The Red Cloud chief., 1875-12-09

ting myself "how it must have panied
you! WIN didn't you go hones I
would have @Rcused you"
She smilcdbnd looked amused. That
smile recalled he to myself.
"oh, it's ntthing. 1t was slightly
painful Z. first, but / was not child
enough to rurS home 70. so slight a
hurt" !
H. spite OF my snger at her, / envied
the very words thai slipped through her
red, naughty lipA Had she already
begun her artsl" l aAked myself. If that
simplicity of look ans frankncss of voice
were art. why, confosnd nature. Well.
/ walked lone with her, carrying her
s.tchcl of booksl/My excuse was her
arm. As if SD fhadn't but one, and
couldn't, by anylpossibility, have carried
her books OF the other. o, the day that
followed! o, the days that followed
and the weeks, and the months! Miss
Arden wanted - hirt, and We flirted!
Miss Arden wanted me to make love
to her, and l did it. OF course, l had
no further exposition OF her wishes on
the point than the overheard CONVERSE
ton of the first day; but that was
enough. l took the part assigned TO
me to play, and played il with all my
heart and soul.
l had the satisfaction of knowing,
as l stood by n of the long windows at
the close Of the last day, watching the
scholars file out, that the whole village
was alive with the rumor that my beau
tiful pupil and myself were engaged.
Charlotte Arden fingered behind the
others as if wishing to speak to me.
The coquette had her last snare set, l
thought, bitterly.
IL stopped to bid you goodbye"
she said, t~alteringly, as 1 approached
her. How the proud face was BUNDLED
by its blushing.
"And toto give you this
She held out a white rose-a ~ithered
white rose. 1t was one l had begged
from her hair, the night before at a
party, and she had refused it.
"Thank you. Ii will be a cherished
souvenir"
l spoke derisivciy, for all the bad
blood in my heart was aroused by her
browning artiicc. The words were
scornful, but they were true, in spite of
me. She looked up with a shocked.
expression, and made a half angry mo.
ton to snatch the flower from my hand.
'We have had a very pleasant flirta-
tiOn-have We not, Miss Ardent"
Her face grew deadly white, then fiery
red.
"Flirtationw she faltered.
"Yes. This will remind ne of i. when
I am far away"
l saw the mighty pride that struggled
in her face.
~ don't quite understand you, SIR"
she said, with dignity.
81 refer you for an explanation of my
words to the conversation you held with
Miss Dane about the first day of the
term"
She looked puzzled.
81 did not have any, she replied after
a moments hesitation.
"About flirting" 1 suggested to
prompt her memory. "You were to win
me away from Sue Liscomb. I think"
She leaned her head on her hand a
moment, wondering and confused; then
she lifted it and broke into a merry
laugh.
"Whst an absurd mistake! And you
overheard us, and have been laboring
under that impression all these months9
O!Mr. Eldridge, how could you7"
And as though some sudden recollec.
ton well nigh maddened her, she hid
her face in her hands and broke into a
choking tempest of tears.
"What is it, Charlotte2" l inquired,
softening in an instant, and feeling that
l had been acting like a miserable
fool.
I'VE were not talking Of you at all,
sir" and the hot, binding tears flowed
afresh.
mot talking of me! 1t was all my
own insufferable c%onceit, then! What
an -"
"Idiot," 1 said aloud, and monkey"
under my breath.
She drew up her head a moment later,
and would have left me, but--but-
Pshaw! The scene won't bear re-
hearsing. Charlotte Arden is my wife
now.