Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1910 — THE RETURN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE RETURN

Philip Graham, coming to the end •f long pages of blue parchment, foldad them mechanically and tied them WP with pink tape. He rang the bell •n his desk. "Stimson,” he said as his clerk entered, "ask Miss Kennet if she will Please come to me.” A few moments later a girl entered the room. . . “Miss Kennet," he said, "will you ■rind looking through some papers for He had risen to his feet, and a queer laok flashed to her eyes. For an instant her lip quivered. “Oh. why won’t yon forget that I wag ever anything but your secretary r she said. He bit his lip. “Yon know why.” he said, half un«er his breath; “but I—l will not forget again.” He picked up his keys, and striding •cross the room unlocked a Japanned tin box marked “D.” Gladys Kennet turned over the papers In the box. Her head was begin•lng to ache, but then It liad ached ■uny, many times since her father

tied —nearly two years ago, and she •oght to have grown used to it now. Her thoughts stopped abruptly with ■ shock. She stared down wildly, with the color driving from face. She clutched a faded newspaper cutting with fingers growing cold. 'A. marriage has been arranged, and will shortly take place, between Lieut. Reginald Llndley and Miss Gladys KenMet, only daughter of Col. Kennet of fctlbetone hall.” The paper dropped to the floor. The Kwyer’s room, with Its japanned tin lies, whizzed wildly around her. What mockery It had been! Only a few days after that paragraph had apJjeared her father had died, bankrupt, and she had been left penniless and alone. In less than a week Reginald scad gone too, and If It had not been lor Philip—Philip whom she had despised for being her father’s solicitor — the would have been—what? The sob in her throat refused to be choked back. Her heart beat up loudly, persistently, a drumming sounded In her ears, and her head dropped suddenly, sharply amongst the dusty papers. Philip started quickly to his feet and tan across the room. “Gladys—Miss Rennet] " Ghe tried to struggle to her feet. “It is silly of me," she said unsteadily. “I—l—ought tp have forgotten by now.” He pushed her gently back and took Per hands In his. “Miss Kennet—Gladys—let me help jrou to forget,” he said huskily. “You know I love you—you know I loved iron long before—long before that happened.” She passed her hands across her •yes as though to clear them, and then looked into his. “I don’t know,” she said in a whisEr. “You have been so good to me at sometimes I think that if—if i could be sure that Reginald would ■ever come back I could love you as much—as I once loved him.” “Let me try to make you,” he said eagerly. “Gladys, darling, if you can •nly give me half your heart I shall Pe content.” Bhe put out her hands to him with Per eyes full of tears. “Look, Philip, look,” she cried. She Kew up the sash and they both ked out on the busy market square. “Look!” Gladys repeated. “It is the ping Reginald gave me, and I have Pone witt him now forever.” She raised her arm and flung the from her far out in the square. She turned to Philip breathless and lWhite. “f have done with him now forever,” pbe whispered.

He seat her away early. “I shall come after you soon, dsr> Hm" he said, “and well go and dine somewhere and have the evening to gether.” After she had gone he sat still, dreaming at hla desk. He lifted hla head quickly as the door 1 opened and hla clerk entered with a card In his hand. He it carelessly In his fingers. The card dropped from his clutch and lay staring at him from the desk. “Reginald Llndley." » “Send him in,” he Bald, and during the few moments that elapsed before Reginald came, he sat like a dead man, dumb, motionless, cold. L The door was swung open. —. "Hello, Graham! How are you, I say? Great Scott! I believe you’ve been poring over those papers ever since I was here last. You look Just the same, only dustier.” Philip rose slowly to his feet. He was cold—horribly cold, and his heart seemed to be lying dead and heavy In his chest. ,

“You are a Btranger,” he said with difficulty. “I thought we should never see you in Rochmlnster again, and you can’t wonder gt my surprise.” Reginald laughed. "No, I suppose not,” he said; "and upon my word, I don’t think I ever could have come hack only—only I chanced to hear a bit of news.” Reginald sauntered ‘slowly across the room and back, whipping his stick against his boot “Graham, how and where is Miss Kennet?” he asked abruptly. Philip flinched as Reginald’s stick had struck his face. ‘‘l heard that she was still here, and that you had given her employment,” Reginald went on, “and I came hero on purpose to see her.” “I suppose you think I behaved badly,” the lieutenant went on, “and I suppose I did, but I couldn’t help myself. When her father died penniless, it was Impossible for me to marry her, for I had scarcely enough money for myself, and so I thought the kindest thing was to go away without saying anything. But now that there fs a chance of her having some money, after all, It is altogether different, for I am fond of her, you know, Graham." Philip had looked up with a start. “She has no money,” he said hoarseiy.

Reginald nodded his head eagerly. “Not yet, old man,” he said lightly, but she will have. I happened on an old boy out in Australia who's going to leave her some. He is the colonel’s brother and her uncle, and he’s pretty nearly gone. I gave him all particulars about her, and It will be all right. The old buffer Isn’t married, and there’s nobody else for him to leave it tff. And he thinks Gladys and I are still engaged—as, in fact, we are—and that we are only waiting for a little money to get married. I explained it all to him”—he laughed and winked at Philip—“and now his sole anxiety is to die and oblige us. Where is Miss Kennet, Graham?” Philip was white to the lips now. “She is at home,” he said with difficulty. “She left early. She—she—lodges with Mrs. Caley in Stone street." He turned away. His one wish now was that Reginald would go quickly. He could not stand much more. “Oh, all right. Anybody would think you were jealous of me! Well, good-bye." v The door (dosed and for long Philip stood still in the middle of the room staring at it. Stimkm opened the door. “Did you call, sir?” “No, no,” said Philip hastily. “No, that is all. You can go” ' He heard the preparations for departure, but he still sat before his desk without making any attempt to put his papers away. He wondered what Gladys would do now— His thoughts broke off and unconsciously he stiffened himself. Someone had come into the outer office! A clerk had forgotten something evidently; he hoped he wouldn’t want anything of him. Steps sounded—quick steps, that ran, and then the door was flung open and dashed to again, and a breathless figure whirled itself across the room and dropped on its knees at his Bide. “Philip—Philip—Philip! Look np. 1 want you more than ever. I love you better —a thousand times better than I ever loved Reginald. Oh, Philip, my dearest, I’ve just seen him and I know.”—Cassell’s Journal. It la Not Always Possible to Save. The majority of the old ask nothing of society, but this very fact should make the support of society to those who do need its aid, more immediate and willing. There are many who through misfortune are left in age bereft of money and of their natural supporters, says Walter Weyl. in Success Magazine. A bank may fail, an employe abscond, a business panic arrive, an error of judgment or an unwise act of generosity may strip a man or woman of the savings of a life-time, such a man may lie ill and the savings of years go in a month’s doctor’s bills. The sudden slaying of a husband in an industrial accident may leave the wife deprived of expected support.

And not all men can save. Some are honest and hard-working, but have not the knack of getting and holding. They are marble to receive and wax to retain. Others do not marry, or marry and have no children!; or they lose their children in early infancy. Family bonds afe moral. There are always men who through no fault of their own are left naked and alone In their old age.

Policemen, like rainbows, are tokens of peace, usually appearing after a storm.

“WHY WON’T YOU FORGET?”