Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-02-21

ueai vi " was eApialneu very plt!Iul-
ly when l heard from acquaintances
that Miss Cynthia was quite al
heiress in a small way.
Five hundred a year was nice
little income for an idle young man
to pick up; and he certainly devot-
ed to her all the time that he could
spare from his novels and cigars.
1t was not hard work for him a
very little went a great way with
poor Miss Cynthia, who, as she con-
fided to me one day upon the sands,
had never had lover before.
He had brought her little bunch
OF flowers that morning, and she
held them in her hand as she talked
to me, with q glance at them now
AMI then SO full of pride and plea
sure that it went to my heart.
"You see, my DEAR" she was sa,
ing, 1--WE always lived very quietly
in my dear fathers lifetime, and
saw no society. 1t is hard upon a
girl, | think. And yet, perhaps,
when one is not quite girl, the
happiness seems greater, | never
thought" and Miss Cynthia's
voice broke suddenly, and she look
ed straight out to sea with moisten-
ed eyes.
| looked at her hopelessly. She
had begun to affect certain iuven-
ility Of style which sat very badly
upon her. She had curled her front
hair lately, and as it was thin and
soft it would not friz, but struggled
in limp strands upon her forehead.
A sailor hat was perched upon her
head-exactly the same sort of hat
as that which Maud Treleven wore
upon her heavy black coils-and
she wore cross-over blouse which
accentuated the fatness and angu-
larity Of her thin figure. 1t was
hard to think of her as the heroine
of love affair.
"Dear Miss Cynthia" l said
gently q was so sorry for her), al
think you may be right, and that
one may be happier to be engaged
iatr In life out dou-t you rnIuN
one ought to be very sure; very Ger.
tain, about it? A girl may get over
things that an older person cannot,
you know. One wants to be sure"
eyes, indeed" said Miss Cynthia,
with a happy smile-"very sure"
There was nothing more to be
said. And presently she went on
81 don't think you know Mr..
Houston very we'll, do you? 20
said that | did not.
ono he is not very easy to know.
He says himself that very few peo-
pie understand him. My niece
Maud, for example, dislikes him
very much. 1t is pity, for she is
such dear girl, and it makes it so
uncomfortable. l assure you she
will scarcely speak to him, and is
quite short with me if but men
ton his name to her. And my
brother too is very unkind. He
says very cruel things sometime" F."
| had noticed that Maud Treleyen
was almost rude in her behavior to
the young man, and that she threw
every obstacle that she could in the
way of his intercourse with her
aunt. To Miss Cynthia herself she
showed the tenderest affection, but
she was always on the watch, and
Mr.. Houston seemed uneasy and
awkward under the glance of her
black eyes. Therefore it seemed
the more extraordinary to me when,
in two figures coming slowly along
the sands towards us, / recognized
Miss Treleyen and her aunt's ad-
mirer.
We were seated under the shadow
of an advancing ledge of rock which
ran out into the sand in long points
and reefs, and they passed by with
out noticing us. Miss Cynthia had
not seen them she was very short
sighted, and they passed at some
distance. We sat silent for some
little time-Ibu with my knitting,
and Miss Cynthia fidgetting about
in her usual nervous way-when
suddenly mans voice struck upon
our ears from the other side Of the
long jagged reef behind US
"Hard: I should think it is hard
for me. Why you should care
; about it, though, | can't think.
You threw me over first, or should
never have thought OF it."
In a moment understood. Mr..
! TT