Show RO BERTS CHUM Madge looked very cool and comfortable comforta-ble sitting In the 1Jcovered window her 1alr head bent studiously over the letter in her hand whIle I felt very warm and miserable for I waR pressing 3 twenty twoInch belt over n twcntythroeInch waJst At last I could stand It no longer Madge 1 said just look at this gown Oh Doss how pretty What a splendid splen-did tit I FIt I gasped It wlll send me Into anI I cant breathe lI1tle broke into a merry laugh In I which I joined to the peril ot the fastenings fasten-ings all my new sown ° iVell help me out or this and then tell me what Robert says You need not read the complimentary address No indeed said Madge It covers two pagesquite too long to be Interest ingto you Just wait until I read the newsy part mdob oh ob Robert Is cornln home I Vh91 Madge I cried almost as excited ex-cited as she 1vhy he will be here tomorrow Listen I sb1ri f1 j when I Ho says sou wUl be surprised tell you tltOb Bess I Madgo face assumed a most woe bc ono expression It that hmt just too mean of Robert lie Is going to bring his chum with him I Is that suclt a doleful pier of news I think 1l will be pleasant I The house is I I arse and But Bess you dont understand I I want Robert to myself How can we talk aboutabout anything when someone some-one else Is wIth us all the time I see There was a long pause Then I asked How arc you going to arrange the dlfliculty Madge leaned forward purred out both cheeks looked crosseed at me and said In a mildly decisive tone You must postpone your canon trip for a week and take care or the chum JlIadge Thorntonl I exclaimed Are crazy crazNever clearerminded In my life Now you will wont you Bess dear Just think I havent seen Robert for a year and a week Is not very long Please do Bess So after much coaxing I consented But what Is the name of Roberts frIend r asked Ile doesnt say 50 I suppose we wlll have to call him Mr Chum Ill like to put a p on the end of it for hco certainly should hull sense enough not to come I heartily agreed with her for I was disappointed In missing my trip Suppose laughed Madge lie should fall In love with you Not at all unlikely I replied leaning back elegantly in my chair And suppose you should fall in love with him In a weeks time I asked Why yes she answered Stranger things than that have happened Suppose you do just for the fun of It ouldnt it be romantic I said A heauUfulthemyouul damsel in a tight dress gazIng rapturously ut a ginger haired snipenosed Launcelot he Is sure to bo most abominably ugly If I love hIm you know just by way or contrast A weeks existence in sugar and spice and all thats nice a gurgling assent from me a violent clutch In which both of us participate and thenand thenwh then you must wriggle In and say In sepulchral se-pulchral accents lnis marrIage cannot take placc That you see will give us an opportunity to escape on the much worn rope ladder You may laugh all you wish Miss Bess but every Jill has her Jack and you will lInd yours And Madge waltzed away little thinkIng that I bad found mine already That night before retiring I opened my I treasure drawer and took out a photograph photo-graph Across the back was wrItten In a clear tine band yours truly Jack Trandham He doesnt care for me T whispered and with wet eyes turned the key once moro upon mY secret The next morning ladge was In a great flutter Bi1ss they are coming at last I know they arc 1 can feel the carriage rumble rum-ble bleWell itls time they were coming SQ Jet your mother take care of Mr Chum and you remain her Robert wm soon find you and you can have Jour violent clutch undisturbed What arc you Jolllg to do 1 will display myself to excellent advantage ad-vantage behind the blind Naturally I wish to catch a glimpse of the chum If he doC not look handsome dIstinguished clever etc etc 1 1m not going to say Pleased to meet yoU when ware Intro duce I ran upstairs to nn own room and drew back the curtains just as the carriage stopped First Robert sprang out and then my heart gave a great bound for he was followed by Jack Trnndham Some time passed before r gained enough courage to go Into the parlor but once there Roberts hearty greeting placed plac-ed me so entirely I at case that I met Mr rnm ham without embarrassment My presence was desirable that first morn I lug for Robert and Iadge made themselves them-selves thoroughly comfortable in a remote 1hn Jebl mote corner of the room and busy Mrs Thornton vanished to see to things I It pleases me to meet you here Miss Howard said Mr Trandham You have barely escaped the misfortune I misfor-tune of meeting my absence I annoullc I eiJ laughIng I was going away this I morning In fact I remained only for the reason of I Here I stopped suddenly but he finished I finish-ed the sentence for me Of keeping Bob free from my amiable I but rather too numerous presence I nodded Thank you he said with an amused glance at the lovers You are very I kInd Then he drew hIs chair close to mine and we examined Mrs Thorntons tine collection of etchings What we said I do not know but I was I divinely happy At last I was startled by a gentle hand laid on my shoulder Iadge was standing by my side looking Into my face intently and saying 1 am sorry to disturb you Bess but wo have been called to dinner twice As we passed through tho hall she whispered You humbug why didnt you tell me I How rapidly the time flew by and how snappy wa all were All the day I was with my lovo and every night the photograph photo-graph was taken from Its hilling place nail laid array again with smiles and klsess now Instead of tears fadgB dear r aid on the last night he was to stay with 1IS iIade I believe be-lieve he does care for me a little He cares for you a big I should say You little goose what do you suppose he carne down here for I Vhy because Robert asked him My dear little greengage replIed Mad e Robert did not ask Jack Jack asked Robert He knew you were here and Iadge I said staring at her In J amazement who toll you Why Robert of course He simply I worships you Bess Indeed P I remarked frigidly How very presumptuous this 111 lrandham I is 1Y isI I walked out of the room in In3o most 11Iglllfied manner MaiJges astonished I Roll of all things ringing In my cars I I did not sleep much that night I was laying plans for tune morning He loved ngePlg fizfct1nr tcWe I mo nge loved me nr would tell me so before h6 went away But I would not I give In too soon Oh how I would tease him before I said yes So In the morning I went downstairs intent I in-tent on mischief Jack was waiting for mc hIs hands full of dew roses I Oh how beautifuL they arc I exclaimed ex-claimed taking them < < I Bess he said I am going away today to-day dayTog I announced pelting th with the flowers And in order that you may have your last day in peace I am going i I i to leave you for awhile Bes3 you witch Come here I have something to tell you Really Mr Trandham I am very busy at present I positively cannot spare the time Am I ran away laughing I did not hurry back He may fret as I much as ho pleases I said to myself I It will do him good I roamed unUrInS b through the fields plucking great bunches of wild flowers and at last turned turn-ed my steps homewUlll 1 knew somebody some-bodY who would be delighted to see me once more With a very Indifferent aIr I entered the parlor No ono but Madge I was there I 1Wby wlll1 Is the matter I said I Where Is Robert He Is gone she answered Gone I echoed Suddenly the world I had become lonely I Gone And Jack has one too Oh Iadc why didnt ouoh what shall I do I In spite of myself the tears bean to roll down my cheeks Then two strong hands closed over mine the dearest voice In all the world saId Little runaway and Iadgo left the room with more haste than grace 1 could not go without seeing you Jaek Said I Jove You Bess Do you care for me Will you be my wire sweetheart sweet-heart IIll try I stammered What a rool lsh answer And If at first you ont succeed will you try try agaIn smiled Jack raisIng my bent head and gazing fondly Into my eyes 1 did not answer but Jack must have understood for he tucked me Into such a limited space that I gasped Oh Jack let me out which he de cared was quito unpardonable under the r cIrcumstances I I Then we heard a most unearthly howl I outside the closed door I Al1 right shontoo Jack Roberto In I And In stalked Madso and Robert Robert I exclaimed Tphero did you come from behind the hattree he answered answer-ed From laughing YOU need not look so be wild ered Bess You wero hadnto B confoundel 1 independent that we had to something do I am to understand that I have Then totometn ouhmatI ire the victim of L mean low trick fr Trand1lam been 1 continued drawing m3ldr majestieally You will do me the 111 broken honor of I will ldcrIng not marry our any engagement nJan who I basely Hero Jack took the matter Into his own hands or rather arms threatenIng mo instantaneous and crushIng death with an unless I promised another word prsmij about It SO I promised s |