The Somerset reporter., 1891-06-04

| pr0ioges behave 40 badly. The air to-
hbd never seemed 80 fetd. Her heaf
,ehed duly, and 1t was slowly aud me
! chauicaly that after the boys had beer
dismissed, she helped put The room IL
order.
She started nervonsly on hearing
Clatkes voice be hind her
Let me assist you, Miss Russell. You
have too many books Il ere
Mr.. Clarke You here ~
Yes, and should have been before.
My head ached so that feared ! could
not stand the noise. But ! grew better
and here | am.
Iuwsrdly he dashed himself for his de
celt.
Priscilla looked at him pityinglv. She
passed the palm OF hcr hand slowly over
her forehead.
al can sympathize with you; too have
headache to night
Clarke's heart smote him. How could
he have left her to do his share Of the
work.
"Really,n he asked anxiously, ~ fear
| am TO blame for it. You have had too
much TO do for one. | was selfish in not
coming.
She shook her head gently, while her
white lids dropped heavily under his
troubled and remorseful glance.
ut was he air in here, shall be ali
right by the time | reach home"
May help you to reach NJ
"Certaiuly.'
But the girl felt chilled as she gave the
permission OF late, it had been a mat
ter of course that he should walk home
with her And Clarke on his way home
was not proud Of himself.
~ cant and this he muttered, Il
must do something; this sort OF thing
can't last. Here can't stay away from
acr three days, and yet whenever | do
| can think of nothing but that confouud.
ed note. Perhaps it was cousin, though
never heard of any. Still ii was vul-
gar thing to do. What a fool | am
How do | know she did itf A girl like
that doesn't do such things. But how did
he dare suggest it? Oh, hang it all =
And William Clarke passed more I'M
comfortable night than he had yet
known.
For the next few weeks, Priscilla wa.
much puzzled 10y the young fellows man
ner.
Several times she had caught him
watching her with an almost bewildered
air. She was perpexed and also troubled
by the under current of thoughts she felt
In him.
Thy met one evening at the remark
able bingham institution, known as the
Coffee Party perhaps because as far
back rs man remembers, there has never
been there drop of coffee. As the two
paused after the waltz, Clarke asked
abruptly
Miss Russell, what would you think
of girl that would meet man at 40
p. m, under lamp-postp"
The girl looked quickly up at him, but
with such genuine perplcxity and amuse-
ment, that the young man flushed for
shame, and hastily excused himself
Toward midnight, AZ he was mo ing
with her in the slow crush back to the
dressing room, she said suddenly;
"Oh, Mr.. Clarke! My sister and her
husband arrive from California to.mor
row. They stay two weeks. | hope you
will meet them. You will like them
know, and we shall be glad to have you
call. "
81 thank you"
My sister is delightful, | am almost
silly in my admiration for her. But you
NAV enjoy Rob more"
''Rob.h
The girl took the exclamation for
question.
Yes; my brother-in-law. Rob and |
are great friends. lie is very jolly and
pleasant and INTEL .ctual as well. | want
you to meet him.
81 want to meet him. answered the
poor fellow with deep emphasis.
A few days later Clarke made the ac-
.pa into af a
sister, and was much pleased with them,
and called again the next evening. This
time, however, he asked only for Miss
Priscilla.
She came in, holding out her hand
smiling, a little astonished, but not ILL
pleased at this second call s. near the
previous one.
Sit down. l am glad to see you
NO; l have a confession to make |
prefer to do it standing"
Priscilla had seated herself in broad,
low arm chair, her hands lying easily in
her lap faint flush rose in her cheeks
out she gave no other sign
Clarke had clasped his hands behind
his back and was walking nervously up
and down. After some moments of de
liberation he plunged recklessly into his
best he could the emotions and feelings
of their acquaintance, and when he paus-
ed for lack of breath, Priscilla, who had
sat very still, said slowly, and without
looking up, while tremor shook her
soft cOntralto voice:
OF you had only told me, you might
have been saved all that. The note, as
you know now, was only from Rob, and
it was mamma as well as myself he was
to meet
but how could ask such thing?'
For a moment she did not speak.
Wher she did it was still slowly, but with
repressed exultation in her tone.
"You are rght you could not ask it,
And yet many young fellow would have
done it, and thought it good joke"
lie looked down into her appraised eyes.
They were filled with tears; but they
were not angry, they were wonderfully
tender.
priscilla Can you forgive Inc for
such thoughts, such waveriugst Can you
love me after all!'
TIE smile that answered made him
stsgger for dizziness.
Yes! And better for it all You
wo Id not have been the man | love If
your instincts had been less delicate, less
refined
And she put both her hands in his
Yankee Blade
"A