Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-01-09
$50 She led me TO un.orstand. "

uuTO say IL NJ nave COInS Oli bOOu-
er or later; for a jollier, pre,tier,
nicer girl than Milly don't know. or
one fellow could get on with more
comfortably. But, you see, she put a
stopper on it."
meaning Miss HeathP"
Meaning nobody else. You see, it
was in this way. 1t wasn't until
about eighteen months since--while
you and were up in Scotland after
the salmon that time, you recollectp
that Milly's father died and left her
without farthing, and Lady Eliza
beth adopted her; pretty much as,
after her husbands my uncle's-
death, she adopted me, fifteen years
ago."
you've told me that, I think" OBJ
served George.
"Of course l have! Well, l sup
pose the old lady took it into her head
that, as I'm to he her heir, and Milly
is about the only other relative she
has, it would be good thing if we
were 10 make a match of it-don't you
seeP"
"And Miss Heath didn't think SOP"
''Quite the reverse! Her ladyshlp
threw us together and so on; and
Milly was very Jolly and nice, and T.
Owen colored II little-"well.
might have been getting triae senti-
mental, you know"
Very likely" said George drily.
Rather Told me, with all the
coolnoss imaginable in life, that she
liked me very much, but wouldn't mar
ry me for twenty Lady Elizabeths;
and added that, il l were as
sensible as she thought l was,
we would just shake hands and agree
to be very good friends, and neither
feel under the slightest obligation TO
talk nonsense to the other"
"And you did P"
'And we did, OF course And cap
ilal friends we have been ever since,
as l said. Somehow 1 never admired
her half so much as l did when she
said that, George. There aren't many
girls who'd have the courage to put
things on that footing, you know.
But, in her way, Milly's unique"
Alteyn said nothing, hut plodded on
soberly through the white dust, not
Offering any opinion as to Miss Heath s
uniqueness. There might have been
a brighter look in his eyes, u general
air OF relief about him; but Owen did
not appear to be much the wiser.
Perhaps he was Indifferent, or perhaps
understood the state of the case so
we'll that he had no need to glance at
his friends face for enlightenment.
He shifted his burden TO the other
shoulder, and, beyond a few groans at
the heat and n fervently-expressed
wish that they had had the sense TO
stay at home, and did not speak for
ten minutes, when they reached the
end of the lane, and halted in some
perpleXity; for before them two roads,
looking exactly alike, stretched away
in the hot sunshine.
(Which is our way, George ?" Owen
asked.
Don't you know ?"
George looked so blank that it was
plain he did not.
mo, that / don't I" Owen stared
from one road to the other. al was
never this way before to-day. Did
we come around by that plantation
affair, or by the water ?'
Il seem to remember the planta-
tion," said George.
II don't; believe it was the water.
Isn't that house there between the
treesp 1t isn't far down, and we
could set ourselves right there, and
get something TO drink perhaps. Come
on-I'm dry as a lime-kiln ~
Il don't think we passed the house, -
said Alleyn stolidly.
But Owen took no notice; he was al
ready striding down the left-hand of
the two roads-a pretty tree-shaded
sunburnt, turf, and having at the
point where it abruptly curved good
sized sheet OF shallow water, looking
deliciously cool and inviting. George
followed his friend, overlook him, and
they tramped on side by side again.
I'm pretty sure you're wrong,
Owen" observed Alleyn presently,
lOOhlhS duOuO MN 'WC uCNCI pdoSOu
this house this morning"
don't believe we did," Owen as
scented, pausing at the gate.
1t was low white gate, which just
faced the pool of water, and it shut in
u garden, the rustic palings of which
were so overgrown with mass of wild
creeping-plants and thorny briars
that they looked like hedge 1t was
garden which formed the most de-
lightful mixture OF the useful and Or
namental. There were beds glowing
with gorgeous midsummer blooms,
where roses, pink, white, yellow, and
deep crimson, hung their heavy heads,
as though the weight of their own
sweetness bore them down, and where
knots Of vivid scarlet geranium put all
softer tints TO shame: there were beds
OF cabbages, Of lettuces, beans, peas,
potatoes, fruit-trees enough TO stock a
market, and here and there a cucum-
Der frame; there was smooth slope
OF lawn. almost large enough for ten
mis-; and close against the side of the
house a small greenhouse glittered
like a crystal toy in the sunlight. The