Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1894-08-04
Her voice broke with pathetic lit.

Her voice broke with pathetic lit.
tie culver that went straight to Bob's
heart. He looked down at the child
ish torlorn figure, half lost in the big
leather chair, and felt wild impulse
to take it in his arms But he re-
strained the impulse somehow.
"Wen," he said. as quietly as he
could, "it's riddle, isn't its wish
I could help you to read it. Old Phil
must be lunatic--nothing less than a
| lunatic"
"No," Gwen answered, sadly, che
is not lunatic-far from it-but
there is something l don't understand
She looked up at Bob again, and laid
rher hand lightly on his arm. Such q
pretty little hand. 1t looked like
snowflake on his rough coat sleeve.
"Will you do something for me?" she
asked II know l can trust you, and
you are Pills oldest friend; but you
must say if you mind very much"
Bob turned his head away. for he
dared not meet her eyes just then. But
he took hold of her hand and squeezed
it hard.
Anything" he said.
.Then," Gwen went on. "try and
find out from Phil what it is that has
come between us, and If can do any
thing to put it right. I have tried
and failed. But you may succeed.
Will you try?"
eyes" said Bob, just as he would
have said it, if she had asked him to go
to the other end Of tho world for her.
That same evening he broached the
subject to Phil 1t was rather a big
fence to tackle, but he shut his eyes
and rode hard at it, going straight to
the point in his laundering. honest
way.
Phil hesitated little at first, but in
the end he told the truth.
"You see, old chap" he said, ''it'f
like this. The whole affair is ghsstly
mistake ali through. / never pro-
posed to Gwen at ALL"
Bob gave great start.
"You never proposed to her at all?
he echoed. "Fhen how, in Heaven {
! nafn1 O1n Won oct enQaCed1 y"
"Well," said Phil, ldressing him
self to the fire, cit happened in this
way. You remember Charlie Thomp-
son of the til? Well, was st syins
down in Devonshire with him last
summer, aud there l met Gwou. Sue
took my fancy awfully at first, and
seemed to take hers; 80 W. started a
hirtation, and that worked all righ
until her sister Lily appeared on th
scene. When l saw her-Lily, NEAR
Il knew l was done for. She's-she'
different from other girls, somehow.
"Well, I soon made up my mind t
nsk her to marry me, but was bit
shy about it, AMI, like fool, before
speaking to her thought woull try
ana finl ont from Gwen if there was d
chance for me. I mentioned it to hel
one evening, aud tried to ask her te
put in n good word for me but mus
have made an awful idiot Of myself
for, to my horror, she thought / wa
proposing to her, and before I kne1
where was she had accepted me.
was all up with me then. Ifelt queer
l can tell, Bob; and when I found sh
had really cared for me all the time
when ] thought she was only playing
me at my own game, hadn't the pluc
to tell her the mistake she had made
l was a coward, know, but l literall
could not do It. l just let thing
slide, and trusted to luck to get m
ont of the scrape. You see the resul,
Luck deserted me for once, and her
am-stranded. I've behaved like
fool and a scoundrel all round, and tn
worst Of it is no one Is satisfied. al
miserable, so Is Gwen, and SO is Lii
and all through a misuuderstant
ing Is there anything can do to PIT
things straight, old chap? Withot
behaving more like scoundrel tina
ever, I mean. What would you do i
my place.
Bob thrust his hands deep in h
pockets and nodded his head Wi,
great gravity.
'~Tell the truth" he answere,
,erselv; cts the only thing you ca
do. and You ought TO have done i. Ion