Daily public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1892-191?, 1896-08-22

brows. We drove on in perfect silence
for several blocks, and he manifested no
intention of resuming the conversation
at all, while 1, on my part. was occupied
in regretting that had totally forgot
ten that l was ION my dignity" as my
old nurse would say.
well, Miss Frances" he said, sudden
ly, without looking up, have you for
given me?"
Forgiven you, for what?" 1 question
ingly replied, but a reminiscent wave
of modification swept over me.
He gave a short laugh, still turning
the leaves of his book, but did not an
swer.
AS he sat looking down, with his
brow furrowed and his rugged face
showing very hard lines at its hardest in
the clear daylight, l stole timid glances
at him and wondered how had the
temerity to recite those miserable, sem
timental verses of mine TO him, of all
men! 1 blushed hotly as 1 thought Of
my folly.
The horse mad slackened his pace, but
the doctor did not seem to notice it.
Have you been writing any more
poetry?" he asked, as if becoming con-
scious ot the claims of civility.
NO." said, stiffly.
He made no pretense of interest in my
answer. Indeed, he was quite evident
ly not at all attending to what 1 said.
II didn't like that--what's its name
81 IL
ping the horse with the reins.
."Ah," l said, as if / had not already
been crushed by the snubbing which it
had received.
"Do you want to know why did not
like it?" he went on. He put his book
down and looked at me with a queer
smile.
Yes" said, but still with the haught-
mess born of inward humiliation.
He took off his hat and looked care
fully into the crown, frowning as if he
had that moment remembered leaving
there something of the highest value
which seemed to be missing. And then
he put it on again. He cleared his
throat and jerked at the reins.
81 didn't like to think of your whim-
pering about some whippersnapper," lie
said, ''when l want you myself"
When the trees and houses had SET
tied back into their normal places, and
the waterfall had ceased rushing and
roaring in my ears. looked at him and
saw that he was talking on, but of what
he said had only the vaguest notion.
The darkness of my face must have
struck him at last, for he stopped
abruptly.
Wait, don't say anything yet he
said.
We were drawing near to my own
home, but the horse went very slowly.
IF you could tell me-" he began
there was something positively IN
canny and awful to me in the humility
of his tone-"but don't say anything
unless i: is yes Take time-any length
of time"
Time! 1t seemed to me that it had
been a thousand years already. 1t was
such an old, old fact that DR.. Griffin had
asked me to marry him that felt that
haG been born with the consciousness of
it. 1 tried to remember how things
were before it happened, but no, there
was nothing before that.
Neither spoke as he helped me out Of
the buggy and solemnly walked with
me up the long green yard. He paused
at the porch.
"If," he said, you could possibly say
'yes'-don't make me wait"
l ran up the steps without replying
and opened the door, stopping with my
hand upon the knob and looking back
at him standing upon the walk below.
"Yes!" 1 said, and banging the door I
flew upstairs to my own room.
Then l peeped at him through the
shutters, and saw that he had bowed his |
head on his lat for a moment, as If it
were in church.
What ridiculous couple we will be!
Ladies Home Journal.