The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-12-06

| Miss W1nslOw, said Craig, des-
perately, 'I don't know whether you
know-whether you have guessed--l
don't know, Miss Winslow, whether
you-you have suspected"
my goodness !" said Reginald, with
a high-pitched eight-year-old laugh;
"what are you trying TO say, Arthur"
Craig looked at Lucy. Was she
laughing at him, too? His face grew
warm with the sudden wretched sus-
picion that she was.
After all, was he not fool to think
for a moment that she could care for
him? OF sudden he saw matters in
a new, painful light.
If she had cared for him, would she
not have managed now and then that
they might see each other alone?
How rarely had that occurred-how
continually had that little nuisance of
a nephew dogged them Had she con-
trived it? Had she made Reginald a
defense, guard against unwelcome
advances? He was all at once misera-
bly, certain of it.
He was warm with modification, and
cold at heart with keen unhappinness.
He had been stupidity slow of percep-
ton, that was all But that was
thing which could be remedied.
He rose from the grass, and looked
down at Lucy Winslow with a set
smile.
"Well, I don't believe l know my
self what I'm trying TO say, Reginald, "
he answered. 81 needn't say good-by
to you just now, Miss Winslow, for I'll
be here day or SO yet. But I'll be
off about Thursday, guess, and after
month or so at home, / expect TO go
out West on business that will keep me
there indefinitely, imagine. I shall
think of this summer often, and with
pleasure, 1 assure you.
He bowed, and turned away.
He took himself and his bitterness
up to hisroom. He felt that ever hour
until Thursday would be a period of
anguish; and he began to put things
into his trunk in helter-skelter fashion.
He had half filled it when Reginald
! walked in, without knocking. He sat
down in the largest chair.
"Ho?" he remarked, scoffingly,
"that the kind of trunk you got,
I with cloth all over it? Mines got
, wooden Stats on, and tin and brass
nails. What's that thing? Opry-
glasses, amt it? Say, II you give
} EN- to me
/ ''Yes, take them, said Craig, wear
lily.
Reginald spent several minutes in ex-
amining objects in the room through
the glasses, for which he saw fit to re-
turn no thanks.
"Say," he observed presently, turn
: ing them upon Craig, "shes crying.
That's what come up to tell you. |
thought mebbe you'd like to know"
Z "Who's crying?" Craig demanded.
His heart stood still.
: ''Aunt Lucy's crying" said Regin-
aid. ''She began to cry soon s You
turned round, most. l told her
, somebody'd see her, but she didn't
stop, and wasn't going to stay there
and her blubbering, and l thought
I'd come up and tell you" Reginald
: looked up with his angelic blue eyes
and his cherubic smile. Say, I'm
going to see what's in that plush box,
4 Arthur. You care?"
Craig strobe from the room. He
got down the stairs two at time, and
a rushed around to the red-and-blue
D hammock between the shady oak trees.
"Lucy I" he said, bending over her.
''You are not-you can't be crying
because I'm going away, LucyY"
There was hot flush in the fearful
face she raised to him.
"Oh, Lucy" he implored, "don't
l be ashamed of it If you are crying
about me, don't you know am the
happiest man ON earth? l was 80 GER
tain you didn't care for me, and had
tried to ward me off with-with
Reginald, you know, because he was
4 forever around. But if you can cry
4 because am going away, Lucy, then
/ can finish what l was trying to say
? to you. You know what it was. "
Lucy caught sobbing breath.
"But you are going out West !" she
s faltered.
''Yes, and you with mel" Craig re-
torted.
Nobody was near them, and he sat
down beside her, his hand warmly
, clasping hers.
+, "How did you know l was cryingT %
4, Lucy queried, suddenly, after ten
! minutes of glowing happiness.
"Reginald came and told me.
: Reginald is trump" scid Craig-"a
jewel" |"
"There he comes, said Lucy. "Oh,
Arthur, he's got your-your smoking
: jacket ON !"
'It's my bath-robe," Craig re
s sponded, with the composure of q
= perfect, all-satisfying beatitude. 81
= don't mind it in the least Saturday
; Night.
Gas For Cooking.