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Show BE F&SR TO f? m LOUS BY ANNETTE ANGERT. ROM a Japan bound steamer a serious faced youth waved ILEA good-by to his tearful sweetheart sweet-heart on the San Francisco wharf. "Only two years," he called down to her. It was Philip Romer. He had just graduated high in his engineering class and been offered a position in Japan. If successful, he was to become be-come permanent construction engineer in two years at ?S.O00 a year. Then he would come homo to marry Janet Charlton. Janet, recently from convent boards ing school, was proud of her big boy lover with the brilliant prospects. She watched him sail away, tearful, yet hopeful. As little as this girl of twenty-three knew of the world, her instinct in-stinct told her she could trust the word and the love of Phil Romer. In the little town where she lived she kept her engagement secret A year after Phil had gone Val Peyton Pey-ton came home from Harvard with a college chum, Ernst von Schlozer, who was summering in California. Ernst had all tho distinction and charm of the high bred foreigner. His mother, moreover, was heiress to a fortune, his father heir to another, and both were from long lines of arlsto-; cratlc descent. Janet belonged to tho same little set as the Peyton girls, and so saw much of Ernst von Schlozer. Tnnnl nnil TTVnef nlnvnH nnrt Bnne to- gether. Together they rambled in the starlight and the moonlight. In the spell of moon and mocking birds Janet heard Ernst tell of her wonderful eyes, heard him say how he wished always to be with her. Janet's letters to Phil grew short and general in those two summer months. One night when the scent of roses seemed intoxicating. Ernst caught her hand and kissed it Some tone in her soft answering laugh drew his face nearer to hers. Impulsively her fingers closed over his. He kiBBed her lips twice and said: "I love you." A wonderful bunch of Jacqueminot roses came from Ernst the day she wrote her regular weekly letter to Phil. But this time she told him she loved another man who loved her, and asked him to release her from their engagement en-gagement For a heavenly space Janet and Ernst were dally together, walking walk-ing and riding through the avenues of the littlo town and the lovely country round. Tho second week Ernst's mother camo from the east He seemed troubled. Then Janet saw little of him. After several days he camo to her sadly. His mother, he said, was going to Hawaii and insisted on his company. He preferred California and her, but ne must yieia to nis inotner. Ho kissed her hand and went away regretfully. re-gretfully. He sent her a lavish armful arm-ful of roses, and as his steamer sailed, a picture post card, "in memory of a happy summer." That was all. The truth was that Mother von Schlozer, who controlled two fortunes, objected to her son's "entanglement with an unknown American girl." Janet calculated that her letter to Phil was due the day after Ernst left Immediately she cabled him. "Return letter due today unopened." Then she wrote her usual weekly letter, explaining away the cabled request re-quest Tho next Japan steamer brought Janet a largo envelope from Phil. Enclosed was her letter torn open. With the letter was a note: "Ybur cable came the instant after your letter. On my honor I return your letter unread." Then Janet went away for a rest to her aunt's In another part of the state. The next Japan steamer brought Phil. Unexpectedly his promotion had come. On a moment's notice he Vas granted leave to go home to marry. The telegram he sent Janet from San Francisco of course didn't reach her. But his mother met him at tho depot Her expression and tono did not re- byuuu iu uiu juy ujl ma announcement that he had come home to marry Janet Charleton. "I do not know how you and Janet have patched It up," said Mrs. Romer, "but I feel you must know our points of Tiew of her conduct this summer." On their walk home she told him the story of Janet and Ernst Phil went to Janet's motherland confronted con-fronted her with the story. Sadly she confirmed It, saying: "Janet is so headstrong." Tho return steamer to the Orient bore Phil. v The telegram he sent Janet the day he sailed, read: "I came home to say good-by." |
