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

| MISS NlublOW, bHlu CTHlRy ueS"
perately, 'T 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
n 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 a fool to think
for moment that she could care for
him? OF a 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-
tion, 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, don't believe 1 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, 1 expect to go
out West on business that will keep me
there indefinitely, L imagine. I shall
think of this summer often, and with
pleasure, 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, scofingly,
"that the kind of trunk you got,
: 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
, 'em to me
eyes, 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"
"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 1 wasn't going to stay there
and her a 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,
Arthur. You care?"
Craig strobe from the room. He
got down the stairs two at a time, and
a rushed around to the red-and-blue
D hammock between the shady oak trees.
"Lucy /" he said, bending over her.
''You are not-you can't be crying
because I'm going away, Lucy"
There was hot flush in the fearful
face she raised to him.
"Oh, Lucy" he implored, "don't
| be ashamed of it If you are crying
about me, don't you know l am the
happiest man on earth? was SO 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
1 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.
eyes, 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 1 was erying?
, Lucy queried, suddenly, after ten
l minutes of glowing happiness.
Reginald came and told me.
Reginald is trump" said 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-
sponded, with the composure of a
r perfect, all-satisfying beatitude. 81
= don't mind it in the least Saturday
: Night.
Gas For Cooking.
NTr1.:1 .l..4.;o;4,, =; 4,o,,ob;,o, 90