The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1891-05-29
MOllV's Experiment.

Molly, merely. and commenced mend
ing the lace rufiie of white apron.
Harry strove for a like indifference
and coinposure. This was made difficult
by the fact of Molly's older sister, Celia,
having gone behind Motley for the pur-
pose of communicating her sentiments to
the caller, in dumb show. Her senti-
ments seemed TO be humorous despair and
resignation.
Where is tie sohooll" Harry inquired,
stifiy.
''Four miles north of hero. District
number twelve" said Molly.
"Haye you-positively engaged itl
For the life Of him, Harry could not
help gasping. He had been at dance
with Molly the night before, and she
mad worn pink roses on 4 pink China
silk gown. Not that the Paines were
rich; but-good gracious neither were
they poor.
"Certainlyl" said Molly. 81 applied
two weeks ago, and I had card from
the directors yesterday. ! am engaged,
and am 10 begin next week. -
Molly went to the workable for
some thread. Molly was rather petite,
with pretty complexion, straight
small nose, charmingly moulded
mouth. She was always rs proudly self
posed as though she was twice eighteen
and half, and to-day she was, to Harry
Burton, maddeningly so.
For how long a tcrmY" he queried,
the bewildered, exaspcrated, miserable
feeling which had taken possession of
him deepening every minute.
''Ten weeks"
Molly threaded her needle.
until February, thenl'' Harry muir
INJURED. "Shall you-come home for
sundaysl"
Probably not often, said Molly.
care you fixing that thing to wearl"
Harry demanded.
''This apron. Yes. You eau hardly
be a school-teacher .-ithout an apron,
said Molly.
She raised her PRETTY brows lightly at
his angry vehemence. The sun struck
through the window on her hair, which
was a rich red-brown; her lips, softly
parted, showed herwhite teeth; her blue
gray eyes were lowered.
Harry Burton, throbbing with his
honest love for her, which had been long
growing within him, suffered such a
wretched pang that he WINGED.
de would not be treated so like boy
IA BABY He would not pretend
anything but disgust for the nonsensical
prank she was playing, it seemed to him,
chiefly for his tormenting-and Iucceed-
ing, if so.
s'Good-by, them" he said, cooIly ris-
ing. sim going to Pomeroy to-mor-
row, and if you leave next week, good
BY"
Heshook hands with Celia warmly, and
with Molly Instantly, and stalked out
Celia took him to the front door
Celia was pretty, too.
Il don't know, she murmured, frown-
ing in sympathy with the irate young
man, and smiling because she couldn't
help it, "what ails Molly. It's ridiculous
We've all talked and argued and implored
and here's the result. was sure she'd
back out, and l haven't said a word to
any body about it. I've been positively
ashamed to. But she's going to do it
she actually is-and now it will have to
come out. don't know what all the girls
will say. If she'd ever done anything of
the kind before-or if she needed the
money-or Anything! But for Molly
to do iti''
Celia laughed, helplessly.
But this was unsatisfactory.
''Don't you know what her reason is,
rnyhowl" Harry asked, bluntly.
Celia dropped her eyes. Being wo-
man and sister, she thought she knew.
But how could she say to Harry Burton
that she suspected Molly's freak to have
a not very remote connection with him
self
That she was fairly convinced that
Molly was hurt, or incensed, or jealous,
or-being at sea as TO the cause, Celia
could not rightly gauge Molly's emo
tons; but she knew something was
wrong.
How could she tell him that she
deemed Moll3's startling act to be a re-
bellious, indignant attempt to even mat
ters-to show him her indifference-to
60 away from him altogether, and let
him see how serenely she could do it.
Celia knew not the reason of her pretty
sisters dudgeon. How, then, then, could
she impart to heE pretty sisters admirer
her vague suspicionsl
He was an admirer only-not a fancee.
It would be manifestly improper. Celia
remained silent.
"Well, good-byw said Molly's ad-
airer.
His tone was funeral; so was his ex-
preston. He drif.ed down the path as
though it made no difference where he
went to. He OWNED that Celia was
and he did not care. He felt
desperate.
He told himself that he would go over
to Celia in a minute, if she wasn't spoken
for He was sick of Molly's freaks and
whins In view of this absurd affair, it
seemed to him that she always had been
whimsical-which was an injustice.
Teach school, district scnool She
was out of her senses. What did she
mean by it!
Harry felt an all but uncomfortable
wish to 90 back and shake her.
He thrust his hands into his overcoat
pockets and whistled dismally. Why,
he shouldn't even see her again. he didn't
know when.
He was more than dismal; he was an
CRY and suIky. He felt the need of
little comfort and meOsal quietude, aud
he thought lie would go around and see
Alyiraj and acting on the resolve, turned