The Little River news., 1922-10-11
The Game of Love
By JUSTIN WENTWOOD

Henry Wilcox watched them SOmberly from the window of his office.
 At first hideous thoughts filled his heart, but then he grew calmer. He had no great passions; all that he had he had bestowed upon those two. It was life. It was what he should have expected.
 He would live on and on in his great, lonely house, as he had done so many years.
 Henry Wilcox had never married. He had loved in youth and he had been betrayed. All his love had gone out to his nephew, Hugh, whom he had talk en in childhood from his absolute brother, and to his ward, Lucy Pendle.
 He had adopted her, too, when her father, a distant cousin of his, had died. That was years ago. And she had tWined herself round his heart.
 Lucy was twentytwo, Henry Will COX was exactly twice her age He had always known the day must come when he would lose her. But he had not expected that it would be Hugh, Hugh and she had grown up together from childhood. It was year since they had met, and now
 Well, he had been a fool to cherish those dreams of her. An old fool for what part had youth with age? A mad fool, to dream that Lucy could ever grow to care for him.
 They were coming in. He read the happiness in their faces. Lucy came to him and kissed him. She would never know how it scared his heart that touch of her lips on his.
 Had good time, young people?" he asked cheerily
 Pretty good" said Hugh By the way, Uncle, you know I'm leaving in the morning? I've got something I want to say to you first"
 Tomorrow morning." said Wilcox, with the mad desire to postpone his inevitable fate.
 And he paced his room for hours. There had been a time when he al- most thought that Lucy cared for him. What fool he had beenl
 He went into the living room. "Good night, my dear," he said, taking her into his arms and kissing her again. q hope you'll be very happy" he con- tinued
 Lucy's eyes filled with tears. "Oh, my dear, if you could know!" she murmured.
 "Now I won't have you crying when you've nothing but happiness in store for you" said Wilcox. You women don't seem to know the differ ence between smiles and tears"
 ''They're not always very far from each other, are they, my dear" Lucy murmured.
 She looked at him in such strange way as she went out of the room. He wondered whether she guessed his feeling for her. Yes, women were in- tuitive! Lucy must have known.
 He waited for Hugh next morning in his office. Hugh came running down the stairs, carrying his travelling bag, youthful, vigorous, alert.
 'You wanted to see me, Hugh?' asked Wilcox
 "Yes." answered Hugh, looking a little sheepish.
 "It's about Lucy, I suppose?"
 "It is," said Hugh. There was a sort of strange challenge in his voice.
 'You want to marry herr"
 ''No, l don't" answered Hugh, and Wilcox stared at him in astonishment.
 q don't understand you," he said coldly. q thought you and she cared for each other.'
 'We do, all right, but not in that way, Uncle Henry. The fact is, we get on each others nerves dreadfully. But I've been playing gOoseberry ever since I came back. You see, Lucy thinks she's in love with another man but she isn't sure he cares for her, and-between Ourselves-I think that's her idea of-sOrt of encouraging him, because he'll never speak unless he thinks he has a chance" He clasped his uncle's hand. q guess it's all right, isn't it?' he said. "Good luck"
 You internal scoundrel!" '" ejaculat- ed Wilcox.
 But he could not trust himself to say another word. And he could hardly believe. He waited, watching Hughs 1.-the figure disappear down the drive, and then went into Lucy.
 My dear, I'm an old fool, and per haps I misunderstood him. But he E1 heart was engaged. Is it?"
 "Why, my dear, it's been engaged ever since I can remember!" Lucy an- swered
 "TO-to-?"
 She put her arms softly about his neck. And I was sure you cared, and there wasn't any other way, guardian, dear" she murmured.