Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-01

arriveda She would have preferred to go
back, but the distance was too great; more
over, having left the place for good, and
somewhat dramatically, to become bride,
a return, even for so short space, would |
have been trifie humiliating.
Leaving, then, her boxes at the station,
her next anxiety was TO secure respectable
or rather genteel lodging in the popular sea-
side resort confronting her. To this end she |
looked about the town, in which, though she |
had passed through it half dozen times, She |
was practically stranger.
Baptista found room to suit her over a
fruiterer's shop, where she made herself at
home and set herself in order after her jour
new. An early cup of tea having revived her
spirits she walked out to reeonnoiter
Being school mistress she avoided looking
at the schools, and having sort of trade
connection with books she avoided looking
at the booksellers; but wearying of the other
shops she inspected the churches; not that
for her part she cared much about ecclesi-
astical edifices, but tourists looked at them,
and so would shea proceeding for which no
one would have credited her with any great
originality, such, for instance, as that she
subsequently showed herself to possess. The
churches soon oppressed her. St Mary's was
neither old nor new, s.. Paul's was quite
new, and she could find no others.
Yet the town and the walks in this land OF
Strawberries, these headquarters of early
English flowers and fruit, were then, as
always, attractive From the more pic
turesque walks she went to Barbican street
and the pier and the hnrbor, and looked at
the men at work there, loading and unload
| ing as in the time of the Phpnicians.
| "Not Baptistal Yes, Baptista it is"
| The words were uttered behind her. Turn
| ing round, she gave start and became cons
| fused, even agitated, for a moment. Then
she said in her usual administrative man
ner: "Oh, is it really you, Charlesf'
Without speaking again at once, and with
half smile, the newcomer glanced her over.
| There was much criticism and some resent
ment, even temper, in his eve.
.'I am going home, continued She. "But
have missed the boat"
He scarcely seemed to take in the meaning
of this explanation, in the intensity of his
critical survey Teaching still! What a
fine school mistress you make, Baptista, l
warrant he said with slight flavor of sar-
casm which was not lost upon her
~ know Tn nothing to brag off, she re-
piled. That's why have given up"
"Oh-given ups You astonish me-"
81 hate the profession"
"Perhaps that's because am in it."
sob, no, it isn't. But l am going to enter
on another life altogether am going to be
married next week to Mr. David Heddegan. ~
| The young man, fortified as he was by a
natural cynical pride and passionateness,
WINGED at this unexpected reply, notwith-
standing.
"Who is Mr. David Heddeganr' he asked,
as indifferently as lay in his power
She informed him that the bearer of the
name was general merchant of Hugh
Town, st Mary's Island-her fathers near
est neighbor and oldest friend
Then we sh'n't see anything more of YOU
On the mainlandf' inquired the school master.
"Oh, don't know about that" said Miss
Trewthen
"Here endeth the career of the belle of the
boarding school your father was foolish
enough to send you to. A general mer.
chants wife in Scilly. Will you sell pounds
of soap and pennyworths of tin tacks, OF
whole bars of saponaceous matter and great
tenpennv nailsf'
''He's not in such small way as thatfn She
almost pleaded. ''He owns ships, though
they are rather little onesT7
"Oh, well. it is much the same Come lie,
Ms walk on; it is tedious to stand still
thought YOU would be failure in education,
he continued, when she obeyed him and
strolled ahead "You never showed power
that way Yon remind me much of some Of
those women who think they are sure to b.
great actresses if they go on the stage, be
cause they have a pretty face, and forget
that what we require is acting But yot
found your mistake, didn't your
''Don't taunt me, Charles" 1t was notice
able that the young school masters tom
caused her no anger or retaliatory passion
far otherwise; there was tear in her eyes
Show is it that You are at Penzance7. sh,
inquired
81 don'ttaunt you Ispeak the truth purely
in friendly way, as | should to any on,
wished we'll Though for that matter
might have some excuse even for haunting
you. Such terrible hurry as you've been in
hate a woman who Is in such hurry
''How do you mean that"
"Why, to be somebody's wife or other-any
things wife rather than nobody's. Yo,
couldn't wait for me; oh, no. Well, thanl
God, I'm cured of all that!'
SHOW mercileSs YOU aref, she said bitterly
swat for youf What does that mean, Char
ley. You never showed-anything to wal
for-anythng special toward me-
'Oh, come, Baptista, Gomez
"What ! mean is, nothing definite" sh
expostulated. Il suppose you liked me lii
tie; but it seemed to me to be only q pnstim
On yomr part, and that you never meant +
. make an honorable engagement oi ii.
/ "There, that's Just it. You girls expect
man to mean business at the first look n
, man when be first becomes interested in
woman has any definite scheme Of engag,
: ment to marry her in his mind, unless he
meaning a vulgar, mereenary marriag'
, However, | did at least mean an hOnorab
engagement, as You cali 1t, come to that"
but you never said so, and an indefinii
courtship soon Injuries a woman's positio
and credit, sooner than you think
"Baptista, | solemnly declare that in 81
months | Shout have asked you to MARI
| men
She walked rlong in silence looking on IL
ground and appearing very uncomfortabl
!, Presently he said, Would you have waits
= for me if YOU had known" To this 81
whispered in sorrowful whisper, "Yes.n
They went still further in silence-passir
along one of the beautiful walks on the on
+ skirts of the town, yet not observant of scel
: or situation. Her shoulder and his we
close together and he clasped his finge
round the small of her arm-quite light
and without any attempt at impetus, yet Il
act seemed to say, Snow hold you and n
will must be yours
Recurring to a previous question of heI
Il he said, 81 have merely run down for d,
3 or two from school near Truro before goil
off to the north for the rest of the holida
l have seen my relations at Redruth qui
lately, 80 | am not going there this tin
How little thought of meeting youl He
~ very different the circumstances would ha
= been If, instead of parting again, as we mt
in half an hour or so, possibly forever, y
had been now just going off with me, as n
wife on our honeymoon trip. Ha-ha-w
% so humorous is lifen
VI She stopped suddenly. 81 must go ba
u now-this is altogether too painful Charlie
, It Is not at all kind mood you are in
n day"
J, ; 81 -