Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-01-13
A TURN OF THE WHEEL.
BY EVELYN THORPE.

BY EVELYN THORPE.
Flora would have liked to say some
ching mOre-to have softened in some
way the edge of what had gone before.
But, after all, what could one sayf
Aaskelyne did not seem to expect, or
wish for, anything further. He walked
on by her side speechless, sulen, staring
Al front OF him. Once or twice, when
the roughness of the descent rendered
Such service necessary, he offered his
hand, and always without looking at her.
Flora concluded detcrminedly at last
that the silence should not be broken by
her. He was taking his refusal as a man
might be expected to take these things.
OF course it hurt their pride dreadfully.
And not more than one of them out of a
thousand really cared enough for girl
to be truly her friend after she had done
his vanity this, to him, objectionable in
Jury.
The camp was in sight now, in the
T9lley below them. Flora hoped, petu-
dantly, that, since her rejected sutton
would assume so uncomfortable and dis
agreeable an attitude he would at least
keep as much as possible out of her way
until she should start for the East, in a
few days.
This Maskelyne scrupulously did.
And yet Flora was scarcely satisfied.
There was a vague discomfort in her
senses.
Once she brought herself sharply to
task. Well, after all, what did she
VVant? Would she have liked to accept
alaskelyne, to marry him? She was very
young, she knew she was beautiful, and
aOw, with all this money that had come
to them, ambitions, slumbering before,
had sprung into life vivid and insistent
And why not? Was it not natural,
Flora Wade asked herself, detiantly that
q girl who felt such capacities within
her as she was conscious Of should want
TO exercise them in a brilliant field, and
WELD such social prestige as they gave2
For a little while, a few years at least,
Gne wanted to live-to ive!-and to en-
Joy her life! If she married now a poor
engineer, in the Western wilds, what
would her life be? OF course, if one
Bowed a man very much. But
she did not love Maskelyne, she assured
herself, tiercely. Not, at least, enough
for that. Oh yes, he would think her
frivolous, flippant, vain, shallow,
worldly cOquette
He would say she had trifed with him
had led him on
Flora stopped in her inward soliloquy.
Her heart beat just little more quickly
n tall, fair haired fellow had crossed
slowly in front of the open door He
was not conscious of being seen. He was
walking with his cap pulled over his eye
orows andamoody look in his down bent
eyes.
''He might at least have the decency
TO wish me a bon VOYAGE" thought
Flora, with angry bitterness
She was going East the very next day.
Her trunks were packed A letter from
the distant relative, a fashionable woman
Of society, who was to chaperon her dur
ing the next few years, and who already
had Flora's younger sister with her, lay
before her. Wis. ons and dreams of sue
cess, of happiness such as the brilliant
world gives, opened beyond. Flora sat
staring out at the westering sunlight till
1t had quite faded and the shadows filled
the valley. When she finally rose from
her chair, as one shaking off sleep, there
was a suspicious moisture in her dark
eyes.
After all, if Howard Maskelyne had
5ided his time, if he had not been pre-
cipitated, perhaps Flora Wade would
ROt have gone East the next morning.
Who knows?
Howard Maskelyne remained West
Eor three years. His resolution to succeed
to ''get ahead''-had, as some of his
companions who knew him better than
the rest perceive without perceiying the
cause been reInfOr, ed by sort of
logged defiance. He gave himself up
80 his work with that undivided and
Sireless allegiance which man manifests
coward the stern aspects of life when he |
: has suffered a sentimental disenchant- |
nent-if, that is, he does not take the /
opposite course and slight that aspect |
altogether. He did not take a vacation |
when he could have done So He |
seemed to dread even days idleness. |
He grew older, and the lines deepened |
IN his face. Some of the other fellows [
surmised, at times, that there was a |
woman in the case. But their habitual |
tsst of thought did not induce them to
dwell upon suggestions of this nature
very abidingly.
1t is probable that Maskelyne would
Rave gone on in this fashion ten years |
longer, slowly but surely rising in his /
profession, and making money which he |