The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-10-08

ing along Tho straight dusty road toward the E,s,
Fort ls occupants did not speak to each other foI
tiidC, hut pulled away ut their cigars In silence.
At last Rob smith, taking his cigar from his mouth
said;
"oaiy 4meltcr Of that rich old chap Markham. vs.
Lucky dog, Won, to gct hcr for rmtocr Instead
| Of the uttle schuo- gitl,N
''rheutticschoo,-elri, asyouca1hoE boyoy pretty
| /" Yos, Tut Miss Markham Is = very lovely gill
wonder what her uamo tsp LILY, I'll bet !'
| &c How do you know y''
| 80 Heard her father call hcr by that name
| silence again Toll upon tho pair, aud lasted until
they were III slglt Of the East Fort won Mt Smytho
"Youll drive over WITH nc In the dog-cart, on
| saturday, suppose, BobSN
| love with that young LADY, think shall"
| ''pnn't bo such an ass can't YOU SEQ pretty
| GIL without talking such nonsense? ot course !
| shau't; why should |? Here we are !N-and hc
Jumped from the dogcart to givoan orderto III. man
Saturday camc at last. Any ono who had over
heard the greeting given 10y Alice IN hcr guests, aud
| watched their demcanor on receiving VI would bnl
have remarked how gracefully she played her part VI
hostess, aud considered that the two young mon be-
havtd like any other gentlemen on bong received by
young and proty girl. Hut those three could each
have told different talo. 10 each OF them tile simple
hand shake the fow ordinary words ut welcome, hal
uSs s s6V' rhp over IN, Afternoon tea the
stroll round the garden, tho conversation nj dinner,
the few words on the terrace, when Miss Markham,
her father, and their guests stood and admired the
| rising muOn-all ordinary and commonplace enough
10 AN outsider-woro fraught with Inner meaning To
/ three Of tho actors.
month went by; one or other or both Of the young
| men were constantly at oakneld. NcIy rarely ala
either of thom 400 Alice alone aud, even when thoy
did what passed was exactly the as when others
were present lot each knew well when they had
been alone with her, and she know well when she had
| been alone with each Of thonl.
| During that month by tacit consent, the two
young men mentioned Alice to Zach other, aud,
urday, they never went together to Oakneld again,
though thcy each other there aud drove back In.
/ gelhrr several timos, So month went by. -
Alice had never liked to ask or to fnd out In any
way whether the new Hob Smith of her acquaintance
AMI her hoy.friend Of that name were ono aud the
same. Her promise stood In hcr way; for even now
i she could not ask. "Arc you tho man whom, when
| was u child, promised To marryr'' hut, as the
months slipped away, she grew more and more afraid
| that he was her former playmate She had no fresh
reason for surprising sofar from II; hut she had he
gun to believe that he must bo-porhaps because she
did hope he not. This uncertainty made her
little shy with MIR. smith, and shyncss lent charm
| to hnr manners and softncss to her words which
| fairly intoxicated poor Bob And vet the bright
blush the downcast eyes the slight tremor round the
month with which she hailed the entrance OF ono Of
the two not for Bob Hut he was too much oc-
cupird In noticing aud dwelling upon tho ltilo STAN
| mcr and tho pretty shyno's with which SHE often
greeted chance remark of his to see how she ro
| ceived his friend.
GA Tuesday, eNnctlya month after tho lawn tennis
party at Mrs. Fosters, tho two Young men were out
rltlns. That there was something special ~ mus
ranged that morning; and both felt that thcrc'was
something which would have to he said before II was
| over, and yet they had ridden now for nearly an
hour, and hut little, and that very uumportant con-
| NerSitOn had passed h"tw'en them. Bni, rs they
rode down the lane with steep banks oi sandstone On
either sdc slightly cnvered with grass, road 50 had
that both should have been occupied In holding
| up ihrlr horses, Victor Smythc h,nkc silence.
81 SAY, Bob, old chap, do You remember what You
/ said this day month when we wo'e driving nome
from Fosters that yon meant to fall In love with
| Alice MnkhamY hecanso. II you ara playing at il-
| inr I'm Iowa, wish YOU Il stop. ~
'Hut am not, victor, old fellow; ani I'm very
glad you have spoken at last fon are such rotic"nt
| chan That darcn't speak first about II; hut have
seci plainly enough lately how IL IL. Wa both love
| her, aud we both want to have her. Now In old
days we should have had fight, and one Vt us would
have been killed, aud then the other could have mar
ricd her; hut things arc diferent now, and wa' do
one that wins the toss shall have tho first chance,
week from to-day, all ciear-shall make love- ask
hor aud he either the happy man or mlscrable sin.
ner this day week; IL she says No. then tho other
| shalt ask her. What do you say hut, Vie, which
1t L. don't let us sacrlhca friendship of years
for tho sake of any girl however lovely or course,
am to you what you are ome: You a,on't lonely
| bcggar like me, bnt--'
| Somehow the horses were near together and tho
| two men grasped hands tightly; then Victor said:
lyon are right, Bob. It's on odd idea I" toss nj
In such manner; hut think IT, = best. fon cry ~
and a sovereign flew into the air.
| {" Head - shouted Bob and - head - 1t was.
| A silence; then Bob said
| "l'm almost sorry Victor. Wen, this day
week. ~ and, again shaking hands, the two men
| nodded To each other and separated
| For week Victor Smythe devoted himself to his
duties: for week Bob smith haunted oakilrii. At
the beginning Of that week Bob Smith had an Inter
view with Mr.. Markham; but he begged that gentle
man not IN Influence his daughter hut allow him Ia
| plead his avn cause. Aud Auce2 That week taught
| her that, II Bob Smith was hcr hny-over, she would
not fulfill her childish promise For the frst three
days whoncyer she entered tho hall after being out
she glanced at the table for tho card with Nic"r Il.
| Smythe ~ upon 1t; but 1t was never there.
After the fourth day Alice devoted herself to hci
| garden, and went for more drives In her pretty
pony carriage she knew now that she had already
given away her heart-and surely not unsought
| But where was he? Bob Smith mover mentioned his
friend, and she could not ASK.
Tho week went by. and Alice, she dressed on
Tuesday morning, only knew that IL was week sine,
Victor had been at oak6cld. She ala not know what
was before her on this day. Bob Smith had been
there the evening before; but, though he had tried
somehow he had faed to pluck up his courage aud
tell her that he loved her. This morning. hiring
| hanson. he drove ont to the Markhams and was
shown into Alices morning room, where she wa
sitting endeayorng 10 read, but, oh, falling 50 ut
terly
her Of his love and asked her 10 be his wife. AS
tonisheh and horrihed-and, OH so very sorry !
poor Alice only nurmured-
| 80, no-oh, can't! ~
| Bob stood ny.
you. 1t does not matter. IL you quite sure yo'
can't; but are yon quite sure he asked so wisfnly
then, as she managed 10 look up, he saw in her fac
said, bending over her as she half reclined on Tia
sofa 'n ID, be nnhapEy; III al come right
|
lie raised her hand to his lips, pressed it, ruslet
ont of tho house, and jumping into tho hanson
buried Ills face In his hands, sobbing like child.
Alice, Springing from tho safa, ilew into the gar
den, and throwing herself upon grassy bank, clc'
as II her heart would break
The week was up. Another hanson passed poo
Bob some two minutes after he had left the house, In
| the occupant of each, buried rs he IN his owl
| thoughts, did not notice the other.
AS Victor Smythc drove up to the Markhans' door
| he white form among the trees, which, win
true lovers instinct he knew to bc his lady y
ltu Ia lnIfl NF la
oyer the grass. Perhaps she was asleep, Or-hOuibl
thought hurt. Yes for she was sobbing dread
- Alce-Miss Markham-what has happened ?''
She turned; he was beniing over her. There wa
something written on his face something on hers
aud neither astOnished that he dropped down h
| her and that she made room for him.
- Now tell mo what Is the matter Y'' he asked.
| Poor Alice She had no mother, no friend near
her, except this one who wanted to hear, and se fe
as il shs must tell some some one. SO, well q
, she could, she began:
- Mr. SMITH A pause and bright nus
followed.
~ know from her sympathetic companion
''he has been here, and-yOu have refused him y''
Tho question was asked IN half' glad, half aux
ious tome.
: Poor Bob! Bat don'tcry SO, - he said 'yo
know other girls have refused other men belore this
"Of course, bnt always wanted 10 sec him, an
. To say Yes when lac asked me. ~
puzzled look came into victor's eyes.
WHAT Did yon know him beforei l don't III
She looked up. sho could tell him he was u,
Bob, and would only laugh al II all. She talked fas
~ know It is very silly, and you'li laugh AT Il
story but, years ago, was staying ono simmer
berkshire with an aunt and uncln OF mine. Me-
door lived an old lady Mrs smith, and her nephew
Bob smith. to spend his summer holidays vii
her, why are you looking like that, ~ II you kne
abOnt II 'n
- Never mind Go on, please. ~
Alice dropped her eyes, and, looking at the gTas
went
| Gwen, we were allowed to play together, and /
liked him very much don't know why--fOr thin
he rather bullied me--but ala and one day''-Sl
spoke Ow-snmehOw, even after all these years,
tell any one of her promise made her feel shy
promised that would marry him, and las promised
she laughed little hysterlCal augh--''that when Il
thirty II ho had not seen any one lac liked better
he would marry me aud, though don't know III
1t was Mr.. smith, thought II might be- aud It bOli
| cred mt -
] ringing happy laugh from her companion al
0 swrIed her.
81 knew you d laugh ~ she said humby.
''And You did not quite Ike To break your prom
ise-and you promised thaty why LiOnoss, what
Il brute was TO make you 30
i "You Wharf, Alioe's eyes were mlofa yol