The Penn's Grove record., 1894-10-12

turned TO ner anu hsheu oopcliy
"Whst has brought you here, Grace
1 though you were in Long Branch
Excuse me. Ralph" she answered
with a confusion which I pretended
not to notice, 'fbut I don't wish to tel
you-at least not now"
every WE'LL" I said, ST won't ask
Won, bat 1 will leave tomorrow, / can.
not stay here with you-I-"
stopped the confession and she
looked at me in that same odd, ques
tioning way.
"Why not?" she asked, after o Short
silence, and regaining her TESTING tone
with an effort, 'I'm sure it will be very
amusing to run about our old play.
grounds. We have been Unexpectedly
thrown together here and might enjoy
recalling some of our-foolishness.
don't see why You want to run away
Her merriment and Adlow's relation
ship to hel made it impossible for me
to give my true reason but it was well
the rain had brought darkness early,
for my face would else have betrayed
too much emotion. / was silent o mo-
ment, and then said:
'T1l tell you why, Grace. I don't
think it is just to Mr.. Adlow. Every
one knows how attentive he has been
to you, and although your engagement
has not been announced, we have res
son to believe it soon will be. I re-
spect Mr.. Adlow and will not remain. !"
"Still the same careful boy you al
ways were," she answered, laughing.
"Don't bother about Mr.. Adlow. If |
choose to roam once nor through
these beloved scenes with such an old
friend as You, he shouldn't object.
Now, you will stay until I say you
should go, won't you?"
She looked at me with such an APP
peal, that l readily yielded.
Days passed-blissful days-and
Grace was adorable. I1oved her more
and more, and saw more clearly that.
for the sake of my future happiness, !
should go away but she was SO merry.
and still SO unconscious of my true
feeling, that I remained, and fearing
to cloud her pleasure, feigned equal
eayetY. So surely though, as the
days were passing, I felt that my re-
straint could not last long.
One sunny afternoon, walking down
a quiet lane, shaded by the orchard
trees on each side, I said:
"Grace, 1 must go away. You haven't
told me yet to go, but I must. We
have been as candid and frank as true
friends should be, but there is one
point we must meet. If you r en-
gagged to Mr.. Adlow, I must leave at
once. Tell me plainly"
She kept a steady look at me during
the words, wearing the odd expression
I had before noticed, but more intense.
/ had schooled myself for the ordeal
and had assumed the half-bantsring
tone in which we had always tailed.
But she was now sober, and, utter
dropping her head and walking Gin a
short distance, she answered:
"You are right, Ralph. ] have kept
you here and you are entitled to know.
Just befo-e the party started for Long
Branch, Mr. Adlow asked me to be his
wife. I had thought I loved him, but
when he asked me I felt that I was NOT
sure. I knew hat if I should go with
the party / could not give his proposal
the serious thought that it deserved,
SO / came oSn ncrsyQever expecting
to find you and 7 have Deer fhfut~A
seriously, though you may not believe
it. Tomorrow is the day I promised
Mr.. Adlow to let him know. There it
oil is, Ralph. Please don't think me
unwomanly in telling you this. Our
relations have been unusual, because
of those old-those dear old times, and
l feel towards you almost as l would
towards-towards a brother"
"And am Tentitled to know hog you
will answer?" I asked, with a thrill of
hope, for it was the first tine I had
heard her speak tenderly of the "old
times"
Again she cast that strange, pene-
tratiug look at me, and replied:
81 will write to him tomorrow, and
/ will tell you how 7 have decided in
the evening""
All next day Grace kept her room,
and l strolled alone. Her action puz-
zled me greatly. Why had she not ac-
cepted Adlow at once? Had she learned
something which made marriage with
him undesirable? Sometimes I felt
that l had been weak In not declaring
my love in spite of Adlow, but I could
not make myself believe that she saw
anything but fun in our relations, I
roamed far, and without seeing Grace
again. Iconld not face the ordeal of
hearing that she had accepted Adlow,
and if she should tell me of a refusal,
| feared that she would meet lightly
The confession that her boyish lover
wa6 her lover still in manhood. l was
Seak-cowardly, but could not help it.
Late in the afternoon 1 hurried back
the house. Finding my uncle, I
odd him untruthfully. but excusably,
perhaps-that / was called away by
business, and asked him to bid Grace
goodbye for me. He was q man of few
and assented without comment,
| had previously obtained his permis-
non to take some article from the old
cedar chest as q memento, and / now
hurried up to the room TO select one.
l sat down upon tho chest, fighting
ny desire to call Grace from her room,
% tell her that our laughter over the
I'D times had, with me, changed to
owe, and TO beseech her not to marry
But I conquered. Grace was
90 noble, too Just, to accept anyone,
though ans might love him, in
his underhand manner.
1 raised the lid OF the chest and re-
moved the blanket, which was used as
cover, when my eyoi caught sight Of
article which had not been there |
before Itwas o letter newly addressed
md stamped. took i&up curiouslyJ
md instantly wasthrowE into pernIex1
", 1t was in GrseeA
vas addressed, to Fred l,
Ire letter giving hin eisioH. III
sas hoT II had I'D, HAY.
aenEitteRu pagan IhsliaYnd