The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-17
PLAYING WITH FIRE.
BY E. NESBIT.

I her and we show 1t: but con I you see
! that short of risking my fate on a definite
/ yes or no there is nothing l can do to
/ distinguish myself from the herd3
/ realize my unpleasingness much more
/ than you can, Miss HelstOn. I have had
I twenty-seven years experience of it
you only six months. It's about that,
isn't it, since we came to know each
! otherln
i never said you were unpleasing.
/ don't think you are; but you must seem
/ so 10 Lola"
well, what can doa'' he asked, i'm
patiently
Il don't know. know what I should
I do if were a man"
/ "What.'' he asked and in spite of him
/ self he hung almost breathless on her
answer.
| For instance2"
Suppose you paid a little attention to
some one else when Lola was present;
! that would he an entirely new sensation
for her
He laughed. ''Of couse it would. How
could any one help-you don't mind my
/ treating you exactly as man since you
asked for my confidence on those terms ~
No, | know no one can think of any
one else when she is by. But if yOu can
make up your mind TO pay little-no, a
| great deal-of attention to, say one of the
| Gumpidge girls, who are really very nice,
If Lola would give any one the chance Of
| seeing it. -
'Xou don't seem to like your cousin
very much" he said, doubtfully.
" On the contrary, l am extremely
| fond of Lola, but, like you, regret her
lack OF serious attachment, and | be-
| lieve honestly that the only way to in
sp1re one in her would be, to put it
| plainly, to make her jealous e"
At the back of his mind lurked a deep,
! intense establishment to find himself thus
in confidential conversation with a
woman, and that woman, Miss Helston.
But he went on as though that confidence
were the most natural thing in the world.
Don't think me conceited fool when
| say that don't think it would be quite
fair to Miss Gunpidge to do that"
''Of course it would not unless you ex-
| planned what you were after. But surely
there's some girl among all the tennis
playing set whom you like well enough to
be able TO trust"
You're the only girl ever trusted or
could trust. Then new look came into
his eyes and he said slowly: would
! you-but you would mott say, what m
awful lot of nonsense we are talkingu'
IF you thought that you could play the
part cOnvinciugly, / don't know that l
should mind" she answered gravely,
and II were quite, quite sure that you
| cared seriously for Lola - seriously
enough, mean, for your happiness to de-
pend upon whether you married her or
not
Il care for her so much, !" he said, that
nothing IN my life seems to have any
value or any interest except at the points
where other things touch her"
Very, Well, T." Edith Helston answered,
II know Lola pretty well, and 1 believe
that the man who appears indifferent to
her will be the man she will care for. If
you care to play the comedy l viii help
you to play it. But you will have to play
u well" she added, with q rather sad
laugh; lit will take good deal of acting
TO convince Lola, or any one else that you
could look at-another girl while she was
by.
Il can play the part well enough he
answered; you have seen me act; and
they say l am rather good at it. But, af-
ter all, lsn't1 all rather too much like the
plots people make on the stagel Do you
think it's any good2"
Just as you like, she said.
But is it fair to you-tO give you all
this trouble''' he added, hastily.
Il don'S mind the trouble she said.
brisky. Indeed, shall enjoy it, and it
WON'T mean it couldn't be considered
unfair to me IN the way you said it would
be TO the Gumpidge girls, because-you
may take my confidence in exchange for
your own she said it with burning
cheeks, but with steady eyes Il have
cared for some one else this long time /;
that is why am sorry for you and will
ing to help YOU
Her voice had in it the first soft note
he had ever heard there. He sprang up
and held out his hand to help her to her
| feet.
Thank you" he said, ''for telling me
| that. You give me back my self respect.
Now we are on even ground: friends,
comrades, who trust each other! And
| however it turns out, shall bless you all
my life for your help and your good
ness"
Don't let's be sentimental, 4" she said,
| laughing, lat any rate when we are by
ourselves. Remember we shall have
| quite enough Of playing that part when
| other people are about
| IL
John Percival was sitting on stone in
! the old quarry, making holes in the
| soaked ground with the ferule of his
| stick, and waiting for Edith Helson All
| the glory of August and September had
! faded from the world, washed away by
| long days of steady, constant rain.
Now, at the sun-setting, the rain had
| ht,f e