Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-01-14

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He tDGUed his hand and turned along
the foOtpGth.
When Meta Mayne came to think it
over afterward in her own room by her
self, she couldn't imagine what had
made her silly enough to quarrel that
evening with Ughtred Carnegie. She
could only say in penitent mood it was
always the way like that with lovers.
Till once they've quarreled a good round
quarrel, and afterward solemnly kissed
and made it all up again, things never
stand on really firm and settled basis
between them. It's move in the game.
You must thrust in tierce before you
thrust in quarte. The Roman play
wright spoke the truth after ala lovers
quarrel begins fresh chapter in the his
tory of their lovemaking.
1t was summer evening, calm and
clear and balmy, and Netta and Ughtred
had strolled out together, not without u
suspicion at timesof hand locked in hand
on the high chalk down that rises steep
behind Holmbury. How or why tt W
fell out she hardly knew. But they had
been engaged already some months, with
out single disagreement,w which of course
gave Meta a natural right to quarrel
with Ughtred by this time, if she thought
fit; and as they returned down the hang
ing path through the combe where the
wild orchids grow, she used that right
at last, out of pure, unadulterated fem
mime perversity. The ways of women are
wonderful; no mere man can fathom
them. Something that Ughtred said
gave her the chance to make a half
petulant answer. Ughtred very naturall V
defended himself from the imputation Of
rudeness, and Netta retorted. At the
end of ten minutes the trihe had grown
apace into as pretty lovers quarrel as
any lady novelist could wish to describe
in five chapters.
Meta had burst into perfectly ortho-
dox tears, refused to be comforted in
the most approved fashion, declined To
accept Ughtred's escort home and bid
den farewell to him excitedly forever
and ever.
1t was al about nothing, to be sure,
and if the two older or wiser heads had
only stood by unseen to view the little
comedy, they would sagely have re.
marked to each other, with shake, that
before twenty-four hours were out the
pair would be rushing into each others
arms with mutual apologies and mutual
forgiveness. But Netta Mayne and
Ughtred Carnegie We're still at the age
when one takes love seriously-one does
before thirty-and so they turned away
along different paths at the bottom of
the combe, in the firm belief that loves
young dream was shattered, and that
henceforth they two were nothing more
than the merest acquaintance to each
other.
"Goodby, Mr.. Carnegie" Netta fall
tered out, as in obedience to her wishes
though much against his own will Ugh,
tired turned slowly and remorsefully
down the footpath to the right, in the
direction of the railway.
"Goodby, Netta," Ughtred answered,
half choking. Even to that moment of
parting (forever-or day. he couldn't t
find it in his heart to call her ''Miss
Mayne" who had SO long been "Netta'
to him.
He waved his hand and turned along
the footpath, looking back many times
to see Meta still sitting inconsolable
where he had left her, on the stile that
led from the combe into the -Four
acre meadow. Both paths, to right and
left, led back to Holmbury over the open
field, but they diverged rapidly and
crossed the railway track by separate
gates and five hundred yards from each
other.
A turn in the path, at which Ughtred
fingered long, hid Netta at last from his
sight. He paused and hesitated. 1t was
growing late, though an hour Of summer
twilight still remained. He couldn't
bear to leave Netta thus alone in the
field. She wouldn't allow him to see
her home, to be sure, and that being SC
he was too much of gentleman to force
himself upon her. But he was too much
man, too, to let her find her way back
so late entirely by herself. Unseen him
self, he must still watch over her.
| Against her will, he must still protect
her. He would go on to the railway,
and there sit by the side Of the line,
under cover Of the hedge, till Meta
crossed by the other path. Then he'd
walk quietly along the six foot way to
the gate she had passed through, and
follow her, unperceived at distance
along the lane, till he saw her back tc
Holmbury. Whether she wished it OF
not, he could never leave her.
He looked about for seat One lay
most handy. BY the side of the line the
government engineers had been at work
that day, repairing the telegraph sys.
tenn. They had taken down half a
dozen moldering old posts, and set up
new ones in their place-tall, clean and
shiny. One of the old posts still lay at
full length on the ground by the gate,
just as the men had left it at the end of
their days work. At the point where
the footpath cut the line was level
crossing, and there Ughtred sat down