Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1893-08-17


quite so outrageous or insincere.
Even his stennis temper" for which
allowances were always made, was no
excuse. Fire flashed from the gray eyes
under the scarlet cap. 81 wouldn't for
get that l was a gentlemen II l were
| your Edith's voice was unusually
quiet, and consequently crushing.
SPY Jove! l draw the line! Mr..
West, Edith says I'm no gentlemen, aud
appeal to you. Did say any thing un-
gentlemanly
Ned" observed Mr.. West, turning to
his patient partner, "you're no lady"
Then to Edith, Go on, my child, it's
your serve. Anyone would think you
and Eric were two years old"
Edith began to serve. She played in
wrath and silence, and she played we'll.
Game after game was won. Eric looked
almost meek, but neither he nor Edith
spoke.
"Set!" at last gasped Edith, breath
lessly triumphant, and the four players
moved towards the water-pitcher.
''Miss West" her father said, as he
handed her glass of water, "allow me
to present to you Mr.. Allen" A smile
crept into the grey eyes under the scar
let cap and twitched at the corners Of
the sweet red mouth.
"Im happy to meet you, Mr.. Allen.''
A small hand was placed in a large
brown one, and was clasped tightly,
while Mr.. Allen mentally called himself
boor.
Peace and politeness reigned upon the
tennis-court during the two sets, and en-
thusiasm waned.
"Pve had enough" said Mr.. West.
GIVE had enough" echoed his daugh-
ter. "There's nothing that fatigues me
so much as to have Eric lose his temper
That young gentleman looked unutter-
able things-some of them were nice
but wisely held his tongue.
"There is lemonade in the dining
room," Miss West announced as they
strolled toward the house, "and ginger
bread"
81 don't care much for lemonade, -
Eric said as the two young men and
Edith sat in the cool and darkened room.
sit doesn't quench my thirst filing
his glass for the third time. 'sThis gin
gerbread is bang-up, though. Got any
candy?' Silence from Miss West whose
mouth was full.
"You might as well tell him. He'll
hunt till he finds it," Ned Whitney
rarely did anything so trivial as to speak,
but when he did, pearls of truth fell
from his lips.
"He may hunt. He ate every bit
there was in the house yesterday, and he
owes me pound besides. I'm going to
order the blackboard. Is anyone going
bathing from your house, Enic?"
Everyone. They are goiLg to take
Ned's and my things down to the beach.
We're going to drive down with you, if
you'll be so altogether lovely as to let
u.s." Edith had vanished before this SEN
tence had reached its climax, and Eric
resolved to repeat it next day. Edith
often vanished in the midst of his re-
marks, and he was becoming accustomed
to addressing the empty space where she
had been.
Buckboard's here" he called from
the foot of the stairs as the clock struck
twelve, and crunching of gravel and
wild barking from the dogs were heard.
Edith appeared with heterogeneous
mass of scanty garments and voluminous
bathing-towels in her arms; Mr.. West
emerged from the library, and soon they
were all rafting along on the road to
the beach.
"Why don't you leave that beast at
hobuO' oC"duuCu ILllC 1IOuu blC UdCh
seat as Edith's great dog sprang into the
air in front of the horse with a series of
deep banks.
care you referring to Sir Galahad ?''
Even the back of Edith's head looked
dignified as she asked the question. 'He
always goes where l go. Besides he
likes to battle as much as you do.''
'And needs it more" Eric had the
temerity to observe. Sc 1 should think
he had been carousing on fifteenth-cen-
fury ish from the way he smells.''
81 scorn to pursue the subject further.
Papa, can't you make him stop?"
(which? Eric or Sir Galahad?'
"Sir Galahad. Be quiet, boy" She
ordered as the dogs barking became
more wild. "Oh! will nothing make
him stop?"
eyes," said Ned, 1" a bullet violently
inserted between his eyes, or bag OF
| dynamite tied to his tail.'
Ned thought you were friend OF
mine" The reproach in Edith's voice
made Ned feel that his speeches, rare as
| they were, were yet too frequent, and he
descended abjectly from the blackboard
as it drew up in front Of the lighthouses
The Rockland beach stretched white
and smooth for half mile. A cliff shell.
tered it on one side-a long point of land
on the other. Now the only sound to be
heard upon it was the booming of the
surf, breaking in long, level lines of
foam. The day was perfect, so thought
Eric Allen,-the first to come out from
his bath-house-as he walked slowly up
and down the warm, shining sand and
waited for the others before taking his
first plunge. The sea, blue as liquid
sky, flashed and sparkled in the sun
shine. The waves came bounding shore
ward, crested with white foam, and
turned to the seas own cool delicious
green as they leaped and curved and
broke upon the beach. White sails flew
by like silent wings, and family across
the meadows from the distant town came
the Ginning of church-bells.
It's good to be alive on day like
this" said Eric half-alCud. "Those
bells make it seem like Sunday. Here
they come. Heavens! what noise they
make!" They certainly did, as seven
bath-house doors burst open, and Eric's
four sisters, Mr.. West, Edith and Ned
Whitney, each carrying a pail, came
running over the sand,-talking, laugh
ing and screaming, only less noisily than
when they plunged into the glorious
| waves.