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Show An Old Lovers' I Quarrel I Ey DORA MOLLAN (Copyright.) CALLY SAI.TOXSTALL sat on the end of, the settee nearest to the fire. Tightly gripped in her hands was a small package, wrapped carefully care-fully In tissue paper and tied wrth red and gray ribbons. Lincoln Bates, standing where the polished oaken floor met the hearthstone, looked down at her with dark, disapproving eyes. Around his shoulders was a knitted scarf of gray with cunningly wrought border of red. West room in Saltonstall house had changed in no essential particular for over a century rugs and hangings hang-ings duplicated perhaps when necessary neces-sary but the maple furniture built to last. Now the setting sun streamed J in with the air of an old, old friend. I "Eut Sally" Lincoln Hates' voice j was controlled; he spoke slowly as j though explaining something to a small child "Jane is nothing to me j but a friend. We were brought up al-! al-! most like brother and sister, as you know. Siie made this scarf witli her own hands and used my college colors. col-ors. When she gave it to me she said under (lie circumstances it would of course ,te her last birthday present to me; she asked that I wear it for old-time's sake. I promised her I would. You are the first in my life, for always you know that. Then why should you object?" "When you have taken that scarf from around your neck and have thrown it into that fire, I'll tell you, Lincoln Bates, why I object, and not before !'' "That I don't intend to do, Sally. To a Hates, a promise is a pt'omise." "Then this will go in its stead!" Sally held out the package tied with rod and gray. "Jane knew what I was making for your birthday. She did this on purpose!'' An ancient cloek struck 4. From the hall came the sound of wood tapping wood. A bent, little old lady appeared on the threshold, feeling her way carefully over the waxed floor with the aid of a cane. Great Aunt Sally had lived In Saltonstall Sal-tonstall house as a girl ant made a yearly lale nutunm pilgrimage from tier distant liome to renew old associations. asso-ciations. At 4 o'clock she was always to he found in the west ronm. sitting on the settee by the hearth, in quiet reverie. It was understpoil in the family that she should have the room to herself at that time, fur far back In her giilhood, it was said, there had been a romance shattered at that time of the year ami day In that very room. "My dears," said tiie old lady, In j her soft, trembling voice, "any year, i now, I may not come back" she i raised a hand for silence when Sally would have Interrupted "and there ! Is something I feel I should tell you ! something which happened in this ' room long ago. Will you listen to an 1 old. old woman?" I "Of course we want to listen, j nuntie," said Sally. "It was her beloved's birthday," j began Great Aunt Sally, "and she -had embroidered for him a pair of i slippers black velvet done in col- 1 ored wools. Many hours she had labored with them happy hours. She i had them wrapped up and ready for ' him when he came to call that nftr- j noon. P.ut before she gave them to , him he took from his pocket another ! pair, almost their exact duplicates, I and displayed them with pride. Ills ' cousin had made them ami he had : promised her that he w mid wear I them until they were worn out In t memory of their cliililhooil friend- ship. Then she gayly told him that j he would have to take that promise ; hack, for look and she gave him the pair she herself had worked for j him. "Looking from one pair lo th- other , with dismay, he replied. 'Hut I can't do thai, dear! To me a promise is a ' promise.' "'Then.' said she, snatching thej slippers she hail made from him, 'you will not need those!' And she, threw Ihein Into Ihe lire." I Great Aunt Sally sniffed as though i she stnelled something burning, and : resumed: "lie folded his arms and ' watched the handiwork of weeks he- I come, a smoldering lump. Then he ; said: 'I never could be happy will one who allows her temper so to get . Ihe heller- of her reason!' And he I turned ami walked out of this room t ami oul of my life." Noisily Ihe ancient clock- In the hull licked olT wordless seconds. I'aln- j fully Groat Aunl Sally arose from Ihe set lee. "My dears, it Is time for my nap. I. el Aunl Sally and her slory lake their place in 'he Sallonslallj traditions its a warning to hot! tempers." When the lap lap of wood on wood hail died away. Lincoln Hales took the scarf from his shoulders and strode to Ihe lire. Hut Sally burred j Ihe way. She held out lo him Ihe package- her bin Inlay offering. Lincoln Lin-coln opened II and found Inside mini mi-ni her scan of gray with cunningly wrought border of ml. He looked down at Sally wllh it helpless grop- i lag for adequate words. "We will put them both away In Ihitl box. Lin." suggested Sally, "so If ever again we need a ivainlng " Simultaneously, to both Sully anil j Lincoln, the bare two I'c.-I of space dividing thorn typillod endless years of misery narrowly escaped. They j vlsioneil Ihein III terror ami eliminated elimi-nated them forever In a close em- I brace. j |
