Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 December 1908 — The Man Who Thought Be Was In Love. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Man Who Thought Be Was In Love.

By LULU JOHNSON.

Copyrighted. 1908, by Associated Literary Press.

The worst of it all was that Alice was happy. “That,” Buick told himself, “was the cap of the climax.” Had she been decently miserable, as he had been ever since they had had their quarrel, the misery that loves company would have drawn them together, and once more the superb solitaire which Teddy Buick had bought with a glad heart and a half of bls savings would have gleamed on Alice Ryder’s finger.

By all precedent that very thing should have happened, instead of which Alice presently became engaged to Harvey Post, and the expression of gloom which had become habitual to Ted’s face deepened to a scowl. He took to reading poetry in the long hours of the night, and even in his dreams he lamented his lost love. Reproachfully he gazed upon Alice’s radiant face when he could not avoid meeting her in Harvey’s society. At such times the sky seemed overcast, no matter how brightly the sub shone, and Teddy hurried home to brood over his great grief, made the sharper by the very apparent happiness that had •ome to Alice.

The day that the wedding Invitations were issued was Teddy’s field day, and the sun was stealing through the half closed curtains when at last he threw off bls clothes and flung himself upon his bed to gain a brief transition from wakeful to dreamy grief. He did not go near his office, but late in the afternoon his persuaded

Him to take a walk, and he made for the fields, where he was least likely to be observed.

He plunged into the woods, which in that happy summer bad been the favorite objective point of their walks together. Now’ the foliage was sear and withered, flung to the ground as his own heart had been, and the giant trees lifted their naked arms to the autumnal winds in dumb supplication. The place was thoroughly in harmony with bls mood, and Ted flung himself upon a bank of moss to commune with his unhappy thoughts. The woods represented his own life. Springtime, with its bursting buds and tender foliage, had marked the birth of love; then had come the summer of courtship, the rich fruition of promise under the ardent glow of the sun of love. Ted sklpiied the harvest time, but now the woods were, like love, dead. The chill of winter was in the air and in the dull November clouds. The fancy pleased him, and so occupied was he with his thoughts that be failed to hear the footfalls on the rustling leaves until the newcomer hailed him with cheery cry. “Mooning again, Ted?” cried Alice brightly. “Forget your troubles for awhile and help me gather some hickory nuts.”

Ted rose slowly to his feet, and as he did so he glanced about and made certain that Harvey was not to make a third. He felt that be could not stand by and sec the loving glances which the two would exchange. Slowly he followed Alice along the path. Most of the nuts had been gathered, but some few remained, and presently Ted forgot his great grief in Alice’s merry chat.

It was not until the nuts had been gathered and they sat down to rest on a fallen trunk that remembrance came again. Alice saw the cloud that settled down upon his face, and she turned abruptly. “Ted," she asked, “do you want to make me very happy?” “You’re about as happy now as one girl deserves to be.” was the ungraHous response. “What do you want?” “I want you to get married.” was the surprising reply. * “That’s what I wanted to do,” reminded Ted, “but you wouldn’t have it. Has Harvey jilted you?” “Mercy. I don’t want you to marry me!” was the hurried reply. “I want you to marry some other girl.” “Rather hard on the other girl,” commented Ted. “considering that I could only offer an empty heart*— “And an empty head,” was the caus-

tic interruption. "That's Just the trouble, Ted. You are having a lovely time with your heartache, and you don’t want to give it up yet, but I can’t be reaiiy happy with Harvey with the thought of your accusing eyes following me.” “Then forget it,” advised Ted inelegantly. “That’s what I want you to do,” explained Alice. “You never were really In love with me. 1 know it, and you know it. That is why we were always quarreling. We used to get along beautifully before we became engaged. Then when you realized the mistake you had made you became ill natured.” “All on my side?” asked Ted. “I suppose that I was just as mean,” admitted Alice, “but it was because we both realized that we had made a mistake. I want you to forget all about it. Marry Beth Agnus or Letty Fredericks or Nancy Bellman.” “What’s the matter with Audrey Dunbar?” demanded Ted. “She is the only eligible you left out.” “You wouldn’t like her,” protested Alice hastily. “I should, hate to see you married to her. You would never get along with her.” “She’s a nice girt,” growled Ted, “but I’m not going to marry any one.” He rose to his feet again and shouldered the bag as an intimation that he was ready to depart, and Alice meekly followed.

Ted carried the bag to Alice’s home, and it was fate that on the way they should pass the disputed Miss Dunbar and that Ted should be unusually effusive, while Alice was barely civil. He did not know that Alice could be so pretty, and he was glad when he could leave the burden on her porch and hurry away before her little speech of thanks was half completed. She came flying after him and reached him before he had opened the gate. "You won’t marry Audrey, will you?” she asked pleadingly.

“I told you that I was not going to marry any one." was the impatient responsg as Ted shut the gate with a vicious bang and started for home. He was not yet ready to abandon his grief, but one ray of comfort pierced his once pervading gloom. Ted disliked girls who decried others. He had never known Alice to do it before. Just to show Alice what he thought of her conduct, he escorted Audrey to the wedding and smiled sardonically when she caught the bridal bouquet, unfailing sign that she was to be the next bride. However, Alice kissed her in congratulation with a warmth that little suggested the jealousy she felt.

There were three weeks of the honeymoon, and Harvey was giving the news to the new Mrs. Post after his first trip downtown. “Ted’s going to marry Audrey Dunbar,” he announced as the choicest morsel. “So mother was telling me," was the reply. “I expected it. but not so soon.”

“I didn't suppose that you would relish such a quick desertion,” said Harvey, Ith a laugh. But Alice only smiled.

She smiled still more broadly when Ted proudly escorted Audrey to call and welcome them home. There was an air of defiance in his manner that was amusing to the girl who knew him better than he knew himself, and Ted did not realize how truthful was Alice's declaration Audrey was the very girl she would have picked out.

He could not tell that Alice was counting upon his stubbornness to make her happy by removing his reproachful gaze. He only thought that he had shown her that he was a man of his own action, and thereto he found great content

SLOWLY HI FOLLOWED ALICK ALONG THE PATH.