The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1895-06-14
aid in extenuation of the paternal weak

| ture happiness of his daughter can take
the position he does and assume to dictate
the course of two lives which in the Ma
ture of things must be independent of his"
Papa says your papa said the same
thing and agreed with him thoroughly"
she replied, arguing as women do
| Lois | said in my tirmest tone, "dont
speak to me of your father again. If you
| do, | shall be tempted to do him some
| injury"
The dear little woman laid her hand on
my arm restrainingly and smiled with such
irresistible sweetness that | ever forgot
the wound my own father had given me.
Let it go, DEAR she pleaded. They
have forgotten they were ever young
The shadows were growing into a deep
er purple and the waves took on the mel
| lower shades of the evening sky. The
night wind, just rising, tossed Lois gold
en- hair about her smooth white forehead,
and the pink of the sunset brought roster
glow to her cheeks I brushed my hand
across my eyes and looked into her face.
moments ago." | asked returning to the
previous subject.
what did you say?' she replied, trem-
bling little, l thought, for she surely
could not have forgotten so soon.
II said, darling"-it was the first time
had ever called her that, and it almost
frightened mel said that there was one
thing had not learned in the last two
years and that was to love you better than
| did when first met you. Do you think
| should have learned:'
'Perhaps, Jack she blushed, eff you
had YOU would have gone ahead of me in
the class
'Oh, Lois l began to say, and then
stammered and grew red in the face. l
could feel the blood fly along my neck,
and my hands shook so | could not have
put them out to her if she had asked me
to- had never spoken of love to wo
man, and now my inexperience was pain
full to me- | knew that the brave man,
could win triumph now, but | was not
brave On the contrary, | was coward,
an arrant coward, and in my fear | slip
ped down off the rock where we had been
sitting and walked out upon the sand.
Where are you going, jack she call
ed to me- Il don't like to be left here
alone I'm sure Charlie Nerder wouldn't
treat me like that"
That was enough to set me wild. Yer
der was the one fellow | dreaded, and he
hadn't known her six months either |
went back to the rock and stood at the
| foot of it, Just near enough to touch the
hem of her gown-such a sweet, white
gown, with bit of blue showing through
it as the blue sky peeps in and out from
the tleecy white clouds.
"Do YOU like him." | asked sullenly
Not any more, guess, than you like
Matte Swami" she retorted, with peck
of her nose and shake of her fluffy hair.
Then you like him pretty well, | said
in worse humor than ever, and quite in
sistent upon nagging her all | could.
perhaps do" she snapped land if l
do, I'm sure he is a very nice fellow
Not any nicer fellow than Matte Swami
is girl put in as mean as | knew how.
We'll, don't care she said as she slip
ped off the rock and touched the sand as
lightly as thistledown. 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'll know it
Then she started off along the beach to-
ward the row of cottages. 1t was mile
or more, and | thought | would keep with
| in call, so | let her get some distance ahead
of me- | poked along behind, gazing out
to sea and wondering where all the beauty
of the purple shadows had gone, and why
it was the waves looked so cold and cruel
and clammv They were the same shad
ows, and the same waves; and there was,
and-but where was Lois? Fifty yards up
the shore and hnrrying along as if she
were afraid of twilight ghosts or other
strange inhabitants of the crepuscular air.
| looked over my shoulder nervously, and
all around, and shivered. What it was |
don't know, but on the instant | called to
her and went after my call as fast as ever
ran after football.
Lois, Lois" | kept on calling, but she
gave no heed. Her face was set away
from me and she was going with it rapid
". But not so fast that could not catch
| her in the next fifty yards or so.
"Oh, Mr. Belden,' she said in a tone of
pretty surprise as came up painting by her
side, chow you frightened mel | had no
| idea YOU were on the beach this evening"
Think of that, and still her father hav-
ing the temerity to talk about puppy love,
| If that wasn't full grown mastitf sarcasm,
| I'd like to know what it was. But | was
not to be thwarted by a woman's whim
| now, any more than was in the begin
ming
"Oh, Lois, Lois" | pleaded, though |
puffed as did so. Don't talk like that
We are not children to let tritle come be
tween us and our love. You know love
YOU, and know love YOU. 1t was be
cause | love you 50 that | grew wild with
jealously when you spoke of Nerder. |
don't care a rap of my finger for Matte
Swami even if you do like Charlie Y Nerder.'
Mr. Belden,' she began very stitfly-
Call me jack cried, with all my feel
ing come again. Call me Jack, as YOU
have always called me-
"Perhaps I'd better she said coldly
You have acted SO childishly that Mr..
seems scarcely an appropriate title
You shant talk that way to me, Lois
Tanner" | exclaimed AS stepped in front
of her and blocked her path. Il have done
wrong, and | apologize humbly for it.
Now, a lady, you cannot do otherwise than
accept it
| Il accept the apology, and pray let that