, 1888-01-24
LITTLE WASP.

10 L tnHlk n cOQuette can be true!
No; but Little Wasp can"
''But a greater firt never lived!' cried
my companion. 'She talks to all the
fellows about, and l dare say half of
them think she is in love with them,
just as / do" he said, dashing the ash
from his cigar against the five barred
gate over which we were both leaning.
~ don't think Little Wasp a coquette,
in n real and true sense" / observed.
''She talks to every fellow, / know, but
she behaves all the time as if unconscious
that she's doing anything out of the way.
But then American girls are not like
English girls"
There again, " said Jack, facing round
and looking at me as if / were his bit
terest enemy instead of the most forbear-
ing friend in the world, and indeed l had
proved myself this; for had l not listened
to his m%eanderinG talk about Little Wasp
for hours together, and never pronounced
myself bored2
1t will be judged from this that / was
not one of the lady's favored gentlemen;
and indeed l was not. l got zone of her
smiles, and n great many of those sharp
little answers which had gained her her
nickname; nswers which, coming
through less beautiful lips, might have
exasperated n man. But her innocent
air and exquisite loneliness made every
thing she did or said appear right at the
moment. 1t was afterward, upon re-
Election, and when her face was not there
to bewitch one, that one called her cruel
and unfeeling, and all sorts of other
names II would nave beer ashamed
even to think in her presence. But I am
DEPRESSING.
l had spoken of her being American,
and Jack had turned upon me angrily
with, There again! she and her mother
have come from no one knows where,
and are no knows who; and here am
i, belonging to one of tho oldest fami-
lies
Here l interrupted him. l had no
particular ancestors to trace my de-
scent from, and no coat of arms TO Drag
about; and rs l knew by heart all Jacks
ancestors Us far back rs Adam, l did not
want to hear any more of them; which
Little Wasp would havc said directly was
Jealousy.
IAN right, old fellow" said Jack.
'Im not going to give you the tree this
time, and you come of n better stock
than l do or you wouldn't be what you
arc"
l was considerably Modified by this
remark, and relaxing the severity of my
countenance, said: you were about to
observe'i-
Yes" said Jack, ~ was about TO
observe that l am ready to die for that
girl"
I'm what respect" 1 replied, ''you
are not so distinguished from your fell
lows as by your tree"
Every likely" he answered mourn
fully. "But after all, the question Mt
issue is, which of us is she ready to die
for?'
How l remembered that remark later
on, when l knew the end of the storyl
Little Wasp dicl'I said. laughing.
'Shc'l live her summer day life and then
just disappear, TO mako war and anarchy
in heaven once moro, the little witch!
Ono cannot think of Little Wasp dying"
"Well, then, which of us will she live
for2" asked Jack, with somo aspcrity.
Il wonder how many of the fellows
have asked her?" | replied with great
calmness. 'If you mean business, 7
must say you're taking it uucommonly
cool. Somebody will be carrying her off,
sting and all, while you are thinking
EDOub IL. lIcrc was OapU. ESner fOunu
there tonight, as l passed the gate"
Look here, " said Jack, an go round
there this very night, and the old ones
SO anxious to marry the girl off her hands
that she won't deny me admission; and
it'll be n bit of n test when l tell her l sail
10 soon for Melbourne. By the way" he
said, breaking off suddenly and looking
at mo with a whimsical puzzlement on
his face, Il hope the old one won't want
to be included in the bargain"
"On that point l can set your heart at
rest, 4" l replied. 1.-THE old one has car
ried off her own prize. Thomson told me
about it. She's going to be married
quietly"
$50 much the better, - said Jack; land
if you'll excuse me, old fellow, I'm off,"
always the way" l said to myself,
''where the girls are concerned. Never
so much as asked how l was going on;
never asked if I'd got the appointment
and be hanged if Ill tell him without.
I'll just present myself to see them off
when they sail, as Of course they will.
Little Wasp, for all her baby looks, will
know better than to throw over a man
/ waS TRYING "a hard no I cou1l IN think