Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-11-15

ell, now can We get to herf
Phil gasped.
Upon my word, don't know" said
Mr.. Olney. angrily. ''Shc's madcapl'
Miss Perry was gazing up at them in
comical defiance, her white hand waving.
'Tm not hurt l suppose you're sorry
I'm not hurt, Ma-madukc?' she cried.
"You see the foot path Just below YOU
Miss Perry?" Mary called to her, coldly.
''lf you will take that it will bring you
gradually to lower grade in the walk,
where You can climb up easily
eve will walk down and meet YOU
there, " said Phil. ''Shnu't we, Mary2"
Every well" said Mary. frigidly
Miss Perry, with last defiant word or
two, was Off.
Mary led the way down the walk stifily
Phil was laughing.
Miss Perry is irrcpressiblc." he oh.
served, admiringly.
sob, She's matlcap," Mr.. Olncy re.
pcatcd, s;rolling icisurely in the rear
Mary accomplished the five minutes
walk in silence
\ slender figure, in drag.lcd black
silk, looked UP ut them drolly from down
the slope.
Phil and Mr.. Olncy sprang down and
pulled her up. Mary was positive she
had stopped there purposcly.
Her heart burned within her. What n
fool she would have looked in such
position.
But Miss Perry was flushed and laugh.
ing and lovely.
"What are you giggiing at, You
wrctchcs?" she cried, tipping her bent
bonnet rccklessly over her nose, and
spreading her lace skirt-which hung in
tags. "Stop this minute, Marmadukc
Eve had delightful little excursion. I've
enjoyed it-thcrc now! didn't get my
violcts, butt
claspcd hcr round arm with ii SILVER of
pain. Blood was trickliug on the fair
skin.
sit was stonc-it cut it as 1 fcllr
she murmurcd
Now she would have pity and concern
us well as admiration. II was a cut-and-
dried scheme, Mary reflected, ircfully.
Phil would have to help her home.
She turned away, her lip between her
teeth, hot and futile tears in her eyes
She would not look on mt it!
But it was Miss Pcrry's ambiguous re.
lativc who offered his arm.
''If you've had enough of an cscapadc,
Mag" he remarked, drily, "pcrhnps
you'll lei me take you homc?"
She took his arm without II word, that
warm red rising in hs1 soft face; and
Phil joined Mary.
Mary looked iixcdly ut tic river. She
felt Pills big, blue eyes upon her, but
she did not meet them
She Ind no patience with him-a sim
plcton who would let shallow nirt make
an idiot 81 him.
"What's the matter Mary2" he STAN.
mered, at last. ''I-I-you don't seem
to like NIsS Perry much, Mary"
That was too much.
"No, DON'T" said Mary grimly.
81 think she's jolly, you know" said
Phil timidly. "And Tn sorry for her
awfully sorry
at is only a scratch, said Mary, will,
forced camncss
"a don't mean that" said Phil. lie
took Mary's elbow to help her up the
grade, but she pulled it away. t.Nol
that, You know. You see, She won
der if she'd mind my telling you-just
your
81 don't want to hear it," said Mary
in agony.
"Shc wouldn't mind" Phil insisted.
"If she told me, she'd tell anybody. It's
about her AIarmalukc-hc isn't hers.
that is, hut she'd like him to be. They've
been going on together for years, gath
cred, without it's ever coming to any.
thing; and she doesn't know whether
Olney wants it to come TO anything He's
so careless and lazy, she doesn't know
whether he likes her or not. But she
likes him. She told me that right ont,
Mary, as innocent as a baby; seemed tc
want somebody TO tell il to. And she
cried when she said it-just cried. That
was why she went ON like that when VIC
came mp with you-madc all that fuss
about the flowers, and went down the
bank to take his attention off her red
eyes. She says she can't marry anybody
else; and then not to be sure he cares fol
her-wcll, it is tough. If he don't want
her, don't know what he does want"
said Phil, Indignantly.
Mary Lame was looking down at the
grass.
"Was that what she was saying?n
she Inurmurcd. ''IIc-hc said she was
flirting with you."
"IIc did," said Phil, warmly. "IIe
wants throttling. I've "a mind to 10 it
for him. He doesn't deserve her, the
puppy"
II thought so, too," Mary faItered OH.
81 thought she was. And l was so
angry with her for doing it,"
Phil laughed.
"And did you think was flirting with
her, afaryl" he demanded.
"Ycs,' she owned
"Then you need throttling!" But he
contentcd himself with a soft shake of
her shoulder. "AIary, did you think
could flirt with anybody but you! Don't
you know like you, and always havc'
and mean to marry you-you, nobody
else! Mary, for shame! Didn't you
know it?"