The Penn's Grove record., 1895-08-09

"@S AS .SA
.good-by In the garden.
~ "Well, 1t has been Q p~leasan.
month, anyway" he said at last, urged
thereto by q desperate feeling that he
must say something at all hazards.
eyes," Elaine assented dreamilyj
"very pleasant"
Her serene, unconscious eyes gazed
straight before her into the hazy dis
lance with q rapt PARKWAY expression.
She was all In white, and she looked
like a tall. sweet Mary lily, with her
slender. swaying form, her pure. pale
face, In Its framework Of rufied golden
hair. There was something ideally
poetic about her fair, cold loneliness,
something that seemed to lift her above
thg level Of the ordinary woman to q
higher plane that was all her own.
"And, like all pleasant things" Cyrn
went on, in the same desperate way, at
must come to an end. I suppose all
pleasant things come to an end, don't
theyT"
Elaine nodded gravely.
"Yes, the copy-books say so-and, OF
tourse, they are right"
"of course they are right" echoed
Cyril
Elaine turned the calm light of her
gray eyes full on his face.
IL suppose" she said. "you mean you
are going awayfs
Cyril was somewhat taken aback; he
had not expected her to jump at a con.
clusion quite so quickly, but all the
same he felt rather relieved.
yes" he answered, ~ am going
back to town tomorrow. I did q good
deal Of thinking last night and I-well,
I came to the conclusion that-that
things were getting q little beyond
me-"
He made his speech In exactly the
right tone, and with exactly the right
expression on his face. He had made
1t 10 often before that he knew to .
nioety how to do It.
Elaine's eyes had wandered of to
the distance again. "Ah!" she said,
slowly. "things are apt to get q little
beyond Ms at times-or Is 1t we who are
apt to get q little beyond thingsr
Cyril gave her q stare Of blank as
constituent
Don't know, I'm surer' he answered,
rather shortly. II never guessed q rid.
die In my life, and I'm too old to begin
row."
Elaine smiled. Certainly at present
she showed no signs OF making a scene
In view Of his impending departure, and
he was fain to be thankful, though at
the same time-oh, the Inconsistency Of
mans naturel-he felt q little sore that
she should accept the situation SO quiet
y. 1t was rather ignominious for him.
$50 you are going away tomorrow"
The said, after a pause.
"Yes," he answered, lowering his
roice to a tenderly regretful tone. "Ars
Tou sorryT
She contemplated him for q moment
with an enigmatical expression, then,
mo-" she said; II am giad-becauss II
you did not 20 I should have to, and
I want to stay . little longer"
And then she laughed.
To say that Cyril was surprised would
be to put things with ridiculous mild
ness. He had never been so hopelessly
and helplessly astonished, bewildered,
and taken aback In the whole course Of
his existence. Speech was beyond him.
de could only stand and stare.
Elaine laughed again.
"You did not expect me to say that,
lid you'll" she asked.
Cyril passed his hands oveY his eyes,
like q man awaking from q dream
"No," he answered, drawing . LONG
deep breath
She was still looking at him.
"You expected me to be overwhelmed
with utter desolation at the prospect
Of your going, didn't your Well. per.
haps I might have been, only, you see,
I shall still have the tennis and the
boating and the fishing. and the one
thing and another to console me after
Tou have gone-and I am easily con
5oled."
Cyril said nothing. he only stared at
her helplessly, wondering II she had
taken sudden leave Of her senses.
Elaine saw the look and read 1t Alright
II am quite sane" she asserted. nod
ding her fair head with great gravity
and decision; "as sane as yau are
saner, perhaps" Then. all at once, she
dropped her bantering tone. "Now let
US talk sense" she went on; "let NJ
understand n another"
81 wish I could understand you," said
cyrfl, with q dazed, uncomfortable sort
u feeling that something had Suddenly
zone wrong with the laws Of the uni
verse.
Elaine nodded again.
"You will In half a minute" she SAID.
Now. listen to me. 1 am going TO state
two facts. Fact number one--you are
tirsd OF me. Fact number two-I am
strsA a you. There's the case In a nut
she'll"
Qyril thrust bis hands In his paekata