The Van Buren press., 1896-10-10
| /.

1t was fortnight later; the house
party would dispense ON the morrow,
and Miss Doane, to whom Westwood
was dear, was taking a farewell stroll
through the gardens. She was idling
down path when, catching sight of
Stewart over the tops of the rose bushes,
she ostentatiously put up her parasol
| and turned in the other direction.
But he was not to be so easily thrown
off; with a curl of the lip flor he had
recognized the maneuver) he hurried
toward her.
Miss Doane!' he CRIED twill you
spare me few moments ?"
She turned her head.
81 am not in pleasant frame of mind.
Uncle forwarded me my dressmaker' S
bill this morning, with certain pungent
comments of his own appended, and my
best manuscript has just been returned
to me as unavailable so the atmos-
shere is not rosy"
"Never mind about that. l will not
detain you long" and he pulled mp a
! bench.
For few moments there was silence,
for now that he had gained the coveted
| interview, Stewart did not seem to
know what to say, and Miss Doane,
with the point of her parasol, sletched
! triangles and circles and all sorts of I'M
| possible devices in the sandy path
While looking the picture of careless In
attention, she was in reality curious to
know how long her companion intended
| TO continue staring ahead of him. When
he finally did speak his remark was so
| different from what she expected that
She almost started.
Il suppose you know you are very
beautiful" he said. Doubtless your
mirror has told you that already, so l
need not worry you with repetitions,
but feel sure that you do not realize
how absolutely charming you are"
She looked at him wonderingly; it
was a feavorite method of hers, and usu-
ally worked well, but now it failed to
produce the effect she intended.
Don't look like that" he said, cor
shall think you are not sincere, and !
don't want to think that. L want TO
carry away the kndest thought of YOU -
You have changed" she said "Ten
days ago you told Mary Fair / was
thoroughly heartless.'
Did L? Well. that only shows / was
> fool Tknow you better now; and what
Is more, understand you"
A slight pause.
81 heard up at the house that youwere
engaged to your cousin, and while the
news could not but hurt me, it was in
one sense relief, for | knew at once
why you had avoided and almost ignored
me. You wanted TO save me pain. En-
perienee has taught me that if a man
saw much of you he generally cared for
Gu, and you tried to ward me of. But
you cannot keep the moth from the
candle, and / loved you in spite of your
GOODNESS. 1t almost looks as IF there was
something in your theory, doesn't itY''
Miss Doane gathered herself together.
Stewart did not know il, but She was
summoning courage to tell him the
truth about herself. She loved to be
wen thought of, and il was genuine
sacrifice to speak, hut she could not, in
common honesty, allow him TO remain
under his delusion
"You must not think too well of me, ''
She began.
Il could not" he cried. cone rarely
sees SO much youth and beauty and
simple goodness unitedas FIND you
Simple goodness The words scorehe,
her.
You are ali wrong!" she cried, will
+ burn ~ checks. II am rot the leas
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goa l,esa ~ t.tfs.