The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-09-29

said, she did not think it possible for n
girl of Mab's caliber to make Allen
Stopford love her.
Nab began dressing for dinner, and
put some spice pinks in her hair. When
at the table she turned her dark braids
toward Allen, he saw them, and invo!-
UNFAIRLY murmured, with an expression
of pleasure:
"Spice pinks."
yes" said Mab,. knew you liked
them"
And then she looked up in his face,
and he saw that her eyes were pretty.
After dinner they went boating, and
his natural eye tor artistic effects was
gratified by Mab's figure sitting in the
bow in pale blue dress, with q crimson
scarf draped about her shoulders.
Your cousin is not exactly hand
some, but there is something very, very
attractive about her." he said to Lucy.
The latter dipped her hand in the
shining water and held her peace,
which, under the circumstances, was as
much as could be expected of her, l
think.
The next day Lucy invited a little
party of friends from the village, and
they made picnic in the woods.
Nab trimmed up her white dress with
! oak leaves and strolled away from the
rest, down the leafy aisles of the woods,
with the youngest and most agreeable
man present, who was Allen Stopford.
They came back with some white water
lilies. Nobody had noticed their alb
sence but Lucy.
"You want bit of color about you, Z"
she said, coolly, to Mao, and pinned a
pink wild-rose on her left shoulder.
nd noun dou hu A 11oy,
absent-minded, and was exceedingly
alive to the presence or absence of Miss
Devereux. II she were absent, he must
know where she was. If present, he
made incoherent replies to everybody
else, and was like the needle to the
magnet whatever the young lady's
movements were.
If she lounged, he noticed that the
sun shone in her eyes. and closed a
blind. If she sang, he turned the leaves
OF her music; if she walked the piazza,
he would urge that the rooms were
close, and find seat without.
Orce or twice he caught himself up in
neglecting Lucy and attending Nab, but
the spell was 100 strong.
The fascination which this girl of q
wanton heart exerted he succumbed to
almost unconsciously. And the siren
smiled and smiled, and drew him on until
there came q fever'sh light in Lucy's blue
eyes, and her cheek grew thin with the
fear she yet repelled.
Yes, it was dangerous for all three,
this playing with edged tools. 1t Was
true that the love between Allen and
herself was not founded on a mere fancy,
but in a mutual confidence, esteem and
a sweet congeniality. If she had known
it to be a fancy she would have had no
confidence in it.
For three years they had known each
other well, and the tie had even grown
stronger. She had often unused on this,
and, indeed, made it the strong point in
her acceptance of Allen Stopford.
She feit herself very young-but nine
teen-when called to decide this matter;
she had long been motherless. From
.he depths of her heart to the heights of
her wisdom she sounded herself before
she replied to him, and the expression of
her face, at that moment, Allen never
forgot. Eye to eye and heart to heart
they had pledged each other, and now
could Allen forgetP
Apparently he had forgotten. She
could not accuse him of rudeness toward
herself-that was impossible to his ma
ture-or selfishness; but that he was
drawn from her the most casual eye
could see. And Mab's fortnight had
already heightened to three weeks.
"Well have tea on the lawn tonight,
Lucy" said Aunt LucretIa, the house
keeper at Rosehome. 1T is such
very warm night, it will be pleasant"
"As you please, auntie-it makes no
difference to me. / shall take no tea; /
have a severe headache"
Aunt Lucretia went indoors, but some
one else stood beside the hammock where
Lucy lay. She turned her head and
looked into Mab's mo .king dark eyes.
"COnfess you are fretting yourself sick
about Mr.. Stopford. Why don't you
send me homs?" she asked.
'Allen does not love you, Nab. He
will never tell you that he does," replied
Lucy, quickly, and with dignity, though
there was sharp contraction OF her
delicate features.
Nab saw, perhaps experienced, pang
of remorse-for she sincerely liked her
gentle cousin; but she was full of a
wicked exultation, so strong was her
passion for power.
She turned and strolled down the
gravel walk among the cyprus vines
flirting her pink fan, and Allen saw and
came from his seat in the avenue, with
Sultan, his great bowling hound, at his
heels
When tea was served, he brought
Lucy cup OF the fragrant beverage and
the cologne flask, am then was gone
down the cyprus walk with Nab.
The twilight deepened; a whip poor
will called; the scent of flowers stole
up from the beds and from among the
vines. Lucy lay alone in the hammock,
and q few tears, which she scorned,
would have their way.
She sat up, at last. Apparently Allen
and Nab had left the garden; no one
was in sight. Its recesses looked cool
and dewy; perhaps they would ease the
| throbbing of her temples.
She slipped from the hammock, and
went down the piazza steps, one little
white kitten following and rolling
about her feet.
The tireflies starred the cypress vines
! the birds twittered contentedly over
thei June nests; some beautiful even
ing blooming flowers filed the air with
! a heaven lV sWpetnesS