Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-02-04

ping ping hot toa' ''hass you any news % tell
mo" reply. sinking my head as l
shut the lid Of the teapot with bong;
"but might hare if
"What an. enigmatical remark he
exclaims. laughing 'What does II
meant You might have if-what2"
~ hm not sure If l may tell you,"
answer, casting doubtful look at Poppie.
''Oh, then it concerns Poppie, does Il.
this mysterious piece Of nows?" and he
Chances at her too.
May tell?" ask persuasively.
Certainly, If you wish to do So" re-
turns my sister.
"Well, then, Jack, Poppie has had a
proposal from very rich man, and she
cant make up her mind whether TO ac-
cept him or not Isn't IL odd?"
''Isnt what odd?"
"That she is not able TO decide what to
say to him. OF course 1t would not be a
love match; but then she would have
oh, everything she could possibly want;
and, If that would not satisfy her and
make her happy forever after, as the
story book says, what woGld?'
"What, indeed!" says Jack slowly and
thoughtfully. LAS you say, Susan, it is
very odd"
have known Jack Neville from my
childhood; still / do not quite understand
him. He has an uncomfortable way of
seeming to agree with one, yet there is
an indescribabe something in his very
quietness of face and manner which
arouses suspicion that he is laughing
at one all the time. Jack, am really
in earnest" say, q little reproachfully.
He turns to me quickly.
| $50 am /, Susan"
And as look searchingly at him can
not detect the faintest glimmer of laugh
ON his grave handsome face or in his
steady eyes.
"Well, then, wish you would help me
to decide for Poppie. OF course only
want to do what will be for her happi-
ness
"Of COURSE" he interposes gravely;
"but what way do Poppie's own inclina-
tons lie?"
At this Poppie rises from her chair
and, coming over to the tea table, puts
down her empty cup and turns to Jack.
81 assure you l have no inclination
one way or the other, she says hurriedly,
with faint. nervous little laugh; 81
stand on perfectly neutral ground; it is
a matter of absolute Indifference to me-"
"That being the case, would it not be
the fairest and simplest way to draw
lots?"Jack quietly suggests.
"Of course it would! How stupid not
to have thought of that before" / cry,
rising quickly and running over to the
writing table. II will just write Yes
on one piece of paper and NO on an
other, and then fold them in exactly the
same way"
When l return with the neatly folded
slips of paper in my hand l notice with
some surprise that my sister is flushed
and that her eyes CLEAN excitedly, which
seems strange in a person who hardly
fectly indifferent as to the upshot of the
affair.
"Now, then, Poppie, will you drawn
l say briskly. 81 myself do not really
know which is which,"
Quickly drawing back her dark head.
Poppie steps forward. Jack is standing
at little distance behind her, intently
watching as she stretches out her hand
toward the paper that is to decide her
fate. She hesitates for moment, touch
ing the slips irresolutely, then her fingers
close firmly upon one.
IL will take this, she says, little ex-
citedly.
very Well. Now be quick and open
it for do not know which it isl" / cry
eagerly.
As she stands before me without NOV
ing oil the pretty color fades out of her
face.
II am afraid to look" she says, in q
tone that is only a little louder than
whisper; then she turns round suddenly
to Jack. "Will you read it former" she
says, putting the paper hurriedLy into
his hand and drawing deep breath.
Slowly-oh, so slowly!-Jack unfolds
the little slip and reads the one word
written on it. Poppie is trembling all
over, and her eyes arc fixed on his face,
which wears curious expression, such
as never saw there before.
| There is short silence, and then jack
looks up, his eyes meet Poppie's eager
ones and he laughs little.
The Fates have proved themselves
kind for once, at any rate, he says. 81
must congratulate you. Poppie."
.You mean-what?" she saws, and
then stops, unable to say more.
"You have drawn Yes" says Jack,
slowly.
"Oh, how" 1 begin ecscatically, but
got no further. What on earth has hap
pened to Poppie and Jack? She has
started forward with sudden cry, and
they are now staring at each other in tho
most extraordinary way, while his face
has become almost as pale as hers.
She snatches the paper he is holding
out to her, tears it furiously across and
across, and then, throwing away the
pieces, bursts into tears.
"Poppie, Poppie," cry, dismayed at
this most unexpected turn of affairs,
"why, how can you be such baby? Of
course you needn't
But here Jack gently puts me aside
and, coming close up to my sobbing sis
ter, calmly takes one of her hands in his
own.
"Poppie," he says kindly, "do not dis
tress yourself, do not cry so. Did you
think for II moment that would let you
marry that man? And you actually
dared to say il was matter of indiffer-
ence to you when you knew that loved
you, and when | knew Oh, Poppie,
my darling, did you think l did not
know"
He is not satisfied now with holding
her hand; he puts his arm around her
and draws her pretty head down upon
his shoulder.