Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-12-06
ra01arEed H2S0iP


cried Amy, turning again impressively
to her sister.
THAT Dobbin should fall in love-" said
Flo slowly, ''some day with some one
was of course to be expected. That sort
of man always does fall in love, and stays
IN love. But that he should have fallen
in love with you, Hespie-and you a
blue-stockingr'
Don't" said Hespie, impatiently. ST
am not clever-not as clever as he"
Love" put in Amy sententiously-
"Iove, as grandmamma says, makes US
blind. Dobbin, -spie dear-I do not
want to hurt your feehngs-isu ndoubted-
" a goose!'
s'But you do not kne= him. said Hes
pie. IF you Will always laugh and joke
with him, he is bound to laugh too.
You have never talked to him seriously;
and of course you do not really know
him"
1--WE do not know hin, Flo" said Amy
solemnly.
''Amy dear, we do not know him, said
Flo. with equal solemnity.
Their laughter was SO gay and so in
fictitious that Hespie laughed too.
you are too foolish to talk to- she
remarked
''And you, DEAR said Amy, ''are still
more foolish, for you're in love. Now
confess, Hespie-you're in love with this
faithful Dobbin?'
81? Yes. iiIke hin. -
'Like! Hespie, do be truthful! You're
a little ashamed, [ believe, of poor Dob
bin and your love for him.
Hespie's face flushed quickly.
I'm not ashamed" she said. eyes, [
love him. There is nothing to be ashamed
of in that-why should one be ashamed?
He is better than better in every way
drawer, cleverer, nicer. Now / have
said it; and I wish 1 hadn't said it.
Don't tease me any more, girls-you are
pitiless."
The girls did not tease her any more.
Instead of teasing, they kissed her, and
were very tender to make up to her for
their raillery.
Indoors, the skein was just wound.
The young man got up from his low seat
and Strengthened himself. His face was
crimson; all the light had died out of his
merry, kindly blue eyes,
eve have been overhearing what
what was not meant for us, [ think" he
said, in miserable and shame-faced way.
''Hespie's secret" said the old lady,
WITH d uSnU nUGl6 laugh.
There was a pause. Then-"Who is
Dobbin? asked Dobbin himself, with
profoundly gloomy face.
The old lady smiled charIningly at him.
I.What would you expect?" she said.
political economy and logic? Some logi-
cal professor-some specialized youth who
lectures learnedly on wages and profits
and rents-all those foolish things which
they call political economy!'
Eyes, [ see. Professor Dobbin is hap
by man, Mrs. Herbert"
ooh, Hespie is a silly little thing!" said
the old lady sourly.
She put her knitting into her basket,
and went out to join her granddaughter
and their guest. Dobbin followed, feel
ing suddenly that his call that afternoon
was objectless, that he would be in the
way amongst the merry party on the
terrace, and that it would be well to find
an excuse for leaving soon. Amy and
Flo were talking still; Hespie was silent,
leaning back in her low chair, her hands
clasped behind her head, her eyes with a
soft yet merry light in them. Her pretty
blue dress suited her; the breeze touched
her brown hair and ruffled it into little
curling tendrils about her brow. Her
lips had little happy half-smile lurking
about their corners; her cheeks had a
brighter color than usual.
Captain Dewar and [ have been en-
joying very nice little quiet chat" said
the old lady sweetly. Gillespie, my dear,
you look warm, and | am afraid are
freckling. Some compilations do freckle. %
''But not Hespie's, grandmamma!' de-
clared Amy and Flo in indignant chorus.
''She looks warm,' said the old lady
slightingly. ''I should advise miIl1-the
skin delicately touched with milk when
ever you come in from the open air.
You are terribly sun-burnt, child. And
you burn red-that I always regard as a
misfortune.
Hespie's cheeks were crimson, but the
color was not due to sun-burn. At the
first sight Of Dobbin's face she knew in
stinctively that he had heard their con-
versation-the girls foolish teasing and
her confession. That they had spoken Of
him ell the time as Dobbin and that he
would not know his so5rjqGet were little
details which she dill not grasp. He had
heard her confess that she loved him;
and now he looked away from her, and
avoided her glance as he shook hands,
and anSwarel at ran lon in dreary tone
W He'll ally St4iSL = ~ C1ttNAL N~1oGNA I'LL.
Quick as thought she found an e1plana-
ton of his manner. She had been mis-
taken all along, and the girls had been
mistaken; he did not love her, and he
had heard them speak assuredly of his
affection, heard her confess her own, and
he was sorry for her-perhaps a little
cOntemptuous, thinking her bold, IN
maidenly.
After a while Mrs. Herbert went in
doors. Sitting bare-headed and I'M
shawled in the open air she had come to
regard as a chilly pleasure to be paid for
with rheumatic pains. The girls and
DObbin were left together, and Amy and
Flo, in kindly spirit, began to devise ex-
cuses for their own departure Suddenly
the gardener strolled by, and Amy, when
he had passed, remembered that she
wanted some flowers cut, and ran after
him, and did not return. And after some
minutes Flo, in the most natural way,
rose UP suddenly, and wondered where
Amy had gone, and went to look for her.
Dobbin and Hespie were left alone. Meth
er looked at the other. Each was con-
scious of the silence, and felt incapable
Of breaking it.
At last Hespie stopped and picked up
book which lay on the ground beside
her chair, and carefully busted the covers
which were not dusty.
Political economy" Intercepted Dob
bin.
NO" said Hespie. lido not read that
IN holiday-time"
Another silence.
"The holidays are very long" remarked
Dobbin.
''They do not seem long" said Hespie.
es, they are long, Of courser
Silence again.
''You are going away soon, I SUPPOSE"