Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-09-23

| the park, giving the number of the
bench, for sometimes the duenna could
not be eluded aud was seated there with
Yevette. On these occasions McLane
had to content himself with gazing from
afar.
She was so much in earnest that the
particular emotion which occupied the
place Of conscience in McLane's being
was troubled. He thought of the nice
girl at home, and fervently hoped notn-
| ing of this would ever reach her ears.
He was an easy-going young fellow,
who hated trouble, and perhaps, know
ing that the inevitable day of reckoning
was approaching, this accounted for
the somewhat tardy awakening OF his
conscience.
He sometimes thought it would be
best simply to leave Paris without any
explanation, but lie remembered that she
knew his address, having written to him
| often, and that by ling to the school
she could easily find out where his home
was. So if there was TO be a scene it
was much better that it should take place
in Paris, rather than where the nice girl
lived.
He nerved himself up many times to
make the explanation and bring on the
avalanche, but when the time came he
postponed it. But the inevitable ulti-
mately arrives. He had some difficulty
at first in getting her to understand the
situation clearly, but when he at last
succeeded there was no demonstration.
She merely kept her eyes fixed on the
gravel and gently withdrew her hand
from his. To his surprise she did not
cry nor even answer him, but walked
silently to and fro with downcast eyes
in the shadow of the church. No one,
he said, would ever occupy the place in
his heart that she held. He was engaged
to the other girl, but he had not known
what love was until he met Yevette. He
was bound to the other girl by ties he
could not break, which was quite true,
because the nice girl had rich father.
He drew such pathetic picture of the
loveless life he must in the future lead,
that a great wave Of self-pity surged up
within him and his voice wavered. He
felt almost resentful that she should take
the separation in such an Unconditional
manner. When a man gets what he
most desires he is still unsatisfed. This
was exactly the way he hoped she would
take it.
All things come to CT end, even ex-
plantations.
"Well, goodbye, Yevette," he said,
holding out lis hand. She hesitated an
instant, then, without looking up, placed
her small palm in his.
They stood thus for moment under
the trees, while the fountain beside them
FLASHED and trickled unsteady. The
shadow of the church was slowly creep
ing towards them over the gravel. The
park was deserted, except by themselves.
She tried gently to withdraw her hand,
which he retained.
"Have you nothing to say to
me, Yevette?" he asked with touch of
reproach in his voice.
She did not answer. He held her
fingers, which were slipping from his
grasp, and the shadow touched her feet.
"Yevette, you will at least kiss me
good-bye?"
She quickly withdrew her hand from
his, shook her head and turned away.
sight, and then walked slowly towards
his rooms on the Boulevard St. German.
His thoughts were not comfortable. He
was disappointed in Yevette. She was
so clever, so witty, that he had at least
expected she would have said something
cutting, which he felt he thoroughly de-
served. He had no idea she could be so
heartless. Then his thoughts turned to
the nice girl at home. She, too, had
elements in her character that were
somewhat bewildering to an honest
young man. Her letters for long time
had been intrequent and unsatisfactory.
1t couldn't be possible that she had heard
anything. Still, there was nothing so
easy as point blank denial, and he would
see to that when he reached home.
An explanation awaited him in his
rooms on the boulevard. There was a
foreign stamp on the envelope, and it
was from the nice girl. There had been
a mistake, she wrote, but happily she !
had discovered it before it was too late. !
She bitterly reproached herself, taking
three pages to do it in. and on the |
fourth page he gathered that she would |
be married by the time he had the letter.
There appeared to be no doubt that the |
nice girl fully realized how basely she |
had treated a talented, hard working,
sterling young man, but the re-
alization had not seemingly postponed
the ringing of the wedding bells to any
extent.
Young McLane crushed the letter in
hoo i