The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-15

| ny, DAM. she cried, II am so glad
TO see you. II didn't expect you. Come
| inw
She relieved him Of his hat and the bev-
el-edged card. and offered him the best
chair in the sitting room. lie sat up very
| straight. looking at her with admiring
scrutiny. His gaze made her n trfe I'M
comfortable. though it pleased her, too.
1T is very good OF you to come to see
me. DAN" she said. Il am all alone this
| evening"
We'll, he remarked, with q covert
meaning which she did not grasp. II am
| glad of that. / didn't know that you
would be-" He pulled out his clean hand
kerchief and without unfolding it, passed
it over his forehead. The Millcent sit
! ting-room seemed warm and he had a
great task imposed upon him.
| Miss Achsah opened a window and let
the cool, April night breeze into the room.
A fine rain was falling.
why. you came down in the rain.
Danl" she exclaimed. 81 did not notice
| IT."
Il don't mind the rain" he said. II
| haven't carried an umbrella all winter"
Indeed? Isn't that rather imprudent?"
"Oh. hate to bother with ore. I had
a good umbrella, though last fall; A
| dollar-and-a- half umbrella, and one OF
those theologues stole It from me-"
do you really think sou She said,
| laughingly. That's a serious charge,
| Dan"
well. it's true" he went on vindic-
lively. Those fellows will do anything
you have to watch 'em all the time. 1
leave IL to any academy boy"
Il am afraid that wouldn't be quite
fair. Aren't the boys just little preju-
diced?"
Il dunno-maybe." he admitted mag
unanimously. But l amt. 1 live right
there with 'em at my aunts. l eat with
EN- three times a day. | know all about
EN-. l tell you, you want to look out
for EN-" She was amused by his grow
ing heat, without the least understanding
the reason Of it, and she led him on a lit
tie recklessly. Any moment Mr.. Letting
well might appear at the front door
why, Dan, any one would think. to
listen to you. that the theological stu
dents were criminals. Now you know
better than that You really respect them
very much; come. be honestw
Respect EN-" he cried, incredulously.
But she was looking him in the eyes
and he was forced to modify his state-
ment. Respect 'em? Why, of course,
| respect some of cm. There's one at
the Obed House, who was substitute
half-back on the Yale team. He's all
right. And one or two at our house may
be all right. But take 'em together, they
make me tired. And II a man makes
you tired. Miss Achsah, / don't see that
IL makes any difference whelher you
respect him or not"
She dropped her eyes q little; her fin
gers were drumming on the open map,
as if she were turning over the boys
aphorsm in her mind. Dan Jackson saw
that she hesitated. and he drew q long
breath and took the plunge.
for instance no continued die
passionately. there's a theologue who
sits opposite me at the table.
He's got a head that's fiat on top;
just as fiat as a dirt court. You
could play tennis on II, honestly, IL 1t
was little bigger. And when he's got
anything to say Of any importance he
kind OF shuts his eyes and opens his
mouth and fires at you. His name is
Lehngwell. Mortimer G.. Lemngwell
He's going to be missionary somewhere.
And he makes me tired. Now / want TO
know whether 1t makes any difference
whether L respect him or notY'
She was silent an instant and the boy
carried away by the triumphant force Of
his own argument, made an incautious
move.
"He isn't friend Of yours. Is he?
don't suppose / ought TO say anything
against him IL he is"
Miss Achsah detected the transparent
hypocrisy. Mr. Leiiingwell is a friend
OF mine" she said quietly. II am sorry
you do not like him, Dan. He is a very
noble man"
Dams heart came up in his throat. His
worst fears were true. ooh, that's all
right" he said weakly; "it's all right
If you like him" Then in n passion of
revolt ne added: did you ever watch
his ears wag when he eats?''
The girl laughed I'm sDitp Of herself
There was no denying it; Mr.. Letting
well was occasionally ridiculous; and all
the gentle prophecies of Miss Achsahs
nature recognized and resented the fact
for the first time. But the boy thought
she was laughing at him, and tears OF
helpless anger stagted to his eyes. He
did not know what more he could say
against Lefiingwell; he CROPPED among the
chaos OF sensations in his mind as a
diver spreads his arms uncertainty In
the dim under world. Then his fingers
closed upon something.
We'll" he said, desperately, II don't
suppose IL makes any difference whether ]
like him or not. He can get some girl
to like him, and they'll go off and be
missionaries. He's got a regular list Of
girls, and as fast as one OF 'em won't
have him, he just tries the next. He's
tried two in the last three weeks"
The boys vision was so blurred that he
could not see Miss Achsah's face. He got
up awkwardly, too proud 10 let her sus-
pect his misery. II suppose l must go
now. Miss Millicent," he remarked, for
mally. I've had a very pleasant time"
'Dan," she said, rising swiftly and lay
ing her right hand on his shoulder, with
n voice that scared him by its intensity:
Are you making that up about the list?'
Honest lnjun-hope TO die"-afiirmed
Dan, gloomily. 1.-The theologues were
lauehin about IL at supper tonight"
Miss Achsah did not lift her right hand
from the boys shoulder, but with the left
she reached around to the table behind
her and noiseessly closed the map Of
Senegambia.
"Dan," she remarked, with a tone OF
matter of-fact hospitality that greatly
relieved him. II don't believe you have
10 go just yet. Let's go out IN the
kitchen and make some molasses candy,
and If any one calls you can come in and
say that I'm engaged"
They made candy with great glee and
In undisturbed seclusion until the acad-
envy regulations forced Dan to take his
departure at five minutes before 10. 1t
was quite too late for her TO expect any
other caller. Just as he was going out
OF the door Miss Achsah. to his utter
bent impulsively and kissed
the boys forehead.
Mr.. Mortimer G.. Leffingwell awoke the
next morning with a sort OF half regret.
He had intended TO call upon Miss MILL
cent the previous evening. indeed, very
soon after supper-but happening to pick
up a Review he found an epochmaking
article that bore-not directly. perhaps,
but none the less signihcantly-upon the