Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-12

men who were known to send bouquets or
who had dog carts-besides which she used
to cast her bread upon the waters by Civ
ing presents so that return might be made
in kind When l found myself alone in
her company determined to depart, but
checked myself almost Immediately and
said. wait, Ethel, till you see what is
going to happen"
ASH expected, she finally made up her
mind that Penny was her better game
She was lying on the sand leaning her
cheek on her hand. Her hair-she really
had magnificent hair-was pretending to
be drying, and she had it gathered away
from the sand and flung over her shoulder.
Artless thing knew what was coming
oh, dear ne' she said. with glance
out Of her eyes at Mr.. Charter. ''Oh, dear
mel This sea bathing Is horribly bad for
my hair. 1t is splitting at the end, every
bit of itP'
What pity" said Bran. laughing.
"Oh, go ca, my dear!'' said to myself.
''You think Penny Charter an innocent be-
cause his remarks are not those Of Tai
Ieyrand or a Sheridan l could tell You
better than that
Look, Mr. Charter!' cried she, guile,ess-
", taking up wisp Of the article under
discussion. Just look and STE if it isn't"
He took it and snoothed it between his
fingers, blushing little, saying something
moderately polite. This was my oppor-
tunitY. Just as he was withdrawing his
hand sat a little farther away from them
and smiled faint, plying smile at Bran.
Penny saw me, as l intended be should.
CT course, If the little Irritation had been
of his own seeking LIE would only have
been stimulated by my smile into further
advances; but as it was he could hardly
help feeling that it had been thrust upon
him, and consequently he at once desired
to be of my party. l saw him pause lit
tie and l knew my point was gained. Ac-
cordingly, while Daisy-who had not seen
the byplay-went on making moro and
more of a set at him, dribbling sand
through her rosy little fingers and tossing
audacious grains Of it toward him, hum
ming little hts of the songs OF the season,
showing more and more Of her delicate
ankles--dark blue stockings with white
polka dots and Oxford ties look very well
under pink lawn skirt-aN this while, |
say, leaned back calmly and talked in
dignified manner TO Bran, fayorjng Penny
with one or two more SMILES judiCiousiy
timed. Presently another man, one OF the
enthusiastic bathers who was only just
through his morning swim, came up, and
rose, feeling that l would not have to
leave Bran alone with Daisy-as l might
have had to do, though it would have been
rather hard on him. Penny jumped up
at the same time
81 say be said to me rather eagerly,
won't you come and have some CLAIMS at
tine Studio2"
''Yes-certainIy," said 1; and I moved a
step or two to show him l was quite ready.
LET US go, then" said he. and OF we
went, leaving Daisy still sitting on the
sand, with rather a blank expression on
her lovely face.
l threw q bewitching glance over my
shoulder at the three behind me. Eyes,
love" said I, under my breath, 'tyou may
walk all the way up to the hotel with your
hair over your shoulders, and much good
may it do your
If ever delighted the soul OF man
delighted the soul of Penn Charter that
day We got a seat next to the window
and looked out on the yellow sands and
the turnbling waves and the extraordinary
old women who always battle at times
when they are the only persons to be seen
"a sort of proclamation, | suppose, that
they know they are SO ugly that 1t is use
less for them to try to conceal it. l was in
q humor 10 be chsrming-and charming l
was. Touch my hair, indeed Before our
little lunch was over be thought it the
highest favor to have been allowed to tell
me that l WIS losing a hairpin-and l
blushed as he told me. As he left me at
the hotel he asked me to go driving with
him that afternoon, and l consented with
a half smile, half blush and a half cour-
tesy-and I felt that l was now fairly
started.
But had a good deal of trouble. Daisy
C2nayle was simply furious, and made up
her mind at once TO cut me out If possible,
and as she didn't care what she did when
she had once determined on anything she
came very near inveigling Penny into a
desperate Irritation with her. Luckily she
had been good deal talked about that
summer, and the gossips had kindly pre-
pared a reputation for her, so that she did
not possess the spice Of mystery. If she
had am afraid she would have been sue
cessful, for she was, oh, wonderfully pretty
and man might well have felt that he
would have given
All other bliss,
And all his worldly worth for this,
To waste his whole heart in one kiss
Upon her perfect lips,
if he had been quite sure that some other
man had not done it before him. So that
all I hsd to do was to be dignified and
charming, for it would have been fatal to
allow Penny once to suspect that l was
competing with Daisy.
took good care not to let myself pass
out of his mind in the empty autumn
months. l arranged matters SO that he
forgot some important matter that l had
promised to talk over with him until Just
as boarded the train fer home, and after
had led him on to begging to be allowed
to write to me about it gave half doubt
ing consent and made the boen so much
more precious in his eyes. When he cane
back to town, therefore, my nets were still
tight about him. had really grown quite
fond of him by that time, and when he be-
gan once more TO be attentive to me I
found myself blushing secretly about 1t,
feeling foclishlY uneasy when he did not
appear, and just as foelishly pleased when
he did But | did not let the world per-
ceive it, as may veN be imagined, and as
Mr.. Boullter still kept lowering round me
l was rather glad to have him as foil.
Finally, one afternoon in January, matters
came to the conclusion for which l had at
first hoped and of which l now dreamed.
Mr. Charter had asked NE to go sleigh
ing with him. Frosty was the air and
blue the sky, and as we SKINNED along the
road above the frozen pools OF the Visa
hickon, the sleiehbells tinkiing merrily
under the rising lifts OF pine and spruce, 1