Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-07

white chiffon. Jessie in homemade
white muslin. She's so democratic
Ana Jessie n nice girl: l Wouldn't
do anything to discourage their init
| macy. no matter how poor she is"
1t was at that ve.y tennis party
that Myrtle met Richard Hammill.
She'd heard OF him beforehand. from
Jessie. He was Spring Clty's newest
young man. he'd come to live with
his uncle, old Maj. Hammi |. and work
in the First National. He was assist.
ant cashier. He had divine brown
eyes. And the incest smile. And ne
was d wonderful tenni'. player. And
he danced IKE an angel. SO much
Myrtle had gathered from Jessie, ana
it moved her to gentle raillery.
you're crazy about him, l can sec
that. And OF course he's crazy abou
you. Oh. Jess. if you could see you,
self blush 1 must give your sui o
a good looking over" Then. hes
family Jess are you really-in love
with him."
Frankly. honestly. Jessie replied: ~
don't know. Myrtle. But I do know
l like him very much. and he-like
me. Well" in a lighter key. "yor
see what you think of him and tsll
Inc. You've had a lot OF experience"
Why. Jessie Whitmore, to say
Sucn thlnS.
A RRIVAL at the tennis club put
an end to the converse ton A
tail. good-looktnS chap in white fan
nels came TO meet them. Jessie's
rich color deepened but she spoke
calmly enough: Miss Rayner's been
so busy doing over her home that
you've not met her before. though I've
talked so much about her. Myrtle
this Is Mr.. Hammtll-he's my partner
for this afternoon
Myrtle extended a cool little hand
II hope we shall be friends" she
murmured. Jessie tells me you're
siwfully NICE
+ Dick Hammill laughed She's
raved about you, Miss Rayner, until
l was perfectly certain there couldn't
be such paragon in existence. But
now I see I'm mistaken"
Jessie. listening, was pleased that
they got on so we'll. Poor Jessie. It
was her last happy afternoon for a
good many months.
Dick Hammill fell deeply, almost
insanely, in love with Myrtle-one Of
those strange, sudden, absorbing pas
sions that sometimes catch a man In
a fatal moose. And Myrtle. who had
had a string of dangling admirers
ever since she could walk alone, fe.l
IL. love with Dick Hammill.
fhe only thing about it that dis
tressed her was the thought that she
might have robbed Jessie. She went
to her friend and told her so, simply
and humbly. You said you didn't
know whether or not you loved him.
jessie" she said, so ! didn't think
there was any harm-but-yet,
~ 10 ho
know it."
She was very white and fragile
looking. and she twisted her pathetic
little hands as she TAXED, and the
same ready tears, as in her childhood
glazed and misted her blue eyes. Her
chin quivered, too, that little round.
babyish chin. Jessie Whitmore, see
ing these things, could no more have
made any claim. on Dick Hammill
than she could have struck this little
butterfly creature.
ugly thought that Myrtle had seen
one more thing she wanted and
snatched at It: that she could not
bear to let Jessie have the newes,
young man In Spring City, even
though it wasn't the brilliant match
every one had expected her to make.
Jessie stifled this feeling and told
herself that she'd fallen low. indeed.
to imagine such awful things about
dear little honest soul like Myrtle
Hadn't Myrtle come to her right
away. as soon as she knew? That
proved how open and ingenious and
sincere she was, proved it beyond
doubt. How could Jessie think any.
thing else?
1t must be admitted that Mr.
and Mrs. Rayner struggled between