Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-05-22


leaned against the side of the window,
looking at the picture she made in her
quaint pufFed and furbelowed gown,
the sunlight falling on her brown head
Larry looked up, nodded with smile
that showed her small white teeth. and
settled back into her original position,
waiting for him to speak; and so he
did, after awhile, but not as she ex-
pected.
81 am going away tomorrow, Miss
Larry" he said. My pleasant visit
nas come to an end"
Tomorrow" echoed Larry, sitting
up straight. ''I'Ta very sorry you are
yoing." And, much TO her own sur
prise, she realized that the remark was
perfectly sincere.
Il am glad to hear you say that"
said the professor, trying to keep his
Foice steady. 1T makes it a little
easier to say something that is in my
heart" Then he told his story in
warm, eager words, very unlike his
usual calm-words that stirred Larry
strangely. There was queer express
ZION on her pale face as she stood be-
lore him.
prof. Chesney,". she said, with quiv-
.ring lips, "I'm not worth the love you
aave offered me. You'll realize that
when 1 tell you that I've only been
pleasant and civil to you all these
weeks, not from any liking for you, but
.o-to plague the Others" Thorough
" ashamed, she bent her head, unable
10 meet his eyes.
"You mean that you have deliberate
" played part all these weeks? You,
whom / thought SD frank and true?
How could you do il! Then you've not
The slightest love for me in your heart
that, suppose, is out of the ques-
ion" There was hurt, shocked tone
N his voice that touched Larry keenly.
Il don't love you," she answered,
"but shall be very grateful, if, after
what have told you, you will let me
be your friend" She put out her
hands and moved step nearer to him,
but, to her modification, her extended
hands remained untouched.
~ did not ask for your friendship,
ne said, unsteadily, land just at pres
Int want only what asked for. BY
and by I may be able to appreciate
-FOUR offer; l shall try, but you've
taught me u hard lesson, Larry, one
IN not likely to forget. Perhaps
ought to have known better, but"
with a break in his voice, I'm not
nsed to women-I'm only AN old fos-
sil,' after all" And without another
word he left her.
Up in her room Larry was still moro
surprised to find fit of crying
necessity. She could not account for
The duh, unhappy feeling that took en-
tire possession of her as she reviewed
the past weeks aud realized that tho
kindly, pleasant tcompanionship she had
accepted so heedlessly was ended.
81 suppose he'll hate me now and for
ever" she thought, between her sobs.
"But how could say l loved him when
I d;dn't?"
Mistress Mary, quite contrary, quite
contrary" mocl<ed parrot in the next
yard.
''He was SO hurt, SO grieved. won
der if he'll ever forgive me?"
"Quite contrary, quite contrary"
shrieked the parrot, with such force
that it sounded positively personal to
conscience-stricken Larry. "Fiendish
birdr' she cried, II wish some one
would wiring your neck" Then she
sobbed all the harder.
The professor left the next afternoon,
while Larry was out A box Of white
roses lay on the table, addressed to her,
a card attached on which was written:
From your friend, Roger Chesney;"
that was all, but she guessed dimly
%
With trembling fingers she divided the
flowers into three parts and gave them
to her mother and sisters. 81 don't
want them," she said, proudly, in an
swer TO Mrs. Austin's rcmonstrance.
81 was only civil to him to please you
all" But Jim noticed that the brilliant
eyes were full of tears, and that she
took the card away with her.
at must be relief to you to have
him gonc," he said, with malice afore-
thought, as they stood n moment in the
hall "Associating with such n serious
man must have been trying expert
ence for you"
He was unprepared for the way she
famed out at him: "Such an expert
ence as makes me more willing to ac-
cept the statement that man is made
after Gods own image and possesses
some Godlilke attitudes. Now goI'
And he did, a lurking smile under his
mustache and n most emphatic by
Jovcl' on his lips
One bright, sunny morning early in
June Jim opened the door of Mrs
Austin's sitting Larry was in
there alone. She.hadan industrious fit on
her, and with the sleeves of her blue
morning dress turned back, displaying
two prettily-rounded arms, feather
duster in hand, she was whislsing the
dust off some rare pieces of old china.
Larry, here is an old friend of
yours" announced Jim. "Treat him
well, for he sails for Egypt tomorrow,
never to return. III be back in
minute"
He vanished and there, inside the
closed door, stood Prof Chcsney,
little thinner, a little grayer, but with
the old kindly smile on his lips that she
remembered SO well. Startled out of
her self-possession, Larry stood with
her feather duster suspended over
grandma's hundred-year-old teapot
II sail for Europe tomorrow, said
the professor, taking few steps into
the room, ''and may never return.
Won't you wish me godspeed, Larry?"
Crash went grandma's priceless tea
pot into n dozen pieces ON the polished
floor, and the next thing Larry knew
she was crying bitterly.
Are you crying because am going
away?" asked the professor, eagerly
he was very near her now-"or because
you have broken the teapot"
"BothF' cried Larry, with a convul-
sive sob which was smothered in the
folds of the professors coat as the arms
of that ''estimable gentleman" closed
round her.
How about your prophetic SOUL
Larry?" teased Jim, later on. 81
thought you called him a fossir?"
so did," answered the young lady,
with brilliant smile, quite unabashed
"But also said was getting up col
lection of fossils and recognized tho
fact that he was too fine a specimen TO |
lose Don't you remember?'-Barbar |
Yechton, In Demorests Monthly. J
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