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

4
Eyes, country life is dull she acqui-
/ esced.
"You find it dull after Cambridge
asked Dobbin gloomily.
Cambridge Hfe-the life we leads
! quiet too" said Hespie. She was speak
| ing in dream; the words were not hers:
| she was thinking of other things-of her
confession Of an hour ago-of his going
away.
'.But pleasant Eyes, pleasant
''And you read political economy?'-
"Yes-and logic"
81 WISH said Dobbin-he had never
had the wish before-''I often wish that
l had been a political economist"
In her amazement Hespie forgot her
| troubles for a moment.
| WHY she said, looking up.
But Dobbin did not explain why; for
at that moment old Mrs. Herbert appear
sd in the doorway of the sitting-room.
''The hair is coming off Nfilo's ear" she
said. ''Come in and look at it, Hespie.
| And, Captain Dewar, will you be good
enough to find those girls and bring them
| in to tear
The next few days dragged away very
slowly. Hespie, the girls declared, was
| i'll. She was not like herself, she was
| dull, absent-minded, low-spirited, list
less She had been so full of interests in
| life, so brisk and busy, and hght-hearted,
| that sudden istlessness must mean illness
| unless she had quarreIed with Dobbin;
| and that, the girls agreed was unlikely.
| They insisted that she had a headache,
and left her alone in cool shaded rooms
| to rest and be quiet. She had not the
spirit to resist; yet she dreaded her own
thoughts, which haunted her whenever
| she was alone, and made her blush and
grow hot and cold with shame, confus-
ion and wretchedness. How could she
have felt so sure of his love for her? And
all this time he had been Indifferent
kind, friendly-nothing more! She had
| been mistaken-her own love had led her
| into error.
Three days passed, and Dobbin did not
come; then Amy and Flo began to Won
der little.
"You did not quarrel with Dobbin,
Hespie?" inquired Amy, with some con-
| Germ.
''Oh, no." said Hespie, ''we cid not
quarrel! I think-I think Captain De-
war has gone away. We were mistaken,
| girls. 1t is all a mistake, Daptain Dewar
| isis not-is not in love with me. We
imagined it. I wanted to tell you"
But the girls found such amusementin
her confession that Hespie found further
confidence impossible, and became silent.
''You will tell US next, " said Flo, ''that
you are not in love with him!'
| 81 would rather not talk any more
about that" said Hespie; and the girls
| laughed again at her respondent tone,
andran away and fetched eau-de-Cologne,
and bathed her head, and insisted on
! treating her as an invalid.
nj II IL
sure of it, and tried to feel sure that she
| was glad. Yet, when, on the fourth day,
| old Colonel Dewar, Dobbin's father, came
to call on Mrs. Herbert, and mentioned
casually that he had been beating his son
at billiards that morning, Hespie was
startled at the swift keen throb of Joy
with which she learnt that he was still
| at home. She might see him again then!
| 1t was not until a day Or two later that
| Dobbin came. The girls were in the
| garden, sitting on the grass beneath the
trees, Amy and Flo doing nothing grace
| fully, Hespie turning the pages of book
now and then, when she remembered to
turn them. Dobbin came doubtfully
across the grass, and seemed to be Won
| dering a little why he had come.
'ETime drags at home with nothing to
| do" he said alphabetically.
''That is not q reason for this visit, I
| hope?" said Flo, with a laugh.
'No; | was passing, " he explained "and
$3.50 [ came in"
81 do not think that we will receive
such a VISITOR said Amy. F'Will we,
| Hespie?"
Hespie raised her head for a moment,
and looked straight at Dobbin; then she
suddenly let her eyes droop. She blushed.
| She felt almost angry with him. Why
did he look SO miserable, SO Ill at ease, SO
anxious at once to be gone, so sorrowful?
| Why could he not pretend to forget, make
believe little, SO that she might make
believe too to forget her humiliation?
| For half an hour he stayed; and, in
| spite of Amy and Flo, who were in good
spirits and talkative, conversation tagged.
1t was going to be fine, said Dobbin. 1t
| looked like rain, he said. And, although
| the remarks were contradictory, Hespie
agreed with each. At last he moved to
! go.
81 shall say goodbye" he said hastily.
| s'I'm going away-for good, you know"
''They will not grant you longer leaVe?'
! Intercepted Amy. ''Oh, how mean!
Did they refuse?"
mo, no-not exactly. But I've had
enough Of it here. I'm going up to town"
''Ohr' said Amy, frigidly.
81 see," said Flo, and sat up with sud-
den precision and gave DObbin her hand
cold1y.
The young man was little startled
as he looked at Hespie. Her face was
white; her hand trembled in his; her eyes
had no light in them.
Goodbye" he said. "When I come
| here again, you will-you will be gone,
you know. You're all right, aren't you?''
eyes, I'm all right" answered Hespie,
! hastily and cheerily.
you're looking pale, though" said
| Dobbin, with note of tenderness in his
| voice. Hespie was not well, he felt sure.
| She had some Notwithstanding was
| fretting her; she must have cried last
night; she looked heavy-eyed, as though
she had not slept. Perhaps that fellow
| Dobbin had been WORKING heT-neglect-
ing her. The brutel He walked home
at a swinging pace, matchmaking Dob
| bin as he did so.
The next day he went away. It was
not a matter of speculation this time.
Dobbin was gone! Old Colonel Dewar
himself came and bemoaned his depart
ure. And life went on without him:
and life without him was very much what
Hespie had imagined it would be-Joy-
| less, empty, very weary.
| September passed. Hespie, in looking
| back, had always wrong recollection of
that September. 1t was bleak month
the sun never shone, the birds never
sang, the sky was always gray, the black
| berries did not ripen in the hedges, the
| tide was always out.
October began. The day of Hespie's
| departure was fxed-the eve of her de-