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LOVE'S ORDEAL
By Alvah Jordan Garth
(Copyright, 1916, W. G. Chapman.)
"Don't do it, Althea." 1
"I shall"
The first speaker shrugged her
shoulders daintily.
"As you will, my love," she said,
"but I am older than you and more
'experienced. It is nonsense to say
that Roscoe Blinn is not in love with
you, devotedly, desperately."
"He doesn't show it, then!" flamed
out Althea Kendall. "Only four weeks
ago we arranged for four engage
ments during the next two weeks. I
waited hours and hours Tuesday,
ready dressed for the Merrivale re
ception. When it was half over I re
ceived a phone message, brief and in
different, it seemed to me, bearing
his apologies. An unavoidable cir
cumstance' had detained him, he
telephoned!"
"Well, then"
"The. next day, not himself, but a
friend of his called me up. He said
that Mr. Blinn iad requested him to
tell me that he must postpone the
Thursday engagement That settles
it!"
"And are you going to write "
"Canceling all the other engage
ments and advising him that tomor
row I am going on the western two
months' trip with the Demings. T
had given that up on his account.
Now, see the result of my sacrifice!"
"Still, I wouldn't send the letter,",
advised Althea's friend.
"I shall send it I am mad all
through! I shall never speak to Mr.
Blinn again."
"You mean Roscoe, dear."
"I don't Oh, if he dares to ever
approach me again!" and there Al
thea broke down, the tears came and
she ran into the house precipitately,
leaving her friend without warning,
and had a good cry.
"Oh, it was shameful!" she told
herself, when vexation and the wom
anly caprice of feeling abused suc
ceeded the first outburst True, they
were not engaged true, further, he
had spoken no word of love, but for.
nearly a month she and Roscoe Blinn
had mutually realized that they loved
one another. Even to observing out
siders this had become unmistake
able. Althea sat down with great delib
eration. She felt herself as hard, as
steel and immovable as marble. Half
"There, That Will Do," She Decided.
a dozen times she wrote and tore up
a note, formal in its tone, then cut
ting, then fairly cruel.
"There, that will do," she decided
with flashing eyesbut dewy, and her
pretty lips set firmly, but quivering
"Oh, it's all over the beautiful,
beautiful dream!" she wailed, and
threw herself face down on the-couch
and wept again as though her ten
der but rebellious neaU would break.
