Middletown transcript., 1881-06-17
TWO NEGATIVES.
I" No, [ wont =,

UloHiOIou WIFI 0XcIIemenC, Whlle Leigh
. Sargent only laughed low musical
laugh that grated upon her irate SEN
sibilities with redoubled force as the
handsome eyes shone down upon her,
and he made no movement to change
his position of protecting ownership.
" You will some day, little girl.
am sure l have not loved you in vain.
l even think you care a little now,
though you won't forgive me-"
You are indeed mistaken . spite
fully returned June, standing very erect,
and looking still as angry as she could
with that pleading look fastened upon
her. I" I don't love you, and L refuse
most emphatically ever to be your wife.
l hope that is sufficient and she
paused to note the effect her words
had.
Leigh turned trife paler.
" You donot mean il, love. Oh June,
be true to yourself tell me the truth
do not let feeling of anger and pride
divide you from love that is as strong
as life itself. Forgive me, June, :" and
she was drawn close to him, and he
could feel her tremble, "and you shall
never have cause again to Doubt
One instant of hesitation, then June
released herself -
THAT will do, she said haughtily
g mean what said
g Very well, returned Leigh, quite
icilly now. 81 will leave you to attain
a different frame of mind, and will say
goodbye. should have gone to
N two hours since
For how long ?'' queried June,
with new interest.
For an indefinite time,'' came the
answer case needs my attention at
once"
But 1 thought, 1 am sure Myra
said, you had two months vacation,n
said June.
"Oh, no should have gone back
long since. I dallied because, you
know why" glancing down fondly,
but if ="
"How do you go ?" interrupted his
companion.
&C shall ride Ned. 1t is but short
trip, and he is my favorite saddle
horse. -
"Not Black Ned ?'' Miss Egbert
looked anxiously up at Leigh Sargent,
who bit his mustached lips to hide some
emotion.
e Yes, why not ?'' he queried.
ooh, nothing p the old nonchalance !,
returning, "only one hates to see a .
friend killed through mere careless
ness. T"
"Do you care ?''
The query was so hasty that all :
June's color flashed up, but she yelled
her eyes with .drooping lids, saying
only:
Z" Do just as you please,'' and with
an exclamation of disgust Leigh left
her at the piazza of her sister Myra's
home, and half an hour later dashed
away on Black Ned.
Miss Egbert and Mr.. Sargent seemed
doomed to quarrel. OF late a treaty of
peace had been adopted for short
time, but Leigh had seriously offended
her. Had he not flirted outrageously
with Sadie Birmingham, driving with j
her past their home in the moonlight, ]
and saying all sorts of silly things, none I
knew what, because she, June, would
not answer his straightforward, manly
question:" Can you learn to love
me ?'' Il
Yes, she was seriously offended, she a
told herself, and anger with her meant
spiteful, freakish moods, and the ability S
to bear untold misery herself, for the C
sake of furnishing the offender. h
There was guilty pang at her heart +
as she thought of her falsehood to
Leigh, an unutterable loneliness as she t
thought of him gone to come back no a
more. Tease her he did, to be sure, |
but was he not tender and gentle to S
her, though tri1e masterful, for S
which she had loved him, Womanlike,
the more. The tears almost came, but
June was determined atom of human
ity, as heroic as she was dainty and
lOvable, and she put the thought that i
she had done wrong resolutely away. :
An hour later the. dusk was settling +
over all the world. With faint cry \
June recognized foaming, riderless
black steed come dashing up the road. a
g It's Ned p was all she could say
in low whisper to herself, as she crept {
out to the end of the green lawn and
sobbed out her first grief. A little Ia h
ter the voice she loved reached her ear n
"a voice she had thought never to n
hear again. +
June, darling,' it said, while c
strong arms encircled her, "were you G
!? Tell me why you are here ? n
Ned threw me and escaped, and 1 had a
to walk back" and two bearded lips f,
pressed her tremulous ones. q
In an instant, feeling him safe, the h
old shyness had returned. Slipping q
from his embrace she ran without stop II
ping till she reached her own door, .
while Leigh with a smile returned to +,
his hotel, going in the morning to his v
work with cheeTfulness none could is
account for. oI
q,
Later, the summer had faded. The IL
chilly days of late autumn hung over On
the little village. Leigh Sargent, who G
had come up for fewdays, endeavored b,
to grant Miss June the opportunity to Il
finish the abridged quarrel. "
You've said enough he laughed, a,