The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-11-03
TWO SECRETS.
You don't mean il. Hetty ?"

lou uOn I1tuu 1t, h6tUy
Lloyd. Sutton'a good-looking, manly
young fellow, leaning on the half-open
field gate, looked earnestly in the face
of the young girl on the opposite side
of the fence.
She shrank from meeting his eye as
she answered:
81 am not accustomed to saying what
don'5 meau."
He made no answer. Hetty scratched
indus riously with bit of wild-rose
stem upon the tluuk of the beech tree
which uvershadowed them. Suddenly
she discovered that she was upcon.
scious ' tracing over the initials "L s."
and "il M"--the latter her own-cu,
in tie beech ark. She hastily with
drew her Land aud threw away the rose
sem.
"Do you remember what you said to
me, Hetty, the day cut those lctters|
ash ed the young man.
Something foolish, dare say," She
answered, with affected carelessness
You told me you loved me-" he
said, fl e low voice.
Hetty stopped and plucked a sprig OF
clover.
"Pe1raps I thought SO, then," she
said, i1tently examining the blossoms.
"And only discovered your mistake
when this rich popinjay from the city
made his appearance" said Lloyd, bit
terly.
She looked up with flash of her
'da,l; eyes. She knew very we'll that she
was doing something unworthy of her,
and lowering herself in Loyd's opinion,
MS we'll as causing him pain, and his re-
proach stung her.
"E have right to like or dislike
whom please" she said, haughtily.
He seized an unlucky grasshopper
which at that moment lighted near his
hand and savagely crushed it to death.
Hetty looked at him in surprise. 1t
way so unlike Lloyd to deliberately hurt
anything.
You are cruel w she said, indig-
nantly.
-" Not half so cruel as you. Hetty, I
had no idea you were so heartless and
mercenary."
The word escaped. him unawares.
Hetty flushed hotly.
"If that is your opinion of me you
ought to be glad to have found me out
in time" she said.
"Perhaps I ought" he retorted, bit
terly.
"Then I hope you will be satisfied
as I amp
She gathered up the skirt of her blue
dawn. dress and turned away. Lloyd
passed through the gate and walked by
her side along the grassy meadow-path.
"Ididn't mean to offend you, Het-
ty," he said, in a more subdued tone.
81 am not offended. I don't in the
least care for your opinion of me-" re-
piled Hetty, biting her lip and turning
away her face that he might not see the
tears in her eyes.
They had reached point where the
pathway branched right and left, and
coming along the latter was a portly,
Acknowledgement, niddle-aged man,
tTirliug a cane, with which he was de-
capitating the tall weeds and field
daisies. On catching sight of Hetty he
quickened his pace.
" Mr.. Frisbee will sec me home. 1
won't trouble you further, Mr.. Sutton"
said Hetty, with an air of great dignity,
as she took step to the left.
Now, this left-hand track was the
mOoS ulreCG anu lreQueHIeu way 10
Hetty's home; but the right hand path
way, leading along the little stream and
alder hedge, had ever been the favorite
with herself and Lloyd.
The young man paused now, and
standing just where the two diverged,
said, in low tone, agitated, yet full of
decision:
" Hetty, decide now, once for all !!
Will you keep on with me down this
path, or will you go with Mr.. Frisbee on
the other? Choosep r.r- rr.
She hesitated, and her color went
and came. EE-I2
lyon have no right to speak to me
so.P l--l- .-t'. -l-1.-
II have right" hereplied, firmly
:" the right to know whether the girl
love is false or true"
Hetty, like Lloyd, was high-spirited,
and his look and tone angered her.
$50 your own way, and. l will go
mine-l' she said,. proudly.
And without another wordshe turned