Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1932-03-18
Alas, No More
BY RUBY DOUGLAS
20 by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.l
(WNU Servicel

IT HAPPENED that after receiving
an Invitation to be best man for his
last bachelor friend, Clark Darlington
came upon relic of his college days
10 the form of an old photograph
frame.
He sat before the fireplace in his
comfortable room and held the old
frame before him so that the light
from the Ere shone on the faded pho
tographs of six girls. 1t had once
been the fashion for college boys to
frame theirs various loves thus: my
witty girl. my pretty girl. the girl that
l adore; my winter girl, my summer
girl my girl alas no more
He studied each face, successfully.
yes; Jane was my witty girl. She
always had a merry quip to greet you
with or joke or story" he solllo-
quized.
The next face was beautifully carved
out as cameo "And Bertha was the
prettiest girl | knew. No doubt Of her
right to that title In the frame. And
- NPS uA0 aOOtC SAdAds LIZ udu
passed to studying the third face
"Babs was a peach of a winter girl.
Beth was a light and frilIy summer
girl and"
He had reached the last face in the
frame-"my girl alas-no more" A
shadow had crossed his eyes. This.
then. was the girl Constance Hoyt
was. alas his girl no more, and yet he
had never found one to take her place.
The cause of their quarrel had been
trivial enough-her annoyance at bis
behavior at his senior dance And he
had defied her right to criticize him
and had gone on tossing wild oats
here and there until the girl would
have nothing to do with him.
He had not heard of her for years.
Probsbly she was married; possibly
she was gone.
When he retired that night he had
not put the picture frame back in the
drawer with the relics Of his past. he
had slipped II along the mantlepiece
so that the photograph Of his girl,
"alas-no MORE" was in the center
where he could see her face at all
times.
For the next few days he was busy
attending to last-minute duties Of
well-inforned best man. Therefore,
he had had little time to think of the
former love whose face had recalled
such tender memories of a lost r0-
nance.
It happened that the name Of the
little girl who was to carry the ring
up the aisle on a satin pillow was
Constance. She was pretty tot and
CLARK quite fell In love with her at the
rehearsal of the ceremony the night
before the wedding. Z
"Isn't she a doll7" asked the BRIDE
to-be.
"She's all Of that Where did you
pluck herr"
"Oh-she's the daughter Of one Of
my old school friends. She's married
since and-this is her wee daughter.
Don't forget anything. CLARK. Tom is
so flighty these last few days"
The best man was the least nervous
of the whole wedding party when the
orgnnist began to play the wedding
march that should usher them into the
church.
All eyes were on the lovely little
girl who carried the ring. She stepped
gracefully along the aisle to the strains
10 I roh Clo III xx,o AL a 4
her
AS the child passed one Of the low
er pews he saw her turn her little
face IN and smile Clark looked at the
face Of the woman whom she had
greeted and there. almost obscured
from his vision by a cluster of Ameri-
can Beauty roses, was Constance-his
girl-alas no mOrel
From that moment on he had no In
terest In Tom and his wedding. Here
entirely out Of his reach and more
beautiful than ever he had fancied her
was the only girl he had ever loved.
After the ceremony things moved
so quickly that he lost sight of Con-
stance. But he realized that she
would be at the breakfast and that no
douht he should have an opportunity
to speak with her. He wondered
whether he dared to trust himself.
Almost before he had decided, he
found himself beside her with her lit
tie girl
"Clark-Clark Darlington" she was
saying. IL thought 1t must be you"
u had seen your little daughter"
CLARK said. awkwardly. "And-I have
an old photograph of you in my room.
Strangely enough, ! was looking at It
not week ago."
"I'm sure It's lovely" laughed Con-
stance.
'.Your-husband? Is he here?"
asked Clark "You must remember
that do not even know your name
pow."
2 Constance did not answer at once.
i. Clark waited.
"Po0r old Don is Somewhere In
France. Didn't you known He and
| we're married only six weeks when
he was called to his regiment"
"Oh--" Clark Darlington had never
felt so awkward
But later he recovered and lost no
time In finding out all he could OF
Constance. She seemed us glad to
have found him us he was to have dis
covered her again
II was an intensive wooing and
when at lasi Clark had promised
little Constance he would be a good
daddy TO her. he felt that Toms we'd
ding had been the liapplest day Of the
best mans life.
my girl-forever more" was what
he wrote beneath the old photograph
Of Constance who objected to the
''aIns- no more"