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A um y m I I. he hadn't anything else to say lIay VV V Geor George e always ask asked d ms mt to marry Lim It was WU just a n habit hC he ad fallen into and E anything could bring i it tc to pass pass pass-a pass anew anew new gown or a happy mood mod or a becoming arra arrange arrange- ge l of ot hair i I always laughed it off oft realizing that it was as merely his way of showing his friendly affection and giving me a n good time To tell the truth I think it was a n slight Wonder won der to him that I had not fallen in love lore with him though given such exceptional opportunities Girls were generally glad slad to without half halt a n chance He did not realize this wonder of course but it kept him hovering hOT boy ring Bring around the subject And I suppose he be was so used to diagnosing he couldn't help taking my temperature at intervals The girls George knew had rather limited horizons and knew so IO few men who were both clever and attractive that he was tremendously tremendously tre important to them They would throw over any other engagement to do things with him always They seemed to be sitting around him in a circle watch for tor the favors he be flung them from time t to time And no two of them ever sat down to talk without taking George for their main topic They were nice girls very but hut they had lived Jived all aU their lives Jives in one placer place and a email place at that I came just in the nick of time for Bunny tunny and big and splendid as be he was as George was getting just a trifle lordly His sense cense of humor was going back on him under the atmosphere of intense personal importance tance ranee that had surrounded him ever since he came to Ros Roseland Jand to begin his professional career I had been about the world so 60 so much and had bad ad known so many attractive men that I was not at first especially impressed with George I liked him no him no human girl could have havo helped that that and and he interested me but r to me he lIe was merely one of many And when I realized what a n noble effect this attitude had on him I clung to it through everything It was wonderful how bow he responded re- re responded re re- to treatment It needed only a laugh or two to a little teasing a little indifference indifference in in- difference to get his vision back into focus so ao that Le he saw for himself what hat a foolish foolish 4 little toy pedestal he had been in the act of ot mounting I remember so well en one of the first of these little le lessons eons in unimportance It was at the end of a warm summer afternoon i and I had bad taken a novel down back of ot the house houe to the river and was lying in the 4 grass reading when a boatload of ot girls came around the bend I call called d out to them and they drifted up against the bank while we talk talked d a l little The Roseland girls never 1 liked me very well Wen I was sorry for it ft feel ing log nothing but friendliness toward them and always made advances when the chance chane came in my way I think they resented our years abroad and winters in the in-the the city and c certain non non Roseland Roseland details in our mode of I living and I always felt feJt that they were watching atchin me suspiciously to see that I it didn't try to show off in anyway While we were discussing the heat and various Carious other forced topics a a. canoe shot I r 1 h bend with George in it bare bare- i armo-i nr-fl nr headed bare-headed splendidly stron strong c and nii Rn l full fuH r rf f f life The girls greeted him with little shouts and a volley of laughing com com- ments It was all of it well weB bred and most mORt r t. t of it bright but it was easy to see that the entire interest of th the boat was fixed with Ith painful intentness on this one sunburned young oun man And it seemed to me on the bank that he waa was quite too well weB aware of ot r the fa fact t. t He looked up to me in a lull Come and get in he said Well race them them A certain chill crept over the boatload of girls I saw it in their carefully ferent faces Mabel Carey in the bow stooped down and began to dabble her fingers in the water George meanwhile was bringing himself tip up to to toa a good landing point quite certain of my acceptance I 1 1 dont don't believe I will thanks I said lazily I cant can't leave my book I know you rou wouldn't be half halt as interesting as 88 r this is is G GEORGES GEORGE'S GEORGES GEORGE'S EOR E S surprise nearly made me e laugh outright Oh come on he said You Ton can finish Anish your book any time I shook my head Im I'm too comfortable I wouldn't stir for words worda George deeply astonished went on oh by himself and the He girls rowed away soon soon after obedient to an impatient suggestion from Mabel I went back to my book rather complacent feeling 11 ti at the little snub would have a wholesome effect I suppose too I found a certain satisfaction in flinging aside in their presence an offer that thelt any anyone cne one of those girls would have climbed right out of the boat yes boat yes and into the water to accept That's only natural Youve changed I told George a few e. e weeks later At first you gave everybody Impartially a good time and now noel you d dont don't Dt favor any ono but Mabel Carey and me I suppose In Roseland's eyes you two are rivals George suggested in the hope I of stirring me up Probably and in your eyes to too I I. I answered placidly I wonder how it came to settle on just you OU two he went on The nicest thing about George was that he was absolutely uninfluenced by social sodas distinctions I like a girl to care about such differences but in f. f man it do doesn't seem quite big Did you ou determine it or did I Natural selection I answered She was pretty and adored you ou I was pretty and ignored you so 80 between us we min min- Petered to both sides of your nature There wasn't room for any anyone one else Who told you IOU you were p pretty ettl 1 ho demanded c I Y YI t. t I ii r. r 1 IF r tl H d i i c t I 1 t r L q J 1 fi I l r I I r I dL h y Jil TOVE L TOVE 0 V E is the tile unknown quantity in the tile equation equation equation equa equa- tion of life and no profi- profi lem lern can call be solved without Wit giving the little Blind I God a hand in ill it And it sometimes happens that he Ile turns and disciplines those who would curb him hour forty acquaintance And I went around with a little sick ache in my chest doing my mr cheerful duty as hostess anc anti and wishing wishing wish wish- ing from the bottom of my heart beart that they would all aU go home and nd stay star there TilE THE fourteenth was the last day dy of th the ordeal and with a deep sense of relief I ordered the in hand for a farewell drive drin For blase city children they were in in- n tremendous spirits We might just a nil as well Lave have driven around and around the garden for they vhey were all too bu busy y talking and laughing laughing laugh laugh- ing to notice where we went but they were weri amused and that th t was the main point As we the whirled down th the road we passed a little black buggy which drew aside to fo us the pony shying at our clatter The girl driving took apparently no notice of us Ui but I saw laW L. L 0 J 1 t I i l rt 1 p I i l. l I c r 7 I h. h heard rd 1 A Georges George's T exclamation exclamation ex ex- a as ashe asi i S. S Q he saw who it t 4 was but I did 1 4 i no not t dare look lookA 00 k a 1 A 1 at his face 1 c I 1 f r a I Well I 1 am I said unruffled I wonder won wonder onder on- on der which of us will como come out ahead 1 think on the whole I I. I would back Mabel I. I You just say that to cover cove a defeat Its It's to save your vanity I haven't any vanity up in Roseland I 1 leave it down in the city There couldn't be a triumph or a defeat for me here herer I 1 should never compete In some ways trays youre you're a fearful tearful snob George spoke impatiently Well Id I'd rather be that than have as 89 little discrimination as you have have 1 I 1 an answered an- an I dont don't mean about outer distinctions distinctions distinctions dis dis- I like your indifference to those But you dont don't seem to recognize differences in fiber in quality Youve You've no sense of caste for except men I shouldn't wonder if you made a very poor marriage some day You might easily fall fan in love with a woman who had certain attractive traits but wh who was as beneath you in every way I dont don't tike like your our taste in girls You shant shan't blackguard yourself like lite that said George and naturally the wind was taken out of my sails Dont turn glances like that loose looe in Roseland I 1 warned him with a laugh They belong down in the city where girls understand Its It's all right to win hearts fairly but you mustn't bunco people out of ot them Yer nt you ever innocent and tru trusting ting and unsophisticated 7 he asked with a sigh This infinite wisdom is terrible I wish I 1 had bad known you when hen you were about four four Id I'd be just about old e enough for you then This hurt me a little I dont don't know why Yes Im I'm old and cold and skeptical and horrid I 1 said Poor girl her vanity isn't all an down Inthe in inthe the he city after all aU said George with one of ot his little spasms of ot affection Never mind Ill I'll love you no matter how old eld and ugly you arc And strange as IlI it may seem I felt greatly comforted AS THE summer went on the balance of power inclined decidedly toward me George was working very hard and he found making love to me a pleasant tion in the intervals Youre such a n comfort to me he said You can play with edged tools and not get hurt I can say anything that comes into my own head to you And know that I 1 wont won't believe it I I. I added Toward fall I suddenly realized that if it I intended to keep George in his place e as one of many it well wen for m me to s see seea e ea a few of ot the the others His Hi attitude showed j J. J I I r j i 13 W i li iJ fi i t I tt 7 j f o I. I e 1 I t I simply good d r fellowship with a layer of halt half humorous nonsense nonsense on tep top but I 1 found it less easy to la laugh gh off his absurd sentiment So very much ag- ag against my inclinations I gathered together that disastrous house bouse party that made the of September a date tome to tome tome me for all an time Every Everything thin went wrong from the very beginning I invited George up p to dinner for forthe forthe forthe the express purpose of having some of his glory dimmed by contrast with my imported guests and he had the rudeness to be the belle of the evening The girls made an irritating fuss over him my most impressive man proved an nit old college friend and nearly shook his hand off and everything went to show that it was not simply limply Roseland's scarcity of material to which he owed his charm If I could only find somebody who didn't like him or who considered him unimportant tant I l 1 thought in despair One little slighting lighting remark or patronizing or-patronizing smile might save me But the would do nothing but admire George had a a beautiful time Whenever his work ork allowed you could nev never never r even tempt him to neglect that he rode and drove and boated with us and became desperately intimate with all us girls and received numberless numberless numberless num num- berless invitations general and special and to my certain knowledge was called ed by his first name in at least two to quarters on a her steal a swift glance at the seat leat where George was enjoying life under a red para par parasol sol and the color died out of her face leaving it very set Our eyes met and Mabel's Mabels voice flashed out I hate you I before she could lower them The dreadful morning dragged by and nd at last to my deep thankfulness we were back hack at our own own gates again Lets herald our coming 11 I exclaimed and catching up the horn born I blew a discordant dis blast The suddenness of it startled a pony that was edging uneasily past us He He whirled about and the buggy after balancing on two wheels for a breathless second crashed over into info the ditch Our men were at the pony pony's head in a moment We sent the girls on to the house and I stood by while they lifted the th broken buggy from what lay Jay underneath I Ib b heard beard arri Ge Georges George's res re's exclamation as he saw who it was wat but I did not dare look at his face We took her to the house and laid her herin herin herin in my room I brought warm water and bandages and helped cut away the shoe from the poor pOOl foot root and sent Messengers on errands and soothed Mabels Mabel's mother and in the intervals said good good good-by by to my guests guesta who were considerately going away by an early train George was grave and businesslike business like and I could tell teU nothing from his bis ex es At last I drew him away into the bay window Please tell me exactly what you think I whispered The Tb foot is all aU that tbt worries worrie s me h ht he said IBid You think she may be lame Jame It was wall strange how quiet and controlled my voice sounded t It may have to come off tr was his bis anWer an an- I s sank down in a 11 chair and h ha went back to the bed I shall shan never neTer forget those days of ot misery and suspense I had taken away from Mabel th the man she cared for and now I had put her into physical bondage I 1 had spoiled h her r life within and without I gained nothing noth noth- nothing ing myself myself that was my only comfort At first Mabel alternated between pain and stupor stupor and and took no notice of her surroundings surround surround- surroundings ings but the n next afternoon on as I was wu sitting sitting sit sIt- tin ting by her while the nurse rested she spoke suddenly in a a. rational voice Cant C I be taken token home she said It wouldn't be wise the doctor says And we do do want to take care of you I 1 added humbly It is so little to to-do to do after all we have caused you It wasn't your fault I could have managed managed man man- aged Iced Peter if I had had my mT wits stout about me JUP she said col coldly lY but made no further further- protest against staying why didn't you yO call in some other doctor doctor doc doc- tor torI she asked presently from the Why we have had a specialist city you know and he is coming again He lIe I broke approved of everything Dr off suddenly realizing my stupidity And impulse seized d me and I followed itI itI itI it I you want to know something I said George has never lever been the least bit in love lOT with me ne It has been just play all aU along Why do you tell teU me this she he ked asked after a It pause Because I cant can't help bell feeling as though I had bad come come me betwee you and nd him It doesn't f teem seem fair fair- for I merely diverted him He lIe i is il never DeVer serious with me said He always took me seriously Mabel the hostility dying down out of h her r reyes eyes but brit he be never neter said he be cared for me in any way Then theres there's a faint Clint chance that he did was the grim thought that I kept t to my myself I said IBid I will do anything I can for you The color came up into her het face Oh If it you just wanted a n plaything bing why else couldn't you have taken something the she cried but she let me put my lilY arms around her T FELT a terrible burden of guilt in regard I to Mabel but frankly I did not grow fonder of her Her love Jove for George Geore was the only bl big thing about her To me she showed herself small and suspicious and ungenerous Sick as she was she was wan always al always always al- al ways on guard lest she should seem impressed impressed impressed im im- pressed by her ber surroundings Her IIer mothers mother's frank admiration of the ivory toilet things or the china on the luncheon tray made maele |