The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-02-22

He acquiesced so Jelly that felt all my
courage vanishing. We found little
room that was empty and sat down.
caught him looking at my rose, but he
pretended he was doing nothing of the
sort 1t was he who began, after all, to
the inappropriate accompaniment of the
Barn dance music.
$50 you were playing in little comedy
down at Cherrington, and the Miss Bent |
knew was purely imaginary person
Surely it must be pleasanter to be the Miss
Bell6eld, and to have all London compet-
ing for your favor
II was sick of being myself; that was
why did it, People pretended to like
me- and make so much of me, and knew
it was merely money, money"
''And were you successful in finding out
if you were charming enough to eaptivate
without it p His manner was chilly sar-
casm itself. A memory of all the things
he had said and looked overcame me.
lyon ought to know whispered. 1t
was dreadful, but you see saw now that
if he once went there would be only misery
for me.
He did not even smile. ''You ought to
break country heart for pastime ere you
went to town, was his only rejoinder.
II think, DIR. Maydwell, you were mas
querading as much as | was, or else you
really have become quite different; you
never talked like that when you were
boating on the Tarn.
mo, l made fool of myself by talking
nonsense; most people do when it doesn
rain in August.
Now, could anything be stupider? Here
was Hugh Maydwell-a man who had
got gold medals in physiology, or pathol-
ogy, or something conducting conver-
sation as if he had not two ideas in his
I head
AT any rate, you were very much more
civil to Kitty Bent than you are tc
Saranna Bellfeld, yet they are one and the
same.
Indeed, they are nothing of the kind,
he broke in hotly. 1.-The one was a sim
pie country girl full of pure thought and
high ideals She was as poor as am; we
met on the same level With Miss Bell
field, in her fashionable splendors, with
her great fortune, I have nothing, car
have nothing, to do. Your trick was an
unfair one; you took advantage of my
ignorance. Only a woman would be
clever enough to put on another manner,
another nature, with big hat and a pink
gown
Somehow was cheered by his remem-
/ brance of the color. 1t was Paris dress,
really, and had cost frightful amount.
For that adorable simplicity they know
how to charge daresay he thought that
if he married somebody on nothing a yeaI
she would wear frocks and hats of that
pattern All the time the dancers were in
front of us, and that tune kept buzzing on.
Il did not put on another nature
couldn if l tried think you are most
cruel. suppose you think | change my
friends as easily as do my clothes p
1.-The way in which Miss Bellfeld treats
her friends can matter nothing to me.
He was hateful, and yet every minute
| felt | could not, could not let him 60.
Quite suddenly knew that loved him;
that nothing else in the world mattered,
because knew he loved me- How did
know? Oh, l can't explain, but | did.
| grew bolder grew bolder.
''You cared once about being my friend,
or at any rate you said you did.
Miss Bellfeld, think ought to Offer
you my congratulations and say good
night That idiotic barn dance is over -
Congratulations ?' | said it with a
whole string of notes of interrogation.
II mean upon your engagement to Maj.
Peile- -Farquharson. He arose as he said
this, and was turning quickly away when
| stopped him. He told me afterward
that spoke quite passionately.
Il am not engaged to Maj. Farquharson
or to anyone else. People have no right
to say such things Down at Cheering
ton
''Down at Cherrington the village gos-
sips might have fancied that a penniless
doctor had been indiscreet enough to ask
a penniless girl TO wait for him for an in
definite number of years; they were just
as far from the truth. probably much
further
All my security vanished | fell
wretched-so wretched that my eyes were
full of tears; one even fell ON the roses in
my hand He saw that tear, but he was
just as obdurate, just as angry; apparently
not even relieved to hear that | was free,
when l might have been Lady SandolliOr
| but for him.
| didn't care what did or what he
thought. ..She would have waited all hel
life. +"
How | got out those seven words
wonder still. More tears fell as | said
them, and there was awful silence. Then
he began in such different voice.
s'You cannot mean what you are say
ing. He was standing and looking down
intently. He has the best eyes | evel