Show THE HE W WRONG r ENVELOPE a 88 by jay FLORENCE MEL MELLISH DISH a mcclure newspaper syndicate C w service i T ULLO will Carm IH I 1 i t packing up j something of the sort do you think this gr grip P W will ill hold one more parcel there it if you hold it together IU 1113 pull the strap all right if it bust has old ennis at the bank given you the grand bounce hardly he has given me two weeks vacation and a raise will I 1 to speak in a casual tone but he could not keep out a note of sat jis lis faction good borki and youre going to spend that vacation with your uncle and aunt in kirby carl andrews brews glanced at the label yes they were awfully good to me after I 1 was left alone I 1 lived with them two years before I 1 came here hence these knobby parcels what sort of place is kirby pretty lively just a little village around the station then half a mile up the hill theres a cluster of houses where ill have a good visit with aunt martha and uncle ben and the old neighbors Is there a bunch of pretty girls in that cluster only two girls but they are both pretty ahl please show me the one in your watch will laughed helplessly and open opened edthe the case revealing a gentle agenole and tho thoughtful girlish face why she is pretty her name janice merrow A pretty name what does the other girl call herself ruby merrow cousins ruby is more gay and dashing than janice no picture of her no I 1 dont think so I 1 did have two or three but but youve been housecleaning house cleaning quite right my boy now you may as well tell me the whole story like those guys in shakespeare As you seem a little bashful ill adopt the socratic method very considerate of you fire away wills story was soon told the cousins were inseparable though quite unlike the families on the hill were intimate and it seemed a matter of course that will should escort the two girls to the merry makings in kirby village he hardly 1 y knew which he liked better though he seemed to be better acquainted quain ted with the frank ruby she was a little hoydenish perhaps he went on but good and sensible janice was always very sweet but a little remote in her sweetness after I 1 left kirby acor icor I 1 corresponded with both girls but I 1 been writing to ruby much lately you see I 1 began to get acquainted with janice through her letters she is really wonderful in her detthof dep feeling and sympathy and in her appreciation of things and weve come to understand each other bett erand better and have come nearer and nearer to each other just through letters 1 I see carl nodded well last night I 1 wrote to both of atthe ahe girls both eh yes A nice friendly letter to ruby telling her that I 1 anticipated the renewal of our acquaintance and so on exactly hail and farewell then I 1 wrote to janice telling her well e just how I 1 felt and ask ag her if she felt the same way to meet at kirby station then perhaps well walk up the hill together and if the girls are in inseparable will ruby be along of course not with some impatience a but will carl asked more so soberly berly what if janice corne come either 1 I should think 1 I should hope something had happened to detain tier her on the northbound train will carody arnody sat with his gaze fixed on a recent magazine but the sharp eyed little atle spinster in the seat behind biln m noticed that he never once turned a leat leaf his own story was TOO absorbing would janice be on the e platform to meet him he felt sure she would and would she be wearing that dull blue gown in which nich he had seen her last and which suited her pensive beauty so perfectly probably not A girl did lot wear ear a gown for two years still h he fancied the new one would be DO blue he pictured the shy gradual ual smile amile that would curve curve her pretty tips PS lust a touch of with the shyness smile baal he would back ace they much could not say lust just then the western sun would touch them warmly and perhaps I 1 they would cross the street and down together toe sit T at a marble table in in the back of the topped store for an ice little fruit cream soda then they would climb the hill together going past the row of bright leaf maples a now and t then hen falling S like a benediction 0 11 0 on their air linked kirbye by arms wm will sprang UP P anar a seized his grip then 8 he fi was on the shaking t Pt form m hands with two or three of the townsmen she come but janice had hadt t yes there she was at the end of the long platform and waving her hand she was not wearing blue as he had hoped but a dashing sports akl skirt r t a and an n orange hat at and arsina sweater I 1 it t w was a not 0 tj janice anice I 1 it was ruby heavens had she come with her cousin as carl andrews had suggested no janice was not there at all will stood as if glued to the spot As ruby came nearer radiant with smiles his mind worked rapidly both those letters had begun with dear friend he had simply placed each in the wrong envelope fatal carelessness and janice I 1 what could she be thinking of him he had only a few seconds in which to decide what to do but he made the decision he would not spoil three lives for the sake ot of gallantry or to save a temporary embarrassment and mortification he would tell ruby exactly how it was they would laugh it off together and janice would understand he waved to ruby mechanically and smiled in a sickly way but when she met him with her joyous hullo eidl there was a new tenderness in her handclasp hand clasp and a soft light in her happy eyes that he had never seen there before could it be that she was caring and that he had given her a heartache with his clumsy carelessness ruby he said in a choked voice 1 I must speak to you alone before we say anything more cant we he looked helplessly around sure we can she piloted him into the little station and they sat down on a side bench sheltered by a big dry goods box the press pressure ure of her hand on his arm and the confident air with which she waited gave him a self reproachful twinge ruby he began hoarsely 1 I wrote you a letter I 1 oh yes I 1 got it it was all right she smiled reassuringly and will stumbled on 1 I wrote to janice at the same time ruby nodded 1 i I know will that is all right too she pressed his hand sympathetically oh Ja janice nicel he thought what bitt bitterness einess of spirit might be hers at this anis moment ruby you see oh will will you never give me a chance to explain janice was coming of course all yesterday she was like somebody in a dream but that little brother of hers you know he is always catching something has caught the measles and that idiotic doctor judkins ha has s quarantined the house today ive talked with janice through the closed window and she was worried for fear you would be disappointed and a misunderstanding might arise so I 1 offered to meet you and explain I 1 know how you both feel another sympathetic pressure for ive been engaged to charlie twiss for a week and were we re almost as bad as you and janice goodness with a glance at the station clock 1 I have a date with charlie in 15 minutes will had straightened up he was all smiles and cordiality now ruby I 1 am very glad charlie is an all round good fellow but ruby never knew how glad will was |