was the negro stopped as he saw the and knew that they had undoubtedly been together what more he suspected no one can say with certainty but he threw the cloak upon the grass that bordered the pathway and turned on his heel without a word confound his impudence exclaimed when he had recovered sufficiently from his surprise a black to speak i have a good notion to follow him and box his ears the soft hand of the girl was on his sleeve in a moment say nothing to she answered he he is very thoughtful for me of my health and i was careless papa must have sent him the touch on his arm the young man at once he tried to make out the lines of the pretty face that was so near him and yet so far away we are to study again to morrow then he said taking up her statement with an assumed air of at what hour but she broke away from him abruptly and ran into the house without a word stood in the doorway and thought he distinguished harsh from the negro s lips but this seemed so incredible that he conceived his senses at fault looking at his watch the saw that it was still early enough to take a stroll by himself and over his new happiness or misery which was it under the open sky it was two hours later that his turned in the door and in that time he had resolved either to make his wife or commit suicide in the most fashion w oh so many many maids p chapter x oh so many many maids the only disagreeable thing about falling in love with was that felt compelled to reveal the truth to he believed he was bound to do this by a solemn contract which he had no moral right to perhaps might claim that he had no business to fall in love with one sister when his manager had picked out the other for this operation be that as it may there was no use in the question it must be talked over be the result what it might well i know what love is now was the abrupt way in which the young man opened the subject on the following afternoon he had ridden to the city as was not expected at the residence of mr that day the hope he had formed the previous evening of getting another interview with had not she having gone on some short journey before he could her you do was the equally abrupt reply uttered in a tone that betrayed astonishment what do you mean it came to me all at once last evening he said avoiding the gaze of his companion we were down at the end of the lawn you know a black interrupted him with a sudden shout not yes you are in love with bowed upon my word there was nothing in any of these expressions that conveyed the information which the younger man namely whether his friend approved what he had announced but he stole a look at him and saw that he appeared more astounded than angry you dear boy he said i don t know what to say to you you blush like a maiden over the acknowledgment i am half inclined to believe you are the girl in the case and your partner in love some great fellow on whose bosom you intend to pillow your head so it is eh and last night it came to you tell me how it happened comforted in a measure by the good nature of his friend proceeded to give the outlines of what had occurred the more intimate facts with which the reader is acquainted he admitted the touch of hands but did not mention the pressure of lips to lips he told of the girl s but said nothing of the extraordinary measures adopted to bring her to her senses but while he made no nor pretended to see through the in this net the experience of mr served him in good stead he could fill in the vacant places in the story with substantial oh so many s i don t know what miss will say to all this he remarked when the recital came to a pause i think she was just beginning to like you a little herself most of our talk last evening was about you and when i mentioned as i took my leave that you were probably out walking with i could see distinct traces of jealousy i want to be fair with my i told her that you came there to learn love from her not from her little sister if all this should result in breaking her heart i don t see how i could excuse myself and the other one she seems such a child i never thought of her in that connection why how old is she not over eighteen i think answered that would be nineteen on her next birthday an ingenious way of stating age that was not original with him all right said this statement slowly and now what is your programme looked surprised at the business like nature of the question i mean to secure her consent to marry me as soon as possible he said and then why see her father i suppose isn t that the most important thing to do mr shook his head decidedly not by any means you must not act with undue haste mr would say she was too young to think of matrimony a proposition you could not successfully dispute besides should he happen to give his consent and a week from day for the happy occasion see what a mess it would put you in the suggestion caused the brightest of smiles to the countenance of the listener it would make me the happiest of 