The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-06-06

overheard the greeting given by Alice
her guests, and watched their demeanor
receiving it. would but have remarked no '
gracefully she played her part of hostes
and considered that the two young men be-.
haved like any other gentlemen on bsing
received by a young and pretty girl, But
those three could each have told different
tale. To each of them the single hand.
shake, the few ordinary words of welcome
bad In them sOmsthing special. So too the
talk over the tennis, the "chaf' over the
| afternoon tea, the stroll round the garden,
he conversation at dinner, the tew words on
the terrace, when Miss Markham, her father,
and their guests stood and admired the
rising moon-all ordinary and common
place enough to an outsider-were frsught
| with inner meaning to three of the actors.
A month went by; one or the other or
both Of the young men were SANITY at
Oskheld. Very rarely did either of them
/ see Alice alone and even when they did,
| what passed was exactly the same as when
| others were present Yet each knew well
| when they had been alone with her, and she
| knew we'll when she had been alone with
| each Of them.
During that month, By tacit consent, the
| two young men never mentioned Alice to
each other, and excepting once, when they
| called after that first Saturday, they never
went to Oakfeld together again, though
| they met each other there and drove back
together several times. So a month went
by.
| Alice had never liked to ask or find out
in any way whether the new Bob Smith of
| her acquaintance and her boy friend of that
| name were one and the same. Her promise
stood in her way; for even now she could
not ask, "Are you the man whom when
was child, promised to merry2' But,
as the months slipped away, she grew more
| and more afraid he was her former play
mate. She had now 10 fresh reason tor
| supposing so-fsr from it; but she had be-
| gun to believe that he must be-perhsps be-
| cause she did so hope he was not. This
uncertainty made her little shy with Mr..
l Smith, and shyness lent q charm TO her man.
ner and q softness to her words which fairly
| intoxicated poor Bob. And yet the brilliant
blush, the downcast eyes, the slight tremor
| round the mouth with which she hailed the
| entrance of one of the two were not for Bob.
But he was too much occupied in noticing
| and dwelling on the little stsmmer and pref
| ty shyness with which she often greeted some
| chance remark Of his to see how she received
| bis friend.
On Tuesday,. exactly q month after the
lswn-tennis party at Mrs. Fosters, the two
young men were out riding. That there was
something special in this ride both of them
| knew. 1t had been solemnly arranged that
morning; and both felt that there was some.
thing which would have to be said before it
was over, and yet they had ridden now for
nearly an hour, and but little,
and that very unimportant, conversation had
| passed between them. But, as they rode
down lane with steep banks of sandstone
m either side slightly covered with grass, 8
oosd so bad that both men should have been
occupied in holding up their horses, Victor
Smythe broke silence:
81 say, Bob, old chap, do you remember
what you said this day month when we were
| driving home from Fosters that you meant
| TO fall in love with Alice Markham Because
| if you are playing at falling in love, 1 wish
you'd STOP"
"But Pm not, Victor, old fellow; and Pm
very glad you have spoken at last. You are
such a reticent chap that dsren't speak first
about it; bat have seen plainly enough
lately how it is, We both love her, and we
both want to have her. Now, In the old
DAYS we should have had to fight, and one of
US would have,rbesn killed, and then the other
could have married her; but things are diff
ferent now, so Wen do the same with
= difference. Well toss up, and
the one that wins the toss shall have The first
chance, week from to-day, all clear-shsll
make love, ssk her, and be either the happy
Iasn or miserable sinner this day week; if
she says No. then the other shall ssk her.
What do you ssy2 But, Vic, whichever it
is, don't let's sacrifice friendship of years
for the sake of any girl, however lovelyl Of
course l am not to you what you are 20 me;
II ho hut
Somehow the horses were near together,
ana the two men grssped hands tightly then
Victor said:
'You are right, Bob. It's an odd IDA to
tess-up in such q. matter; but think it's
best. You cryl"-and sovereign few into
the air.
"Headp shouted Bob; and head it was.
A silence; then Bob said:
"I'm almost sorry, Victor. Well, this
day week." and again shaking hands, ths
| two men nodded to each other and separst-
ed.
For week Victor Smythe devoted him
| self TO his duties for week Bob Smith
haunted Oakfeld. At the beginning Of that
week Bob had an interview with Mr.. Marx
ham; but be begged that gentleman not to
| influence bis daughter, but allow him 20
plead his own cause And Alice2 That
| week taugnt ner th6s, III DOO Sulbu was noI
| boy-lover, she would not ell her childish
/ promise For the first three days, when she
entered the hall after being out, she glanced
z. the table for the card with "Vlctor B.
| Smythe" upon it; but it was never there.
After the fourth day Alice devoted herself
to her garden, and went for no more drives
IN her pretty pony carriage She knew now
that she had already broken her childish
promise, that she had already given away
her heort-snd surely not unsoughtl But
| where was he2 Bob Smith had never men,
toned bis friend, and she could not ask.
The week went by. and Alice, ss she
dressed on Tuesday morning, only knew
that it was S week since Victor had been at
Oakfeld. She did not know what was be-
fore her on this day. Bob Smith had been
there the evening before; bat, though he hsd
tried, somehow he failed to pluck up his
courage and tell her that he loved her. This
morning, hiring hanson, he drove out 70
me Markhams', and was shown into Alice's
morning room, where she was sitting, en-
deavoring to read, but, oh, failing so utter
lyl
Then and there, In simple, manly way.
Bob told her of his love and asked her to ba
bis wife. Aasonished and horrifed-snd, on
so very sorryl-poor Alice only murmured-