St. Landry democrat., 1892-09-17
ugo - tho,,rb+ E)ororoe .ubo4 o1a

| marry ner Nc1tle. wen, SatleC than
that I'd marry him myself, and l hate
him.
| The next day she went in bathing just
as every one else was going out Murray
stood on the end Of the pier and watched
her dive off. She was an expert swim
mer. She swan straight out from the
shore, and when she was forty or fifty
yards from the end of the pier she titrned
over on her back and foated like nymph.
Murray started to walk away. She threw
up her arms, uttered a scream and went
down. Of course Murray bit. He wasn't
going to stand by and see her drown He
must have cleared twenty feet in his fly
ing dive off the pier; He was at her side
in a few seconds.
Pm all right now she said, painting
lit was just a momentary cramp"
" You're not all right, and you're com
ing ashore with me. Float"
She floated, and with one arm under
her he swan toward the pier with her.
"What made you jump in after me?"
she said
"Do you think I'd see anything hap
pen to you while the breath of ljfe was in
my nostrils2'
A great thrill of Joy swept through
Florence. 1t was the first time great
thrill of joy had been caused in her by
man since the era of the tall, handsome,
strong, ct cetera. She did not like it, on
second thoughts. It frightened her. She
escaped from him as soon as possible
when she reached the shore That night
Mrs. Chasby Soden played her right
bower. She watched till she saw Flor
ence sitting on the vcranda Just outside
window. Then she went up to one of
the old Mons, who was sitting Just in
side the same window, and said:
''Do you know, | really believe that
Jarvis has just proposed to Nellie? l
saw them in a corner and he was holding
her hand and talking passionately to her.
l stole away, and they didn't see me-"
Florence did not know just how she
got out of her chair, but she was some
distance away from that window when
she recovered her self-control. Then
she stood still and clasped her hands.
Great Heaven Why did she feel that
way? What difference did it make to
her whether Jarvis Murray proposed to
Nellie Soden or not? At that moment
the miscreant came to her
tive been looking for you,n he said.
II don't believe you'll" she answered.
lie calmly took possession of her arm
and walked away with it. She tried to
free herself.
Don't be ridiculous" he said.
81 won't stand It'll" she exclaimed.
"You are insufferably impudent. You
treat me as if were your poperty."
"After pulling you out of the water
feel sort of personal interest in you"
"You did not pull me out of the
water" she answered, losing her mental
balance. 'There was not anything the
matter at all"
He stopped short and looked her in
he eyes.
''Honor bright?'
''Honor fiddlesticks!'
"And you did that just to see whether
would try to save you9'
eyes, mo, what nonsense! l di3 it
ust-just-for fun
He let 60 her arm and took both her
lands: Florence, will you be my
vife?"
"How dare you, sir! How many girls
10 you propose to in one evening2'
'Some one has been slandering me. l
AVE never proposed to any other woman,
nd never shall"
Oh, wasn't she glad to hear that And
he believed it without moments hest
alton.
You haven't answered my question:"
e said; "will you be my wife5'
"What for?"
''Because l love YOU"
'No."
That was her little triumph. He had
lade her feel miserable so often, and now
ne had her chance to be even with him. !
0 she said no." and then waited. And
hat do YOU tl1ink he dido Dropped her
ands and walked away without another
ord. s
The next day he met her and treated
er as if no word of love had ever passed
etween them. 1t was simply incompre.
ensible. Any other man would have
one away, or hung off in the distance
I'd looked miserable, or proposed again, {
1T this one did none of these things, land
never left her side He did not sigh.
e did not look miserable He looked
Their contented than otherwise. And s
was simply knightly in his attentions. v
e not only fathomed her thoughts and t
,ecuted her commands before she uttered !
EN-, but he frequently knew just what 1
e wished when she was not quite sure o
it herself. The result was inevitable. C
1ere never was girl who could be c
mtOrtable in the presence of a newly n
jected sutton, and the peculiar conduct v
this one was enough to set girl mad p
orence was so upset by it that she =
anted to drive him away. But he would n
t be driven. He stall. And before P
ght she actually felt ashamed of her 81
f. He OWNED that, too, and told b
rs Chasby Soden about it. Again she a.
mt off into corner and patted herself CT
the back. ri
Jarvis Murray kept it up for a week. So
} was gentle, kind, tender, and manly CT
his treatment of Florence He neither Of
d nor did any more rude things. e
EMBODIED her in his protection. p'
perpetually famed her nostrils with "
, incense of his devotion. But
love he spoke no word and made no
n. At the end of the week he told
: he was going away the next day. He -,
;retted that he could not remain longer, e.
it gave him great pleasure to think =,
1t his humble efforts had contributed 90
her enjoyment, and he fattered himself ~ ~.
It they had 50 contributed. Was it q 81
SOP q,
Yes, that was so. a. a.
Well, then, he said, he should feel that o. o.
summer had been put to the highest r.
). Goodbye He hoped she would o. o.
re him kindly remembrance once in az
lille when she had nothing better to a.
upy her thoughts. At that she gave 10y