers. She
did not answer, and the evasion ap.
pcared to be clear admission that
perhaps the banker was right.
Some day something will stir me-
she asserted. II am sure of that"
"of course" he said. smiling sar.
donically. TT would be interesting
to know just what emotion will lead
you along the path of the awakened
heart"
There was an awkward pause.
Needless to tell you that Owen
Bovine is a great success" he said
II told you I would do what I could
to help. For 1 love you, Dolly. Don't
mental. On the contrary, l was 60
ing to say that. after all. my part was
nothing. Bovine has made his own
way magnificently."
He told her solemnly all that he
must have guessed Bovine had told
her-of the latters brilliant rocketins
as an oracle of the banquet. He listed
the virtues of Bowme-sincerity
voice, ability to collect and digest
wisdom in restraint of statement.
"And yet" said Jamison, there has
only been the test OF a year. Do you
think he has quite proved that he is
the permanently successful man you
deserve for mate?"
mo" she said. But I have faith
And If you are worried. San. that
may do anything precipitate, I'll tell
you as an old. old friend that he un-
l>r.<o,As u,>II opou-b tbot tbAra x,},I
not even be any announcement under
two years"
WISE" said Jamison. Like you
Dolly-wise! Yours Is the vital ma
ture of Venus. but yours also is the
poise Of Minerva
She felt the wisdom Of that god.
dess, perhaps, when q month later
she received the long letter-the
longest Owen had ever written her
gone back to see his mother.
II have played hooky from my jot
and will get four days Of change" he
wrote. IF the truth is told, 1 had tc
cancel seven engagements to do it
and this leads me to tell you that
never supposed the world held sc
mkhy persons who wanted to hear
any ono man talk-particularly me
There is something intoxicating abou
1t, 50 that 1t makes life a bit unreal
just as there is something intoxicat.
ing about my love for you, which alst
makes life unreal-and wonderful
Owen Bovine is a name see so often
IL have the strange sensation that ,
!. have never seen that man and do no,
know him.
;"CoMETIMES my own voice does no
- sound to me as If it were mine
II go to Atlantic-City to the big rail
road convention on Thursday. ther
, back whore can see you and we car
have one Of our walks. After all,
feel always strange sense of tn.
emptiness Of life. But I can write NJ
moro. A book. entitled Railroad
Operating Costs Is open before me
threatening. my mind with tables oi
comparative statistics. My Job is e
make them quite romantic, and hay,
no heart for It. There Is only on,
romantic thing. dear one. in m,
world" d.
Dolly looked In the proper morning
nhewspaper for the report Of tha
convention in Atlantic City. It oocu
pied column and half. most os 4