Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-06-02
Love in Lodgings
by FLORENCE WARDEN.
CHAPTER VIII.
Distant Thunder.

A walk by the seashore may be ex-
hilarating when you are happy, but
it is eminently depressing when you
are miserable. So poor Cameron
found as, detected and angry, he
kicked the pebbles of the beach be-
fore him and debated with himself
whether he 81 Guild leave his migrate
full brothers and the exacting Colonel
Frere in the lurch, and use part of
what was left of the latter's three
guineas to pay his fare back to town.
He could not quite make up his
mind to this, yet he felt that he
could not go back to Sea-
view. 1t was not only that he had
failed in the task he had set himself,
that he had exposed himself to the
wrathful sarcasm of the colonel and
TO the "chaff'' of his brothers, but he
had been made ridiculous in the eyes
of the pretty girl uext door. She had
laughed at him. Cameron felt that
he hated her for it, hated for her sake
all pretty girls, saw through them,
| loathed them.
And loathing, he walked on, scarce
ly looking up, until he heard a
crunching OF the pebbles behind him
and girls voice saying gently:
"l'm so sorry, so very, very sorry
/ didn't mean TO laugh, but
He turned very red and somewhat
confused. For it was the girl that
had caused him TO forswear the whole
sex. There she was in her pretty
white frock, and the sun was glaring
down with such strength into her
gray eyes that she could only blush
and look sideways from under her
shady hat at the disconsolate crea-
ture before her. He tried to laugh,
with frightened lips and his head held
very high.
"Of course" said he, ''you couldn't
help it. 1t was so very funny, / know.
Ha, hal"
This attempt at merriment was not
q very successful one. Annie glanced
at him appealing, and then turned a
pair of distressful eyes out to sea-
Then she sighed.
"It's of no use denying it, :" she said
with resignation. 1T was funny, and
l had to laugh. You see l can cook
myself"
Cameron groaned and cast upon her
the same look of veneration with
which he would have regarded phil
osopher or inventor of worldwide
fame.
Then" said he, Il am not fit to
speak to you. The distance between
us is too greatw
"Oh, nonsense, said she, "it's easy
enough"
Don't say that" he returned earn
estly. when You have failed ig-
ANONYMOUSLY over a thing, it's more
soothing to think that thing was diff
fcult."
"But it isn't indeed. 1t only wants
plenty of patience, and then the very
smallest possible quantity of brains
will do"
That's it! 1t was the very small
est quantity Of brains that was want
ing"
II don't mean that, you know. But
you brought your great, ponderous
masculine intellect to bear on a mat
ter which only wanted light hand
and very little care. 1t was like
trying to crack an egg with the blow
of bludgeon. Why, l never learnt
to cook at all. 1t seemed to come by
nature"
II wish you would take charge of
my great, ponderous masculine intel
lect' for little while, and lend me
in exchange this brain of yours which
acquires things by natureW
"Well, / will do the nearest thing
can to that" answered she, smiling
and reddening very prettily. ~ will
como in this evening, if you like, and
show you how to cook the dinner"
Cameron could have gene down on
his knees among the pebbles Of the
beach.
II should like to die now" said he.
shall never have happier moment
II / live hundred years."
Eyes, you will. Nobody has ex-
hausted life's joys who hasn't tasted
my Indian fritters.
Cameron looked at her with ever
increasing alteration. They were
walking back slowly in the direction
OF the houses. The tide was low and
the afternoon sun made the little
pools that lay among the seaweed-
covered rocks sparkle and glow with
red light. What could he do 10 keep
her out there little longer, in the
sun and sea-breeze, away from the
kitchen and the colonelp He stopped
short, as If with the sudden shock OF
an idea.
h"When I go back" said he, ''the
colonel will insist on seeing me, and
will tell me he's going away"
1.-THE colonelp" echoed she, some
what puzzled.
He remembered that all the cir
cumstances of the case could not pos
sibly be known to her, so he begged
her to be kind enough to walk lit
tie further with him and to give him
her advice, delighted to pour his con-
fdenoes into such pretty ears.
$50 you told the colonel that you
were the landlordP" asked she, when
he had finished his story.