Show I MISS BETHI BETH I By By all aU O odds dS the most attractive I house in town was that of Miss 1 BethI Both Beth I Davenport It was waa a charming little modern affair full of gables and windows win I dows lows with a a. sQuare porch before the front entrance and set back baek in m a I yard overflowing ing with flowers and andI shrubs Miss Beth was pleased to I style stylo herself borsch an old maid She SheI I was thirty years of age and in the ripe ipe prime of a tIo beautiful womanhood 1 Being without near kin she she kept I I house alone save for her bel servants and lived a happy independent exI ex ex- ex- ex I She was a believer in fresh air and exercise exorcise and her rosy cheeks and graceful movements were very pleasant to gaze upon So 10 at least thought a young manof man manof of five five-an twenty and who leaned upon tho the fence one day and watched Miss Beth watering and te tending ding her flowers She Sho had bad on a large largo white hat trimmed with poppies and wore a white dross dress with wide puffed sleeves through which gleamed tho the outlines of her shapely arms She Shedid Shedid Shedid did not at first see Mr Mandon then locking looking up in a tIo quick way quick way as people sometimes do at feeling the tho eyes of others upon them sho bowed and Mailed I suppose you want ant me mete meto to ask you to como come como in p she sho said Oh no ho answered lazily I Isco Isco Isee see you are J It struck mo me at home howo however jr r. r that t this is cloudy mornin morning would be fine limo for tor a game gamo And he nodded in the tho direction of the tho tennis court S Oh indeed Sir Leisurely And it occurred to me mo that this would be bean bean bean an admirable time to fo foster foter ter my neglected neglected neg neg- plants Come Como I havo have some exer exercise ise for you You shall be boa a horny handed son fjon of toil now for a awhile awhile awhile while and help me train up those vines over the tho porch Mandon Man don looked down at his spotless fin els S They are spanking clean he ho said Go home homo and get in into o some somo working working working work work- ing clothes said Miss l Beths Beth's voice from somewhere near the tho ground She was weeding S he said opening the gate and coming in I I was trying to creep out of it but you make me mo f feel el ashamed of myself Youre You're a great worker Miss Beth That is the only way to be happy happy hap hap- py said the tho spinster She Sho stood up and looked at nt him with clear gray eyes What is it with you she asked You must confess tennis was not your only object here hore to Shall 1 keep koep you from anything if I make you jOU tie up vines Did you want to see mo particularly mo-particularly particularly P PS S Yes I wanted to see you see you particularly particularly particularly par par- ho he said ch changing nging the tho em em- l 3 Has she sho been crue cruel again sh n asked ked showing her white teeth as ns she smiled S That is all ll over h he said It has been off for three e weeks Why Max You never told me No I ashamed was to tell you Why she sho asked shortly Was it your fault Ah Au Max it was you fickle thing She said the last in a low disapproving disapproving proving tone ton that made the blood rush to the young mans man's fair fail face He lle pulled a tIo leaf from tho the lilac lila bush and turned toward Miss Beth There ho he s id I thought you were my friend So I 1 am sh am-sh she answered But I Iam Iam am hers pers too and though h I r have havo seen you you everyday every day you have never told me before And I had been thinking her so happy S She She is is not he said wretchedly She Sho is Every time I 1 meet her I hate myself for the ho patti pain I have havo given her But it was useless to struggle further Miss Ms Beth I had ceased to love her Miss Beth said no She turned toward the tho house up the little gravelled walk and Max 1 slowly fol fol- fol- fol lowed towed They soon began to work upon upon upon up up- on the tho vines nn and 4 Max's Maxs little love affair was not mentioned again Miss l Beth kept her own counsel She puzzled her active brain for a n reason for the little quarrel she quarrel sho felt sure it was a little one one although although she sho would ask no questions of either side sow Now when Elizabeth Davenport was twenty years old sho she had been very much in love with a young man and was betrothed to him Sho She afterward decided that she shedid did not lovo love him and had sent him away He Ho was proud and did not return She Sho at nt atS S length realized that she did love lovo him i but she could no call him back for lor forshe forshe I she had no idea of 01 his whereabouts Then the news of his marriage reached the town So drawing from her own o experience ence once Miss 1 Beth desired to save Max Maxand Maxand and Ethel much sorrow She admired Max extremely He ITo was c college bred unusually bright and promised to be a light in iri the tho literary world She had once laughingly told him that ilat it was fortunate ho he was five years her junior she sho might strive to rival Ethel thel All this Max parried good- good and anti th they y were excellent companions Max lived next door to Miss 1 Beth and had a little habit of dropping inI in I at all hours of the day He did not offer to go in the evening unless Ethel was to bo there too Miss Davenport Davenpor frequently summoned summoned sum sum- the young people o of 01 both sexes sexes to help her overcome the tho quiet of the evening evening- hours The old woman who lived with her was not a factor in the entertainment problem young people adored Beth One day after Max Mandon had been over in Miss Heth's Beths yard all the the- I morning she wrote him a note askIng asking ask ask- ing him to come for fOl a while to chat aSk I with her that evening Max was as nothing noth noth- I Lag ing loth to go If he lie were fortunate fortunato I enough to be the only caller they I would discuss plots and material pick books to pieces said 2nd argue the progress pro pro- gress ess of art generally i It was suro lo after I Max had confided to her his misunderstanding misun with Ethel and it was about 8 S o'clock in the tho evening when I ho he strolled over in hi answer to Both's Beths summons There was a tIo light in the parlor and another in Miss Daven Davenports Davenport's ports port's little room over the porch He stood for a u moment wondering whether t she ho wore were ready rendy to receive him yet and thinking it would bo be better to walk up the street for a 8 while But he ho decided to enter lIe He was very much at his easo ease in tho house s so when the old woman who lot let him in told him Miss l Davenport Davenport Daven Daven- port was at home ho he crossed the little lit lit- tic tle square hall laid his hat and cane caneon caneon caneon on the tho table and lifted tho the curtain of tho the parlor door with perfect compos compo ure But inside what inside what then Ho He saw a n ayoung ayoung young lady seated facing him evidently evidently evidently evi evi- dently waiting for r Beth a girl with large blue eyes eyes and masses of pale brown hair seated lOcated with one hand resting between the tho back of the chair and her head looking straight at him with a very frightened little gaze It was Ethel Max did diel not enfer enter beyond that first stop step With a movement quick as lightning ha he turned on his heel and and 1 I was out in the hall He Ho seized his belongings and fled flod Now Miss Baths Bath's house as I said before was was wasn a mod modern rn one ono and somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what peculiar in his perplexity perplexity perplexity per per- and confusion rushed into the back yard an and the walk ended in inthe inthe the door of the tho stable John Beths Beth's hired man was Ii in the tho yard Seeing I a figure floe flee from Lom the house and running running running run run- ning toward the stable ho he naturally supposed it to be bo a thief One of these gentry had been making great grent excitement in the neighborhood So before Max could halt on the tho threshold threshold threshold thres thres- hold of tho the stable door perceiving S that it was not t the gate he found it clapped to behind him upon him upon him him him- and himself a tIo pris prisoner ner In vain ho he shouted and argued Through the tho heavy door his voice sounded unnatural and John excitedly excitedly excitedly ex ex- ex- ex happy at having captured the burglar who vho had been terrorizing the vicinity could not re recognize it at nt all At length finding useless Max lay down upon some hay and fell asleep Ho He was awakened by a light shining in his eyes Ho He opened them to find finda n a a policeman with a warrant and a tIo pair of manacles John Joh looking much fallen crest Ellen tho the cook two or orS S three men and last and most in perfect per per- f agonies of laughter Beth Davenport Davenport Davenport Daven Daven- port herself It was then noo about about- t i 12 It took some somo time to make explanations to satisfy the crowd but t at nt length lengthS S they v were ere all gone and Beth and Max stood on the front porch alone Y You u understand do you not ho he said I I saw her It was your doing I know you thoughtful creat creature re You believed you were doing me mo a kindness ss Well VeIl perhaps you were musingly It It enables me to speak my miI mind d. d You know v they say bett better r bo be off with the old lo loj e before Defore you are re reon on with the tho new i ou f-ou ou know that My love Cant Can't you yoi Hbo o that ha I dont don't want Ethel I Ip ou-Ilove ou I lovo you She shrank j against gai st the wall in the shadow JF J j jH f r t tim ve years H tha u- u aro older you are S Ah But if w we wo love lovO each each- other ho he said what can that matter What will say What What vill will Ethel say VI t V tI S I do ulo not care caro Itis enough that I Ilove Ilove love lovo you you and you lo love lome me We shall be bo happy and will find fid speedy consolation j Once I loved somebody 5 b dy olse else said Miss Beth thinking of her little burS buried buried bur bur- S led romance S Then hen you can love lovo me mo better now nov he replied Come Como Beth you have not answer answered d my my question yet Well Vell she if you insist upon having m me take mo me for for I I love you And ho lie was answered New New York Journal |