The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1895-04-06

ulStdllCCs IEdlil. = All a SIC Sllu, SAOWAy,
things are apt to get a little beyond
us at times, or is 1t we VINO are apt to
get a little beyond thfngsy"
Cyril gave her a stare OF blank as
tOnishmrnts' - r.~ ate@
Don't know, I'm sure" he answer
ed, rather shortly. Il never guessed a
riddle in my life, and I'm too old to be-
gin now"
Elaine smiled. Oh, the inconsistency
OF mans nature! He felt a little sore
that she should accept the situation so
quietly. 1t was rather ignOminiOus fol
him.
80 you are going away tomorrow"
she said, after a pause.
YES he answered, lowering his
voice to a tenderly regretful tone Are
you sorryy
She contemplated him for a moment
with an enignatical expression, then,
No. she said, Il I'M glad, because IL
you did not 90 1 should have to, and
l want to stay a little longer And
then she laughed.
To say that Cyril was surprised
would be to put things with ridiculous
mlianess. He could only stand and
stare.
blaine laughed again. .
you did not expect me to say that,
did your she asked
Gym pressed his hands over his eyes.
like a man awakening from a dream.
NO" he answered, drawing a long,
deep breath.
Ii was still looking at him.
You expected me to be overwhelmed
with utter desolation at the prospect
Of your going. didn't you? Well, per-
haps | might have been, only, you see,
l shall still have the tennis and the
boating n the fishing n the n
thing and another to console me after
you nave gone-and / am easily con-
soled."
Il wish i could understand you,"
said Cyril, with a dazed 'uncomforta-
bic sort OF feeling that something had
suddenly gone wrong with the. laws Of
the universe.
Elaine nodded again.
You will in half a minute" she said.
Nov, listen to me- l am going to
state two facts. Fact number one
you are tired OF me. Fact number two
II am tired OF you. There's the case
in a nutshell"
Cyril thrust his hands in his pockets,
and became suddenly and deeply inter-
ested in his irr~eproachable boots.
by Jove!" was all he said.
Elaine threw up her pretty white
arms and clasped her hands at the back
OF ner head, with a graceful gesture OF
WEAKNESS. ana discomfort.
Il am tired OF you," she repeated.
Don't be cross. l am not rude, only
truthful. l am stating a ract. 1t is my
nature. l always get tired OF men III
the end. 1t is only a question of time.
Most things in this life are, l think" :
She paused, but Cyril was silent.
Men, she went N, ret1ectively,
charm you up to a given point, and
pail upon you afterward. There Is a
great sameness about. them"
Cyril started, as well he might. It
was somewhat OF a poser to hear his
own Utmost thoughts and sentiments
put into words in this calm fashion.
You speak," he said sarcastically,
from experience, no doubt
She looked at him iserenely.
YES" she answered, Il do. l know
men pretty thoroughly now, which is
a great achievement; and 1 know my
self, too, which is a still greater
achievement, though you may not think
so. 1t is always the same. SO long as
1 am not sure of 4 man, so long L want
to be sure of him. But the moment I
am sure of him-inR that mOment /
| cease to want him. l never felt sure
Of you until last night. Until then you
had always eiuded me, and l could not
| tell ii you were in earnest or not; but
last night you showed me that you
loved me-for the moment-and that
was the end so far as l was concern
ed" She paused. Il showed you that
L loved you, too-for the moment" she
| added, presently, 'and h a was the
end so far as you were concerned"
Once more she paused.
by Jove!" said Cyril again.
He could not think of anything else
to say.
Truth to tell, he felt distinctly small,
| and that is a feeling that does not con-
duce to a mans general good hur1ol'
at any time. He was beaten at his
| own game and ~vanquished with his
own weapons. The situation was a
novel one. but 1t lacked the charm that
novelty is commonly supposed to pos
sess. T'his girl, with her angel face
and innocent eyes, was not the simple
trusting maiden that he had believed
her, but a very queen Of coquettes.
don't. be cross" said Elaine In a
persuasive tone. Don't bear malice.
Snake hands and be friends. 1 should
not have talked to you like this only
that 1 know you are just like me. Now
confess. Am I not right?' ~. :
Cyril took the little hand held out to
him and prepared to put as good a face
as he could. on the matter. 1t seemed
the best thing to do. rs s:g...49,
Perhaps you are" he said. Any
way. l shan't contradict you. It's. rude
to contradict a lady, isn't itY'' rrs - 49,
He looked down and she looked up.
Their eyes met. A moment later. the
fields were ringing with their laugh.
ter. E85y . - ..&.s,s +,.syr.
"Oh,":sa Elaine, as loon as she
could speak, Its a clean case OF dia-
mond cut diamond; the cleanest ! ever
heard of.'-London Truth. a&&<
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