The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-01-16

can be" with little rising OF her
eyebrows; "but l think il would be
very stupid to pass ones whole life
with one friend"
"With one what?S
"Friend," answered the Girl, calmly
unfurling her sunshade and settling
more comfortably into her cushions.
The Man stared at her for few
seconds. Then he followed her gaze
at the brown sails, and for n moment
they appeared TO find something OF
surprising interest in them.
"I think 1t would be very jolly to
bring out Nina Armstrong one day,
and her brother. don't you?" asked
the Girl.
"Ye.es, perhaps they would like it,"
indifferently.
"Oh, Jack Armstrong told me yes
terday that he is devoted to sailing.
He wanted me to go with him--them
to-day, but I said you we're coming,
and you would think it odd if you
found no one at home"
"You were very kind" he answered
n little sulkily. ~ am sorry TO have
kept you at home"
"Oh, it does not matter. l can go
another day. / wanted to see you,
you know"
"Thanks; but why not go IN his
boat tomorrow instead of having
him here? You would enjoy it more,
probably"
"I don't know that should" mus.
I 1 u,,N o.,
Nina. She is such dear little soul,
and so pretty. / am sure you will
quite fall in love with her.
She looked at her companion for the
first time, then quickly lowered her
sunshado, for the dignitied amazement
of his expression was too much for her
gravity. For minutes silence reigned
in the boat The Nun was wondering
if It could really bo possible that the
Girl regarded him simply as one of her
many friends, and was quite indiller-
cnt ns TO whether he cared more for
another girl or not.
IL had never occurred to him that
other men might admire Ruth so
much as TO wish TO take her from him.
He looked at her in his endeavor to
fathom it all. He looked ct her, and
then he no longer wondered. 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. .-'H.-s a.-l D.
"How perfectly idyllic it is" she
finally said. "What a comfort it is
to be able to sit silent when one feels
inclined, and not feel one is playing
the bore. II is sign OF trIe friend.
ship, Mark. l could not do SO with
any one but you, but you under
stand" She looked at him with a
sweet, grave smile. "We ought to be
good friends efter knowing each other
all these years, oughtn't we?"
Mark nodded. Friend always |
seems to me such an inadequate, cold |
word" he said. Friends and &C.
quaintauces are the same to me-"
"Oh, no Oh. no IL she cried. "Ac-
quaintances mean so little, they are |
nothing. hnvh So r~~-- h"' -
friends so few. You are one of my
chiofcst, and"
"I always thought we were more
than friends" he said.
"You silly boy, how could we be?"
she replied with n little laugh, but
the laugh did not Iing true.
"Well, you know what the old
folks"
"Mark, do you know that it is near.
ly o'clock, and that | promised to
be Mt Armstrong; at i.30? We must
really so IN now"
Later that day it occurred to the
Man that he had not thought of the
Irish girl for several hours. Ho did
not think of her until the moon rose,
and he went ont on the headland and
sat alone with his pipe.
"Ruth, do you feel inclined to come
ont for stroll?" The Girl was sitting
in large basket chair in the garden
on the cliil.top; in her hand she held
magazine, but she was not reading
it, she was looking out over the sea,
thinking, thinking OF something
which called up little smile to her
lips
she looked so sweet ana fresh and
cool, her soft white gown showing her
pretty, sunburnt cheeks, and the glo-
rious color of her hair. Mark APP
preached her with his request almost
ditlidently. During the last week or
two he had found that she did not
Jump mt his suggestions with her old
old alacrity; in fact, it had taken him
all his time and all his tact to secure
her company MT all, and SO occupied
had he been that he had had no time
to think mt all OF the Irish girl; at
least he had only found time OF an
evening over his pipe, and two of
those evenings he had spent in think
ing of Ruth.
To,day, however. Ruth willingly
consented to accompany him. 'Let
us go on the heather" sho said, "and
/ you must talk to me, for l am feeling