The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-04-28

Indeed, l am sorry said that" sht
whispered. "They may not be so bad ass
Uncle Owen thinks, and suppose some
people must write them, ass there are peo,
pie who read them.
'She puts me down as a sort of seaven.
gerr thought Mark, with much mental
disafeciion.
"Claudia Claudia !" called the aunt,
and, laying aside her work, the girl excused
herself and left the ROOM When an hour
had passed, and she had not returned.
Mark went to bed He shuddered to think
what Aberenllyn would be for him if she
We're not in it,
The next morning she said to him: 81
have letter from my father thiss day and
am to return to him the day after tomor-
row. They miss me so much at home"
THE day after tomorrow p echoed
Mark. 1t was as if veil had been sud
denly drawn between him and the sun
light
'Yess. shall be sorry and shall be
glad, too. l am happy at home and l am
happy here; but do not sleep so well at
Aberenllyn. 1t iss the salt in the air, the
doctor tells my father. My head iss al
ways so hot in Aberenilyn, though | do
not tell aunty."
Mark put his hand to the girls brow,
1t was much too warm. He fancied the
pretty forehead chung to his palm, and the
fancy made his heart beat
"You are the goddess of self=saeri6ce,
Claudia" he exclaimed, Sand your aunt is
a."
But the girls little white hand was to
his lips in moment. aYou must not say
anything against my aunt. l love her
very much. She iss lonely and does not
think people tire themselves"
Mark kissed the fingers that had thus
assumed to bar his speech and gallautly
returned the hand to to its owner
"You should not have done that, Mr..
Parlington, she murmured. at iss not a
very clean hand Just now, | am afraid !;
indeed, it iss not.
1T is good one, and that is enough for
me, said Mark. Her blush after the
kiss had cheered him like an elixir in his
veins.
The next day was misty and cold and
the southwest wind drove the sea hard into
Aberenllyn's little bay.
"Our last day" said Mark, when Clau-
dia greeted him with her usual gladsome
''good morning. Her eyes were very dark
underneath.
"Yess, and it will be bad one, too, Mr.
Parlington. am so sorry for you, But
why will yon leave Aberenlyn ass well
ass me p
"po you think could tolerate it with
out you ?" retorted Mark.
Claudia laughed with certain cou-
straint
"You would soon forget me- she said,
"and will you please to like your eggs
with the bacon or done simply in the pot"
Anyhow, Claudia, 50 your pretty hands
bring them to me-
1t was really a melancholy day outside.
The weather, of course, too, affected the
attendance in the shop. But Mark was
concerned to hear the deep voices Of men,
kind nearly always when Claudia left him,
and her clear, bright laughter never failed
to encourage them in their outlaws
Still, there were bonnets enough ordered
to keep Claudia lissome fingers in motion
whenever she was not required in the shop,
and she did most of this work in the little
room with the broken floor and the photo
graphs on the wall Mark sat on one side
of the table watching her. 1t seemed to
him he had been doing this off and on for
years. lie knew each of her fingers by
heart, and where her hair was thickest over
thar sensible little forehead of hers.
Are you, Mr.. Darlington, always so
idle? No, no; | do not mean that; please
forgive me. But when you are not here
do you not work like other people ?" asked
J Cland;a or apa tio,a
"Yes, work, my Claudia, and pretty
hard, too
But you mean at the writing, do you
not? Iss that real work, Mr.. Parlington?"
Faith, think so, child"
The girl dropped her needle and a baby
expression of far-awayness stole into her
gray ewes. a do not know if shall ever
be very wise, but do feel SO curious about
London at times 1t is chiefly when I lie
awake at night,
"Coughing?"
@Well, yess, perhaps | am coughing
though you must not think me weak and
good for nothing. My Uncle Owen says
have silly little ears, but that shouldbe
more foolish if they were larger"
81 don't quite know, Claudia, what your
Uncle Owen meant by that, but | think
your ears, like every other part of you, are
perfect
The girls cheeks crimsoned and she
looked up. "Ahf' she said, ebut that iss
only compliment! Ny sister Grace-shc
iss older than me-hass had many things
like that said to her"
"Your sister Grace, Claudia, what is she
like
you will excuse me, shall show
you.