The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-08-15
self over with a Young woman.

ulSedSe are just lne same Ill all OF us.
We love her, and we show it, But
don't you see that, short of risking
my fate on definite yes or no,
there is nothing l can do to distin-
guish myself from the herd9 re-
alize my unpleasingness much more
than you can Miss Helston. l have
had 81 years experience of it-you
only six months. It's about that,
isn't it, since we came to know each
other"
II never said you were unpleasing.
don't think you are, but you must
seem so to Lola"
"Well, what can 1 do2" he asked
impatiently.
II don't know. l know what l
should do if were a man"
WHAT he asked, and in spite of
himself he hung almost breathlessly
on her answer.
II should give her a new sensa-
ton"
For instancep
Suppose you paid q little attention
to some one else when Lola was pres
ent. That would be an entirely new
sensation to her."
He laughed. "Of course it would.
How could any one help You
don't mind my treating you exactly
as man since you asked for my con
fidence on those terms7"
mo, l know no one can think of
any one else while she is by. But if
you can make up your mind to pay
little-no, good deal-of attention
to, say, one of the Gumpidge girls,
who are really very nice, if Lola
would give any one the chance of see
ing it"
"You don't seem to like your cousin
very much, he said doubtfully.
"On the contrary, am extremely
fond of Lola; but, like you, 1 regret
her lack of a serious attachment, and
| believe honestly that the only way
to inspire one in her would be, to put
it plainly, to make her jealous"
At the back of his mind lurked a
deep, intense establishment to find
himself thus in confidential CONVEX
sation with woman, and that WON
an Miss Helston But he went on as
though that confidence were the most
natural thing in the world.
Don't think me a conceited fool
when say that don't think it would
be quite fair to Miss Gumpidge to do
that"
"Of course it would not unless you
explained what you we're after. But
surely there's some girl among all
the tennis playing set whom you like
we'll enough to be able to trust"
You're the only girl l ever trust
ed or could trust" Then a new look
came into his eyes, and he said slow
ly, would you-but know you
would mott say, what an awful lot
Of nonsense we are talking"
IF you thought that you could
play the part convincingly, l don't
know that l should mind, she an
swered gravely. And if I were
quite, quite sure that you cared seri-
ously for Lola-seriously enough. /
mean, for your happiness to depend
upon whether you married her or
not
IT care for her so much" he said,
''that nothing in my life seems to
have any value or any interest ex-
cept at the points where other things
touch her"
Very WELL" Edith Helston an
swered. II know Lola pretty well,
and believe that the man who ap-
pears Indifferent to her will be the
man she will care for. If you care
to play the comedy, will help you
play it, But you will have to play it
well, she added. with rather a sad
laugh. ut will take a good deal Of
acting to convince Lola or any one
else that you could look at another
girl while she was by"
II can play the part well enough"
lie answered you have seen me
act, and they say l am rather good
1t it. But, after all, isn't it rather
too much like the plots people make
on the stago2 Do you think it's any
good2"
Just as you like" she said.
But is it fair to you-to give you
all this troublef" he added hastily
II don't mind the trouble" she
said briskly Indeed / shall enjoy
It, and it won't-I 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-'I have
cared for some one else this long
time. That is why l am sorry for
you and willing 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 sell
respect. Now we are ON even ground
friends, comrades, who trust each