The Penn's Grove record., 1896-01-31

De-" with Il little rising or the eyebrow
but l think it would be very stupid I
pass ones whole life with OH
friend"
with II WHAT
Friend" answered the girl. c1lmiN
nnfurling her sunshade and settIlh
more comfortably into her cushions.
The Ilan stared at her for Il Few sec
pnds. Jhen he followed her gaze nj III
brown sails, and for a moment they az
reared to find something of surpasslhi
Interest in them.
81 think II would be very Jolly 4
bring out Nina Armstrong one day
and her brother. don't your asked III
girl. -,
"Yc-es. perhaps they would Ike It,
indifferently.
"Oh, Jack Armstrong told me yester
day that he was devoted to sailing. H'
wanted me to go with h~im-them-to
day, but | said you were coming, anc
you would thing it odd If you found nc
one at home"
you are very kind" he answered 9
little sulkily. II am sorry to have sep'
you at home"
"oh, It does not matter. / can go an
other day. l wanted to see you, you
know"
Thanks; but why not go in his boat
tomorrow instead of having him herei
You would enjoy 1t more, probably.
al don't know that should" husing'
V. Besides, l want you to know Nina.
She is such a dear little soul, and SO
pretty. I am sure you will quite fall In
love with her"
She looked at her companion for the
drst time, then quickly lowered hei
suushade, for the digniied amazement
Of his expression was too much for heI
gravity. For minutes silence reignec
in the boat. The man was wondering
If 1t could really be possible that the
gi:l regarded him simply as one OF hei
many friends, and was quite Indifferent
Is to whether he cared more for another
girl or not.
1t had never occurred to him that
other men might admire Ruth so much
as to take her from him, He looked al
her in his endeavors to fath0m 1t all
She was really very pretty. When he
looked at her she was leaning on the
side Of the boat, her head resting on her
arm.
How perfectly idylic this IS" she
finally said. What a comfort 1t is to
be able to sit silent when n feels in
clined. and not feel that one is playing
the bore. 1t is a sign of true friend
ship, Mark. l could not do SO with
anyone else but you, but you under
stand" She looked at him with o
sweet. grave smile. I'VE ought to be
good friends after knowing each other
for all these years, oughtn't we?'
Mark nodded. "'Friends' always
seemed to me such an inadequate, cold
word" he said. Friends and a~cqualnt'
ances are the same to me-"
"Oh, no, oh, nor she cried. "Ac.
quaintances mean so little; they are
nothing. l have so many, but Of friends
80 few. You are one Of my chiefest,
and"
81 always thought we We're more than
friends" he said.
"Iou silly boy, how could we be-"
she replied with a little laugh, but the
laugh did not ring true.
well, you may know what the old
folks"
Mark, do you know that 1t is nearly
4 o'clock, and that I promised to be at
Armstrong; at 40? We must really
go now"
Later that day 1t occurred to the
man that he had not thought of the
irish girl ~forseveral hours He did moi
think Of her till the moon rose, and he
went out on the headland and sat alone
with his pipe.
Ruth, do you feel inclined to come
for a stroll?" The girl was sitting in q
large basket chair in the garden on the
cliff top. In her hand she held a maya,
zine, but she was moi reading; she was
looking out over the sea, thinking Of
something which called up a little
smile on her lips.
She looked so sweet and fresh ant
cool, her soft white gown showing hei
pretty sunburnt cheeks and the glori
Gus color of her hair. Mark approach
ed her with his request almost diff
IDENTIFY. During the last week or tive
he had found that she did not jump al
his suggestions with her old alacrity-
In fact, it had taken all his time and all
his tact to secure her company at all
and so occupied had he been that he
had no time to think at all Of the Irish
girl; at least he had only found time Of
an evening v his pipe, and two OF
these evenings he had spent in thinking
of Ruth.
To-day. however, Ruth willingly con
sented to accompany him. Let US &C
oil the heather" she said. land yor
must talk to me, for l am feeling fear
fully lazy"
So they strolled along the narrow
lane inland until they came to this
moor, where great stringy beds Of pur
pie and white heather stretched away
for miles and the low hedges were
draped with festoons of h~oneysuckle
and ''old mans beard" Close to n
Of these hedges they found a seat, or
at least, Ruth found a seat; Mark die
not want one; he lay on the heather be
side her.
Mark, this Is an earthly paradise
she exclaimed. as she leaned back
against a soft cushion OF sweet.scentec
thyme. IF ! were superstitious J
would say 1t were too good to last"
Il think 1t is" said Mark, rather
mournfully. I'VE seldom have a wall
or anything together now, Ruth"
"No?" She was moi prepared for Thu
sudden attack and grew confused. The
man noticed 1t and determined to make
most Of it. Ruth, dear. you have
changed lately; we are not such good
friends as we used to be. Why ia it
Tell me-
IIn InnEnj nm or tor and fron, -