Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-07

sense OF mastery growing upon him in the
face Of her evident embarrassment. See
here" and he took her face in his hands
and held it up. SAY it after me. 1 love
you"
I'm awful glad.". said Elsie trying to
suppress a smile with pout.
Will made pretense of shaking her, but
the result was as gentle caress as if his
braWny hands had been a woman's.
Say l."
t. obediently responded Elsie.
"Oh, love you, WILL" she cried yielding
all at once, II love you and you know it,
YES" he said, passing his arm around
her waist and starting down the path
again. Il know it. and I am very happy"
Elsie uttered a little exclamation of
fright and shrank close against him.
who's afraid now?" he sked loosely,
did you see shaker
NO" she whispered, all of a tremble,
look there!''
Will looked in the direction she indi-
Gated and saw. indeed. an unusual sight,
but not one to inspire terror. They were
passing through what had once been a
dense wood: now the trees were scattered,
the lumbermen having made many an in
cursion there for the best spruce hem
lock and pine. Under a tree whose gnarl-
ed trunk had saYed it from the AK were
two men.
One was stretched at full length, asleep,
his face turned toward them, showing in
its deep brown the effects of long exposure
to all kinds Of weather. The other was sit
ting with his legs crossed under him, lean
ing against the tree and staring at the low
ers. He was black man, or boy rather,
for it did not seem as If he had passed bis
teens. His aims hurg loose and motioless
at his side. Not even his lustrous eyes
stirred
l have said that he was black, but his
skin had not the rich, deep hue of the full
darker than that of his companion, who
was Enthusiastically Caucasian, and his
lips were not over thick or mis- nose fiat;
but he was clearly of a different race.
AS VIII took them in with a single glance
he almost wished that, they would offer to
modest him that he might show the girl at
his side that however he might quail at
confessions of what lay deepest in his heart
makeup. His heart bounded and his mus
cles became tense as he thought he no.
ticed a disposition on the. part of the man
to accost him; for, aroused apparently by
touch from the black boys foot, the
white man half raised himself and said:
what is it, Wanga?'
The boy made no reply. and the man CIV
ing vent to an impatient grunt as he saw
the peaceful couple in. the path, lay down
again.
marked viii in iowovotce. What made
you .!I. SO frightened?: ), IL ro,,uo,
shudder." Didn't you-see the black mans
"Yes. But what of them?"
"Oh, don't know; nothing, suppose; but
they seemed dreadful. He was looking
straight at me-"
That was natural enough. Funny name
he has, isn't it?"
Elsie did not respond. Thew walked along
in silence for few minutes. Will wonder
ing why she should have been so disturbed,
and gradually working himself into some
perturbation over the simple occurrence,
He hoped it had passed from her mind,
when she said:
Il don't remember that I ever saw a ne
gro in the woods before, did your
Yes; servants Of the rich people passing
through Gil ante on their way to the hotels
at the lakes
That isn't what I mean. 1 never saw
one alone before"
"Wanga isn't alone"
"WeN, you know-never mind. 1 suppose
they're only tramps or hunters. 1 wish
they hadn't frightened me SO. 1 won't