Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-10-05

month"
Eunice "And you'll not be here for
my birthday"
Lapham No. Eunice, I'll try to
say it SO you'll understand. 1t is
something very serious. have had it
in my heart for q long time"
Eunice-"You look so warm and
tiredl Take your dip first and you
will be cooler, and you can tell me in
better fashion. After dinner I will
listen to the advice of my guardian
Shaking her parasol at him)-my ir-
reproachable guardian. [ just run up
to get my purse, you know. The key
to the penthouse is in it. [ promised
Mr. Bradsleigh 1 would hurry. So you
will forgive until dinner?"
Lapham-(Taking the gloved hand
held out to him)-"Yes; enjoy your
self"
exit Eunice. AS Lapham sits down
he sees the paper at his feet and picks
itup.)
Lapham-"Yes, yes. Bob is right.
| "Opens the paper.) But it will be
hard to give her up"
lie reads: "Dear Eunice-'T love
you with all my heart. My love will
never fail. 1 love you more to-day
than yesterday, and shall love you
more tomorrow than to-day.
(Signed) edward BRADsLEIGH. y
Enter the Colonel)
The Colonel-"Officer and men
ought to be in the guardhouse. [ gave
them a shaking up and d waiter will
be here directly. Morley! Your face
is as white as your shirt 'front.' Nap-
ham tries to SMILEY Don't try to
smile! You can't fool me! Old man,
you are suffering. You spoke to her?"
Lapham-'I picked this up on the
floor
Napham passes the note to the Col
onel, who reads it and passes it back
The Coloncl-"By George, sir, this
is infamous. Such girl as she at
tached to that spendthritt fool Never!
I'll speak to Mrs. Mordaunt.
Lapham (going over to the Colonel
and laying his hand on his shoulder)
-''No; you will not. She Is a sensi-
bic girl, and if she loves him, let him
have her. [ know that if [ were
young man of his age and she loved
me, and one got in our way, I would
The Colonel" Find your way to
the nearest church,"
Lapham-"Yes understand that
you will not say word to Mrs. Nor
daunt?"
The Colonel-"Not a word"
Lapham-'I can't bear to see her
again-iust now. I'll go at once"
The Colonel-"I wish you would
stay, but it is not becoming to urge. I
know how [ should feel if-puh-puh-
all! You will be out at sea to-mor-
row, and that will brace you up"
Lapham-"Ye-es. Clocks at his
watch.) [ can just catch the next
train" picks up his hat.)
The Colonel-'sBut the note? What |
are you going to do with it p
Lapham-'I have thought that out. |
[ will bribe q servant TO put it on
Bradleigh's table. We can keep the
secret, and neither of them will be dis
turbed. Explain to Eunice that [ was
suddenly called away. I'll get her
the best present in London, I can at
ford. -
Uapham starts toward the door and
meets Eunice coming in.)
Eunice-"The key wasn't in my
purse. 1t must have dropped upon the
floor. Mr.. Lapham! Are you ill2''
Lapham trying to smile)-''No-
just getting cooled off "
The Colonel" Excuse me, Miss
Hardy, but will go down and bring
up that lemon and settler myself"
Exit the Colonel)
Carrying that baby made |
you i'll It WAS Mrs. Miller's baby. I |
met her on the walk and she told me
all about it. She keeps the little |
stand down at the beach. buy cam
dies from her for M youngsters there,
and we gossip between bargainings. |
The train was sufocatingly hot; she
was tired and the baby cried. You |
took it on your lap and winked at t.
that wonderful wink of yours-and it |
went to sleep-twenty pounds of it in
your lap twenty miles
Lapham (uneasily)-''Please-ah!
don't talk about it.
Eunice assuming defianace) -'But |
[ will Mrs. Miller is going to send |
you up some of. her wonderful lemon |
drops. (Laughs.) You see one never
gets into these things that one doesn't |
get in deeply"
Lapham-'I didn't intend to give
you this note, but now that-that
you are here-I will" (He passes her
the note, which she reads.)
Eunice (blushing)-'It's Mr.. Brad
sleigh's!"
Lapham Choking a little) -'Yes-
L found it under the chair I could |
pot help opening it. I wish you Joy /"
Euniee-"Joy? JOY? Mr.. Brad
sleigh! (Laughs.) I'm not the
Eunice. It's his Eunice, who is out in
California. He made me his confessor
and told me how she had put him on
probation. He says I keep him FRONT
doing reckless things which he prom
ised her he would lot do
Observation-Disclosures
to say, Eunlce-tO ask you, Eunice-
please do not let our relations in any
way influence you in your answer. 1t
may seem great presumption-
Eunlce --''What do you mean?"
Lapham--'I mean-I mean
He takes the note from her hand,
and, sitting down at the little table on
the piazza, crosses out Bradsleigh's
name and writes his own in its pIhce.
Then lie passes it to her.)
Eunice-'1 understand
The Colonel and Mrs. Morda unt
enter and pass to the other end off the
piazza. Eunice sits down at the table
and writes on the back of the letter,
Mrs. Mordaunt-"You are. ami old /
campaigner, Colonel; and naval Of
fcers tell me that one must take what. .
army officers say with grain of salt"
The Co1onal-6T r,rotask NM loo.