Show 1 12 P 2 12 ra2 2 ill 12 1 r br 7 J I W 5W i1lC n TOMB T I Br PRESTO HAll i I i H I btO OODBV old fellow I said 91 wringing Toms hand ns K o G o we stood together on the it K t wharf Dont negllpct toO to-O keep me advised on nil the r ll news and I rely on yon j to take case of Eve Drop In to see her as often as yon can and dont let the poor girl fret for me 1 All right You may depend on met me-t Carl Goodby I hastily crossed the deck of the steamer and Toms broad shoulders disappeared among the noisy crowd on i tho wharf 1 Tom and I were natives of the same village hud been playmates In Infancy schoolmates In boyhood college chums In more mature years and for the last t I year partners In n flourishing business In Now York What 1s of still more importancerln my storj wo had both In the aforementioned school and college col-lege periods been In Jovo with the game girl rosy roundlimbed laughing Eve Mallory Why Eve should have preferred < < mcyplaln bluntspoken Jealous Jeal-ous ns a Hand to handsome debonair Tom Burroughs is of course a mystery t mys-tery But so she did anti Tom like the honorable fellow he was retired it from the field and after the usual or rather an unusual amount of courting for Eve wns something of n coquette Eve and became formally engaged I thought It rather hard lines that after n brief two months of lovers paradise par-adise I should be compelled to make I n voyage of very uncertain length to South America But business was Imperative Im-perative so I bade my mother nn affectionate af-fectionate good by and kissed away t the tears from sister Nells cheeks aim took an agonized farewell of Eve The agony was apparently all on my side however For though I could see that N I Eve trembled there were no signs of tears lu her bright eyes She blushed p furiously when I kissed her nlll1 struggled strug-gled free from my farewell embrace But It was like her to light shy of all l deiuonstiatlous of affection I had never yet succeeded In obtaining a willing kiss from her and I suppose that was one reason why I set so high at n value on them Good by Eve darling I said ns we stood together at the gate I know my face looked white and woeful enough Be true to me 1 Good by Carl she said smoothing t baqk her curly golden locks Just sec i how youve rumpled my hair Of 5 g course Ill be true to yon unless some f fellow I like better conies along and she turned hastily and ran up the narrow nar-row path nud disappeared within the vhme covered porch > Her parting words rang In my enrsI I e Oh what would I not have given to know that our separation grieved her onehalf as sorely as It did me ii Of course I wrote soon to Eve and e remembering her fancy for feathered r pets I bouglitthongh I had always ti detested that species of bird myself ij l n gorgeous and highly accomplished d native nafiot and sent It on as ai addition ad-dition to her collection i In a few weeks letters reached me from home Ono from Eve quiet friendly but I knew her too well to i look for any demonstrative endear ine tits or loverlike rhapsodies She Ii I acknowledged tho arrival of the rare a bird alibi wns full of thanks for what she was pleased to call my unselfish consideration of her taste There was also a letter from Nell i Eve Is inlet and IIfor her But she bears the parting bravely Ton called here last night nnd wo went over there together fi At first I could sec that It cost her nn effort to be cheerful but before l we left she was quite her old self She + 11 was dressed very simply I In a flue white l 1 muslin dress and yon can Imagine how lovely she looked What would I not give for that I dazzling rose nnd Illy complexion of hers and that slim soft round shape I Tom was provoklngly silent when 1 3 went into raptures over her on our ry way home but I noticed that his eyes never left her for U moment nil the evening j 4 All of which ought to have been very l 7 gratifying to a fond lover but somehow I some-how it left a sting behind If It hall J been anyone but Tom good hones Tom whom I trusted as L did my own soul I should have been madly jealous k t but of course it was all right had 1 d I not asked him to look after her Still there wns that little sting I As for Tom he was strangely silent > about home affairs All matters ot business were regularly transmitted I but I do not think that Eves name ri or that of sister Nell was ever once mentioned It was fully six months before I could wind up my builuess satisfactorily and 1t 1 uu Q QUUQ turn my face homeward with a heart that fluctuated wildly between hope and despair I had received no letters from homo for live weeks and the last war a hasty t little scrawl from Nell hoping I would soon return but making no mention of Eve A man of more sanguine nature na-ture would have said that No news Is good news but my dark temperament tempera-ment foreboded the worst I stopped n day lu New York but I Tom who did not expect me till three days later wns not nt the olllce He had gone up the country the head clerk Informed int Gone to see Eve I said savagely to myself That evening I took passage on the little steamer that ran up to our vil Inge It was a lovely moonlight night in early June and the boat was crowded crowd-ed Among the passengers I noticed two very pretty girls whom I knew by sight ns residents of our place but whose personal acquaintance I had not the pleasure of possessing I secured seat in the upper cabin the decks were jammed and soon became I be-came aware that these two girls were seated on deck just outside of the win dow behind me Now and then various amliar names saluted mo as they chatted together At last Eve Mallory vas mentioned and you may be sure I pricked up my cars Her devotion to that Tom of hers Is just perfectly ridiculous exclaimed ono sweet voice He goes everywhere with her mill Tin lionril toot aim ac ually kisses him before folks too Considering that everybody knows how she got him I should think that shed lave a little more delicacy Kisses him I repeated the other Inn In-n tone of mingled amazement nnd dIsgust dis-gust Well tints more than I could stout It wns more than I could stand too With a muttered exclamation which I Will not rernf here I rushed from ny seat feartu of hearing still more dreadful devolcfnents arid spent the remaIning throe hours till our arrival In a state borerlng on frenzy Eve Mallory my alJiaucel wife spoken of publicly in connection with that Tom of hers So she was devoted to him vas she Was ktiowuO horrors to have kissed him To think of that when my utmost coaxing and blandish nonts could never win the faintest caress from those false lips 0 fickle treacherous perfidious Eve Because of you In that mail hour I foreswore all faith In women forevermore forever-more The house was closed for the night when I reached home but mother came down at my wellknown knock How pale you are my dear boy she said looking nt mo sharply after the first rapture of maternal welcome was over You look quite worn out I declare I never saw you with such n haggard face Now 1 shall make yon take a good long rest before Ill let you go back to that horrid business iigain I would not let her wake Nell and the next morning when I unexpectcdly n I came upon the dear girl In the hall she almost fainted with delight Well at my rate I was sure of their love Her first remarks were like mothers How pale How worn And now said she as she finished her breakfast I must run right over to Eves with the news or do you wish to go and she turned lo inc No I said briefly I shall not go Nell looked surprised but she swung on her garden hat and ran up the village vil-lage street have you seen Tom Burroughs lately I asked mother Not for over a week she replied Not for over a week If had been In tho place yesterday do yon think you would have known Oh yes she answered quietly But the clerk told mo he had gone Into tho country and where else do you think hed be5 Oh said mother smiling he frequently fre-quently goes up to Kingston maybe he Is there now I nm sure he Is not In our village for he always comes here for his first call I Ah thought I I fancy Eve Mat lory could tell a different story So he conies here does he I marvel at his Impudence Then my noughts turned to business Of course I could not remain re-main In partnership with a man who had become my deadly enemy as I now regarded Tom I concluded to write him a letter explaining my views In very plain language On my way to the postoftlce whom should 1 see coming toward me but Tom himself A pleased smile lit up his face as he recognized me f The hypocrite tho scoundrel P I cried between my teeth Why whats the matter Carl he cxrlalmcd as he came near enough to rend the expression of my face Are yon 111 Has anything happened How dare you speak to me I cried furiously raising my cane ns though to strike him Vlllaliil Traitor Liar Tom started Bless my soul the fellow has lost his wits hes stark slaring mud lie exclaimed With n parting scowl I passed on not deigning further words As I emerged from the illlcp I glanced up tho street and saw Tom enter Eves gale I could have tilled him on the spotl My blood jollcd my brain whirled I resolved to cool the fever that raged within me h y a long walk and struck off Into n lonely lane How many miles 1 kept UII flint steady trump tramp I know I not but I came tc one resolution too to-o and sec Kvo and denounce her to her face Mien well Heaven alone could toll the sequel It was twilight when I walked up the little familiar path and entered the vine eovered porch where I had had the last glimpse of Eve The front lour stood open no lamps were yet lit ill wits still I walked boldly Into the little parlor The room was shadowy nnd dim but aver in the bay window the big bay window among whose vines and flowers nnd glided birdcages bird-cages I had proposed and been accepted ac-cepted a while rohed figure stool lean lag against the window frame She was Robbing could not he mistaken sobbing softly to herself Oh Tom I heard her murmur nt last you love me do you not I I clinched my list Where was Tom I In the darkness I could see no figure lint her own Before I could move however a harsh voice vociferated Tom loves you Tom loves you The next moment It added Carl loves Eve and followed up tho announcement with n discordant cackle that set my teeth on edge No no she cried mournfully Carl docs not love me Carl has forgotten for-gotten mol I I could keep silent no longer In Heavens name I cried what Is the meaning of this Eve turned stared wildly and with n shrill scream fell fainting at my feet In an Instant the room was filled with a crowd of children and servants Eves father and mother appeared on the scene and a general hubbub ensued en-sued in the midst of which an Immense Im-mense green and gray parrot coolly Issued from Its cage and perching on the centre table hoarsely announced Tom loves Eve Carl loves Eve Carl and Eve are going to be married Here Nancy put that noisy Tom in his cage and run for smelling tails commanded Mrs Mallory So that was Tom That croaking green and gray abomination my deadly rival Time rest of my story Is soon told Explanations apologies forgiveness reconciliation all round But after Eve and I were married I had that odious parrot transported for though I am not nearly so jealous as I used to be I do not want to see my wife lavishing devotion and kisses on an unappreciative feathered biped when there is a human being at hand who could enjoy It good deal more of that sort of thing than he is ever likely to get Toms frequent visits to Kingston are accounted for by the presence of n saucy little brunette whose big brother wants to marry sister Nell New York Weekly < |