OCR Text |
Show , , . . . -, , i j SHORT ; STORY OF THE PY 1 " i i - "t '. f and MaUIe went ' to market and we were playing hlde-and-aeejk? waa hiding under the aofa In the little 'dark' room. Some one came in. I thought-It waa you, and I kept Just aa still, and' never peeped. ' Then . I heard Malsle apeak I waa sure it was sister; but when I peeped I saw It waa Cousin' Laura, bo I kept very .still . Then she rank up the telephone. (It waa only a play, you know). She said: "Qlve me 393. Hello!. Ik this Mr.' Hamilton? I'm so sorry I can not go for a walk today. Charley Robinson la coming to call at. 4. I am craiy to aee him. I have not seen him for go long. I don't like to disappoint him. What did you say? Oh, yes. I thought you would understand under-stand Charley's such an old friend. Good-bye, If I don't aee you again." All the time It sounded like Malsie talking. talk-ing. Then I crept out, and Cousin Lau- ra gave an awful scream and Jumped so high." "Oh, you nasty little thing," she said, and gave me a alap. "What made you talk like Malsle?" X asked her. " 'Oh. that waa Just fun she said. 'I waa lonely, and made a little play, be-I be-I cause I have no one to play with, and I was Just pretending to be Malsie. Don't tell any one. They would laugh at poor Cousin Laura.' "Then she made me promise, and said 'only bad little boys told tales' and she went and got me some chocolatea, and was awful nice. Now don't you go and tell Doris girls don't always play fair and it would be mean to tell when we had the candles." "I don't think it a funny game, not one bit. and I hates Cousin Laura, so I do. 1'se going home right now;" and home she scampered aa fast as her little lit-tle legs would carry her, and Dick after her. The listener had lost no word of the children's chatter. Blessed little darlings! dar-lings! How he loved them! Now he knew now he understood. It was not Malsle who had telephoned him. (What a mimic Laura was!) Why, oh. why did she hate them so? Dear little Mal-zle! Mal-zle! What must she think? What a glorious day It was! How good It was to be" alive! for Malzie waa true Malzle had not broken her word. But. what must she think of him? Springing to his feet, he reached the path, to see before him Malzle, but a dignified, haughty young woman, passing pass-ing swiftly by. "Stop. Malzie! stop, please; I want to explain." Then it all came out in rapid, almost incoherent words. Seated In the dear old park, now deserted save for themselves, them-selves, they talked long and earnestly. "1 could not go away, dearest," he murmured, "without your promise. I thought you must know I wanted you for my wife; and then to listen to the voice I believe yours, and think you cared more for Charley Robinson Oh! it was torture!" The strain of suspense and distrust had so unnerved them, that the reaction to happiness was overpowering. They sat silent at last, clasping hands like two children in distress, seeking comfort. com-fort. In the fulness of their joy they could forgive, and Malzie, in the light of her full love could guess that a hidden hid-den pain had goaded her cousin to cruelty. The evening shadows fell as they left the sheltering trees. Happy and comforted com-forted beyond words, they could wait now. Harry could go where his work led him; the work that would make possible an Ideal home; could wait In faith and trust, never again to doubt. Doris and Dickie were overjoyed that evening to see their old playmate once more, and to be loaded with toys and candy. "Mister Harry called you a funny name." whispered Doris, wondering why he called her little brother "A blessed little eavesdropper." Vogue THREE EAVESDROPPERS. "May I have a dance. Miss Malzle rr "Certainly; will you have No. 4?" waa the reply, aa the little programme changed hands. . - Harry Hamilton looking over the heads of the throng of young people-had people-had seen Malzie keeping modestly in the background. Threading, his way skilfully through a crowd, he reached her aide. Taking the little card, he wrote rapidly; then bending hla handsome hand-some head, he spoke In low, persuasive tones: "I've put down my name for three dances, Malzle. Please break your rule tonight. It is my last dance, you know, and who can tell when' we shall have another?" Looking up in pleased surprise, she hesitated: "Yes perhaps since It is really your last." A Blender, sweetifaced girl was Malzie, Mal-zie, lovely in the freshness of youth; gowned In dainty pink, which seemed to lend Its color to her cheeks. One who stood apart herself no longer young-felt young-felt a rush of tenderness toward these young creatures on the threshold of life. The scene was a brilliant one, for It was the night in early autumn when Molton university opened Its doors to its friends. Easton. though a business center, was Justly proud of its university univer-sity and colleges, which gave a literary lit-erary arid almost old world flavor to its social life; and white-haired men and matrons, and even the "not outs" flocked to the "Varsity" on these occasions. occa-sions. Many lights glittered, and the dark walls made a rich background for the bright hues of the dresses; and draperies of flags, banners and bunting; bunt-ing; and the eyes in the portraits of grave-faced professors seemed to follow fol-low with scornful surprise the happy young people as they flitted by. The concert was over. Strains of waltz music filled the rooms, and the dance began. But there are heartaches, heart-aches, too. In the ballroom, and many a girl's evening, because, though the little lit-tle card was filled. It lacked the one name that would have made" all the difference. - To Malzie the evening was one of unalloyed happiness. She had known Harry nearly all her life, but tonight there was an added something that disturbed and excited her, and a tenderness ten-derness in his voice and manner that went to her very heart. He had Just, received a business promotion which necessitated his going to a distant city, and a sense of the coming parting seemed to break down an habitual reserve. re-serve. They were "slttlng-out" the last of the three dances In one of the long corridors cor-ridors where the students had arranged little nooks with flags and portieres por-tieres hung between. Laura's partner brought her to a seat near her cousin, and though she did not see her, she recognized the voices. Asking her partner to bring an Ice. she rose quickly quick-ly and bent her head to hear, with an expression on her pretty face that was far from pleasant. ' Tomorrow at 4." Harry was saying, "you will not forget our walk, Malzie. I'll be sharp on time." "I shall not forget." the girl replied with a little quiver In her voice. "We must find mother now. It must be very late." Parting the curtains, they stepped out Just a Laura sank into the chair. "Why, Maizle, where did you drop from?" "Is It late?" "Hurry," Laura said, when they reached the dressing-room. "I am tired to death." snatching her cloak from Malzie aa she tried to help her. "I was ready to go long ago, but you were enjoying yourself to much flirting flirt-ing with Harry Hamilton, you forgot everything." "Why. Laura, how can you say that? I thought you were enjoying your dances." Going home in the carriage. Laura pleaded sleepiness, and no more was said till they reached their rooms, when she cried. "I had no idea you were such a flirt. Harry Hamilton must Indeed think you In love with htm to give him three dances. I would not dream of flattering a man to that extent." In genuine distress Malzle answered: "Harry Is not like that. He would never misjudge a friend. How can you say such cruel things!" Reaction comes all too soon after happy emotions, and it was a miserable miser-able little girl who crept Into bed, chilled with fear and a presentiment of sorrow. The next morning Maizle went shopping shop-ping with" her mother, and told her of her promises to Harry. Four o'clock found her ready, but though the doorbell door-bell rang, it was only to admit a caller for Laura. Five o'clock chimed out, and still no Harry came. It was very strange unlike Harry something must have happened. Day after day passed and no message mes-sage came, and the day of his departure was at hand. Heavy of heart, Malzie went about her tasks, and was glad when her cousin's visit was over and she need not pretend to be happy. His last free afternoon found Harry wandering aimlessly in the beautiful park. In the hazy distance the gray walls of old "Varsity" glowed here and there with the rich reds of the Boston Ivy clinging closely In delicate sprays. It was a day to be Joyous; a day to be glad. But Harry, poor Harry! was not In sympathy with nature; the buoyant, mirthful spirit was gone, and he was utterly miserable as a man could be; as unhappy as a child with no hope In sight. For Malzie was fickle: Malzle was false! like any other oth-er girl and all his life he had believed her, cared for her beyond every one. True, he had never told her o, in so many words, but she might hav known; she might have guessed. How could she break her promise to go for a walk, for the sake of a cad like Charley Robinson? "Old friend," Indeed! In-deed! How he hated the fellow! He had seen him shown In Just at the time he would have met Malzle. Flinging himself down on the side of the ravine out of slffht of nursemaids and childrenhe chil-drenhe gave himself up to his misery. mis-ery. Presently, above his brooding thouehts, stole voices that he knew: voices of his little playmates Maizle's little brother and sister. Ah! many a time had he met them here with their sister and romped with them under the trees. "I'a tired of playing horse and picking pick-ing up nuts. I wants a new game," cried Doris. "I now a new game." said Dick. "I caw Cousin Laura play It. I promised not to tell the grown people, 'cos it's Just a children's game, and she said they would laugh at it. You 'member that day after the ball, when |