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Show aHsttelie (Co,., rlchl. ISO, by Dally Won Cub Co ) The girl pared Iba room nervously, a Until of Impatience la har eye, a ' flush uf aipacutncjr In her cheeks. liver and anon ahe draw atlde Ilia ' curtalna and peered expectantly down the it real. . lie u coming home atter (our yean' absence four loan vears of vailing and hoping And he wat earning crowned with niece. Bk remembered well hi going away eager to try hi mettle with the world and lo challenge fortune, but beee-l with double and fears to the outcome. They had been rare friends all their school day anl ahe had leen tha confidant of all hla amblllona. hopes and fears. True they were not en gaged that wae Impooelhle because ho bail hla way to make In the world and inuat aerare a foothold before he tould even she n thought to matrimony They nfien had talked It over In the abstract not 'with reference to themeelve or their relatione, but with reference to hla life plana Hut ahe had regarded him aa her own par- , tleuler knight and waa sure be would come back to claim hi when tlctory - had crowned hla efforts There had been nothing nf lovo. making In their relationship, but rath or a aplrll of romrndoxhlp and clone frlendehlp and bold wire so young and so abaorbed with the olh r affairs of life that they had thought llnlo or nothing of the grand paion It waa after he had gone away that the glrl"n heart awakened and Iho aweH dleentery of her lore had glorl fled the world It waa thla knowlcdgo which had made her value to highly thn unexpected legacy which had - mme to her upon the dath of Uncle John. She would bring to him no mean portion when ho came to claim her and ah tingled with Joy at the ' thought that thla would help him acale I tlio hdiilita to much quicker and est- I . ' k ' ' Utllo eorreapondence had patned betwnwn Utvoi anil Itial wliolljr In ref. g . rrcnoe lo Ida wurk. 1 USgajJS.'." Ami now he waa comlag home. Not . yet with ultimate vlctivv cmtilaioncd on hla bannera but )t with enough nccomptlehed to feel that hla feet were on the rocke and that, barring atck-, atck-, ncaa or mltfortune, hla career waa auurnl. And alio awaited him all aglow with Joy and anticipation. Bho had attired heraelf with great raro for the ncraeton. She knew the almpllclty of hill taatea hut wonted to ihow her own good fortune while the congratulated con-gratulated him on hla. Bo aho had Mleclvd a gown of almplo dealgn but of richest material and In perfect laale Only two or three Jewel, but Iboae prlceleea, iliono on her neck and handa The mirror to whleh .the made her final appeal for - approval, gave back a reflection which eatUfM'lier moat critical and relent-leaa relent-leaa Inspection. How aurprleed he would be lo find thla elegant and graceful woman In place of the Immature and unconventional unconven-tional girl he had left. Hut her heart waa not changed, and aha laughed a triumphant little laugh. ' There waa not a team or a aear upon It and her mind waa ai freeh and iintnrnUhail by worldllneaa aa when 1 he went away Bho scarcely could bcllctc that the ' great moment bad almost arrived, but the clock told her It was nearly here and her whole body thrilled and glow el with strange and tweel emotions Pstrtd expectantly down thi street. while her qulrerlng la-art beat a tattoo tat-too agalnat her breast Though she paced back and forth like a oaged tlgreaa the time of waiting wait-ing did not seem long to her aa tlmea of waiting usually are He waa coming. com-ing. Tltax waa enough And the riot of her emutlona so enthralled her that ' ahe scarcely craved aught else. Thn the Jsngle of the bell, a breathless moment or two full of heartthrobs heart-throbs and sound! of doors opening and elotlng, low voices In Ihe distance, and he stood before her. ' In the mqmeat It required to gain composure her quick eye took In sp-prerlagly sp-prerlagly the figure before her. Ha had changed greatly and for the better. bet-ter. All the rallowncas. all the soph-roorlc soph-roorlc amairuiu'iix had vanished, and Instead he had acquired a rimed personality, n strong manhood a dom , Inatlng something, which she felt raih ' er than saw There he stood (all I stalwart and browned and In his o the sparkle of anticipation and tender , lieas tfhe spoke hla name and look htm by llm hand and she noted Inrolunta rlly hi approving glamea a he took In Ihe change In heraelf "II) Jore. Ilea, you're a stunner he said taking both her hands If It were not for your eyea I wouldn't believe II waa the same girl who ue"d to help , me make day dreams" . The scarlet leaped to her cheeks ' and her heart beat so hard ahe I thought he must hear It I Then they sat down In a cosy cor ner and he told her of all his slrug- "I am so sorry," she said. "I did not I know" gles and achievements and prospects-told prospects-told her In tho same old whimsical way, so Interesting In Its contrasts of nuslnl limiinr en.l illin. of child-Ilk.. child-Ilk.. slitl)llllr end kn lntlllsitM. of boundless faith and Intuitive Judgment Judg-ment At he revealed himself to her she reallred with a glow ot conscious arflnlty that he was the same old Howard of tho dear old daya. When he had done with hit ttory the told him In the must charmingly deprecating deprecat-ing manner In tho world of her own good fortuno and Ihe boundless opportunities oppor-tunities which had come lo her with Iho acquisition ot Ihe goldtn seeama of amplo wealth HI Joy and enthusiasm enthu-siasm at her disclosure knew no bounds and his congratulation wero so warm and slnrere as lo Imply the closest personal friendship. Then. "lly the way, Dee. I have not told you of Ihe best of my good fortune," he said, still holding both her band which he had not released alter grasping grasp-ing them In congratulation on her good fortune. "Not only have my efforts ef-forts been rewarded with every reasonable material eurcess, but Cupid, also haa smiled upon me. t am Indeed tho most blessed of men, Tho dearest, aweetest, daintiest girl In all Ihe world has smiled upon me and wo wero married last Thursday and arc now on a bridal lour. It was a very quiet affair and I did not let you know becauto 1 wanted lo giro you a aurprlsv Oh, how you will lovo her. You will be alatera I know, gho Is an Impossibly helpless bit ot feml-i feml-i nlnlly and Deeds Just such a strong, I resourceful woman friend as you lo lean on and learn from You will be thn liest of friends 1 know. You will conic and call on her nt the Metro-pole Metro-pole lo-morrow and we will have a genuine three-cornered reunion and Ihe best of It Is I am lo remain here The company has given me charge ot Its general work and allowed mo to I select my on location and I have determined de-termined to establish myself here so I Kttu-I and I can be near to jou. Itn't ) It splendid'' Her hands had gone cold In hit and thu blood had pushed back on her ! heart until she was like to faint. Her i dreams lay before her. dead ashes i Hut. braio soul that she was, ahe forced n smllo lo her bloodless fsce "I am so sorry,' she said In low dla llnrt lonea "I did not know you did not let me know, you tee and I am starling on n lung Journey abroad to tho orient, to China and Japan and Australia I have become so restless and pleasure-loving, you aee, since I became, rich And all the arrangements arrange-ments are made and I start tonight. I am so sorry not to meet your wife and you muat give her my very beat wishes and and my love and bop for her and your happiness " "Dut you will return soon," ho responded re-sponded tghaat "Sometime, maybe, but not soon," ahe replied hysterically "you have no Idea what a restless fly-about I have become I may be gene far years. And now I mast go and get ready tt alart because the time Is short. You did not let me know, you aee and I had all my plana made Ooodbye and God bless jou and her." Atter he had stumbled out amaseo and puttied, the flung herself on a lotrsg and lay sobbing for hours. Theu the rang for her mslj and ordered order-ed a hasty preparation for a long Journey Jour-ney HbbVbbbb. |
