The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-11-08
CHAPTER NL-coNTNUBD.

Matt shook her head again. Once
more the young man was lost In medi-
tation. Doubtless twas owing to his
abstraction of mind that he quietly
placed his arm around Matt's waist,
and kept it there. At first Matt went
very red; then she glanced up at his
face, and saw that his eyes were fixed
thoughtfully on the distant sand hills.
Seeing ho still kept silence, she moved
little closer to him, and said very
quietly:
81 didn't tell William Jones that you
kissed mel"
Brinkley started from his abstrac-
tion, and looked at the girls blushing
face. H#
"EhP What did you say?"
II didn't tell William Jones that you
kissed mel"
These words seemed to remind the
young man of the position of his arm,
for he hastily withdrew It, Then the
absurdity Of the whole situation ap-
peared to return upon him, and he
broke into burst Of boyish laughter
at which his companions face fell
once more. It was clear that she took
life seriously and dreaded sarcasm.
"Matt," he said, '"This won't do!
This won't do at all!'
"What won't do?"
swell, this" he answered, rather
ambiguously. you are rather young,
you know-quite girl, although, as
you suggested just now, and, as you
probably believe, you may be 'growed
up You must-ha-you must look
upon me as sort of father, and all
that sort of thing"
you're too young to be my father"
answered Matt, ingenuously.
"Well, say your big brother. I'm in
terestcd in you, Matt, very much inter
ested, and | should really like to get
TO the bottom Of the mystery about
you, but we must not forget that we'rc
we'll, almost strangers, you know.
Besides" he added, laughing again
cheerily, "you are engaged to bo mar
ried, some day, to gentleman Of for
tune"
Matt sprang up, with heaVing bosom
and flashing eyes.
"No, aintl'' she said. "I hate
himi"
"Hate the beautiful Monk, of Monks
hurst! Monk, the benefcent! Monk
the sweet-spoken! Impossible"
"Yes, hate him." cried Matt; land
-and-when he kissed me, it made me
sick"
"What, did hep Actually. Kissed
you?"
As he spoke the young man actually
felt that he should like to assault the
redoubtable Monk.
eyes, he kissed me-once. II he
kisses me again I'll stick something
into him, or scratch his face"
And Matt looked black as thunder
and set her pearly teeth angrily to-
gether.
"Sit down again, Matt"
81 shan't-if you laugh"
"Oh, I'll behave myself. Gomez
and he added, as she returned to her
place. "Did it make you sick when |
kissed you?"
He was playing with fire. The girls
face changed in a moment, her eyes
melted, her lips trembled, and all her
expression became ineXpressibly soft
and dreamy. Leaning gently towards
him, she dropped her eyes, and then,
seeing his hand resting on his knee,
she took II in hers and raised it to her
lips.
'T should like TO marry you," she
said, and blushing, raised her cheek
against his shoulder.
Now, our hero of the caravan was a
true-hearted young fellow and man
of honor, and his position had become
extremely embarrassing. He could no
longer conceal from himself the dis
coyery that he had made an unmis-
taxable impression on Mattsunsophis.
ticated heart. Hitherto he had looked
upon her as a sort Of enfant terrible,
very rough diamond; now he realized,
with a shock Of surprise and self
reproach, that she possessed, whether
"growed up" or not, much OF the sus
ceptibility Of grown up young ladies'
1t was clear that his duty was to dis
enchant her as speedily as possible
seeing that the discovery Of the hope
lessness OF her attachment might, II
delayed, cause her no little unhappy
ness. El'"
In the meantime he suffered her tc
nestle TO him. He did not like Il
shake her off roughly, or to say any
thing unkind. lie glanced round int
her face; the eyes were still cast down
and the cheeks were suffused with
warm, rich light, which softened thu
great freckles and made her complex
Ion look, according to the image whici
suggested itself to his mind, like q nic'
ripe pear She was certainly yer!
pretty He glanced down at her hands
which rested in her lap, and agail
noticed that they were unusually dell
cate and small. Her foot. Which h
next fneT ed, he could not criticise
for the Il he wore would have beei
good &. 80. William Jones. But th