The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-03-13
DRIFTING.

they were both good-looking, they were
neither of them too rich nor too poG5'
for worldly considerations to be bar
between them, and by uniting their
properties, which were only divided by
fence, they would both be as well OF
us either desired. They had known
one another, boy and girl, all their
lives, had played in one another's nur-
series, had hunted over the same coun-
try, danced in the same bathrooms, sat
in the same corners, and had been so
mutually interested as to be quite
frank, without ever being sufficiently
familiar to breed contempt. They
might have gone on in this way to the
ends of their lives if people had not in
terested themselves in their welfare.
1t was done in this way. Their mutual
uncle and aunt had met, and Mrs. Cross
lands had said:
tits a pity Frank and May don't
make a match of it."
To this old Martin Kirwin had re-
piled:
cit is, indeed"
"Do you think there is any under
standing between them?"
''They seem to understand one an
other very welli"
'Do you think Franks affections are
placed elsewhere?"
81 never heard of such thing. How
about May?"
''She is, l am convinced, heart-freel
Did it ever dawn upon you that they
were in love with one another?"
cit certainly has"
81 have thought the same thing fire.
quently, and now that you say SO, 1
am convinced thai it must be so; but
having known one another so long it
has never occurred to either that their
love is reciprocated, and each fears to
lose a friendship by making any adj
vance,"
81 think, Mrs. Crosslands, there is u
good deal of sense in what you say.
/ will pump Frank"
"And will question May"
"And then we can compare notes."
"Certainly-but l am sure there is
only one way to arrive at the truth"
"And that is"
For you to assure Frank that May
is in love with him, and for me to pro-
test to May that Frank is eating his
heart for her." 1.
"a very good idea"
That is how Frank and May came to
be engaged. They each declined to
believe the story told to them, and, by
the way of disproving it, agreed to put
il to the test. 1t was a curious comedy.
May treated Frank more coldly the
warmer he pursued her, and Frank.
thinking he was safe, finally proposed
10 her, and she, forspure pity for him.
and because she was such friends with
him, and also because she was mex
perienced and half thought it would
he fun to be engaged, accepted him,
and they both played their parts in the
second act of the comedy to perfec;
ton. The colder Frank felt, the more
attentive he forced himself to be, and
May, plying the good fellow she knew
him to be, did all she could to make him
happy, until the inevitable quarrel, as
she thought, would come about and re
lease her. But, not being lovers, they
did not quarrel, and so both drifted into
what each dared not, for very shame's
sake, withdraw from. The announce
ment of the engagement brought heaps
of congratulations to both, and every
wedding present that arrived seemed
like q new black seal ON the band thai
bound them together. Frank could
not face being called 'cad," and May
had not the courage to treat anyone
badly. There were only two people
who knew the truth. One was Jack
McGregor and the other was Bessie
Harcourt, but as neither of these two
knew OF the others existence, Frank
and May became Mr.. and Mrs. Ire
mayne, and drove away amid shower
of rice and slippers to spend their
honeymoon at Harlesden lodge, near
Pangbourne. on the banks of the river
Thames.
1t had been beautiful day-as fair IL
day as ever smiled on q bride and the
evening was delightful. Their luggage
had been taken upstairs, and they had
managed to get rid of all traces of the
ceremony. Indeed, as Frank said, no
body would ever suspect them of only
just being married. They dreaded the
presence of the servants, and according
" agreed that it would be pleasanter
TO go in search of some inn where they
could dine comfortably without being
stared at. It sounded frightfully un !.
conventional, and May was little afraid
it would not be quite right, but they
had been accustomed to indulging in
harmless jokes together, and SO it was
arranged. Frank told the staid butler
that he and Mrs. Tremayne were going
out and that they would let themselves
in and no one was to wait up. May
came down in o. blue serge, and a de-
liciously fresh blouse and straw hat,
and Frank was soon punting her up the
river. They found an old-fashioned
inn, and the dinner he ordered was ex-
ceIlent. The consciousness of their
newly acquired state made them afraid
of attracting attention, SO they dined
in the coffee-room and almost forgot
they were husband and wife in the
amusement they derived from the nov
city of the situation and the innocent
jokes they made about the other guests.
They had coffee in the garden, where
they sat till Frank, who was always at
tcntive, where women were concerned,
suggested that it was getting chilly and
they should be starting for home. When
they got on the water the wind fell, and
| the clear ro,1nd summer moon lit up the