The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-05-08

lcnly
Not any more, l guess, than yo':
like Matte Swami, y she retorted, with
perk of her nose and q shake of her
fluffy hair.
Then you like him pretty well, )" |
said, in worse humor than ever, and
quite insistent upon nagging her all |
could.
Perhaps I do" she snapped, and
If l do, I'm sure he's very nice fel-
low.
Not any nicer fellow than Matte
Swami IS girl, Iput in as mean as l
knew how.
well, I don't care, she said, as
she slipped off of the rock and touched
the sand as lightly as thistle down;
I'm going home, and when you get
me to come away Off down here IN this
lonesome place again at this time OF
day. or any other time, | think you II
know it.
Then she started off along the beach
toward the row of cottages. It was a
mile or more. and I thought l would
keep within call. 50 let her, get some
distance ahead of me. poked along
behind. gazing out to sea and wonder
mo where all the beauty of the purple
shadows had gone. and why it was
the waves looked so cold and cruel
and ciammy. They were the same
shadows and the same waves. and
there ! was. and-but where was Lois:
Fifty yards up the shore and hurrying
along as if she were afraid of twilight
ghosts or other strange inhabitant OF
the crepuscular air. | looked over
my shoulder nervously, and al
around, and shivered. What it was
don't know, but on the instant, l call
ed to her and went after my call as
fast as ever ran after football.
Lois, Lois" | kept on calling, bu
she gave no heed. Her face was sci
away from me and she was going with
it rapidly. But not so fast that coulc
not catch her III the next fifty yards
| or so.
oh. Mr.. Belden," she said in 6
tone of pretty surprise as | came ul
painting by her side, how you
| frightened me. l had no idea YOU
were on the beach this evening.
Think of that, and still her father
having the temerity to talk about pup
py love. If that wasn't full grown
mastiff sarcasm, I'd like to know wha
it was. But I was not to be thwartec
by a woman's whim now, any more
than l was in the beginning.
"Oh, Lois, Lois, I pleaded, though
l puffed as did so. We are no
children to let trihe come between
US and our love. You know | love
you and l know l love you. 1t wa
because love you so that | grew wil(
with jealousy when you spoke of Yer
der. l don't care rap of my hnge'
for Matte Swami, even if you do like
Charlie Verder
Mr.. Belden," she began very stiff
Ily-"Call me jack" cried with al
my feeling come again. Call mt
Jack. as you have always called me. "
Perhaps I'd BETTER" she said cold
". You have acted so childish.
that Mr.. seems scarcely an appropriate
title.
'sYou shan't talk that way to me
Lois Tanner" l exclaimed as stepped
in front of her and blocked her path
Il have done wrong and l apologize
humbly for it. Now as lady yol
cannot do otherwise than accept it."
I accept the apology. and pray, lie
that end the matter.
'sNo, it shall not. l insist upor
your accepting the apology and thu
apologizer as well. I want you Lois
and that's what 1 started to tell yol
down there on the rocks. Answer mt
now with only the sea and the SKY
and the sweet twilight as witnesses.
I was about to take her hand ant
more tenderly urge my claim to al
answer, when she gave a slight scream
and sprang to one side as if she hae
stepped on mouse in the sand.
Look there" she whispered, point
ing to a couple seated on an old spa
half in the sand, and which until thel
was not visible. I looked and say
Verder and Miss Swami, very clos
together and talking earnestly.
LET them be witnesses also, if the.
will, darling" I said bravely, and thi
time I took her hand in mine
But it was too dark for them to see
and when Lois and I walked by then
in the dusLier shadows of the late
evening, she had promised to be m.
wife, and though the great sun of tn
heavens had set over the world ant
the earth was full of the shadows, tn
greater son of love had risen in ou
hearts and they were filed with tn
light inextingllishable.
That was a dozen years ago, and to
day Lois is the proud and happ.
mother of three of the prettiest ant
sweetest children in the world excep
four that am the proud and happy
father of.
She is Mrs. Charles Verder and Mrs
Belden was Miss Swann.-Detrol
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