The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1896-10-03

sell, 1t seemed elngularly dellght1ul.
l clutched Tommie and held him back.
Sing no more ditties, sing no more,
! Or dumps SO dull and heavy,
The fraud of men was ever so,
Since summer first was leafY.
"!And Of women" said Tommie,
stepping forward, cap in hand; as
least he remembered so much of hit
manners. The singer started and
drew herself up.
''Sir!" said she, like the sffronted
lady in the play.
~ beg your pardon" said Tommie.
*'That was very pretty song"
''What is that to you, sir! It's
Shakespeare"
"Excuse me-" said Tommie; 1--WE
have had a mishap. My wheel has
been stolen" =.
"Stolen!" she cried in crimson
glow. ''Down by the lake?"
eyes, down by the lake." said the
malicious Tommie.
ooh, "she cried, chow can explain =?
There it is. I thought it was Fred's.
thought Fred and Harry left them
there"
''It's no matter" said I. ''I'm
sorry. It was a natural mistake"
She looked at me with world of
thanks in the blue eyes. Did I tell
you before they were blue? Tommy
calmly walked to his wheel.
II am glad you did it," he said,
"because it has given me chance to
know you"
"Iou're atrocious,"' she said; and
turned and fled up the'road behind the
gateway.
"Tommie," said /, ''you're a cad. !"
Tommie leaned on his wheel and
whistled.
"Wasn't she jolly?" he said. 'Ill
follow"
''You are not going to do anything
of the kind" I cried. But he is al
ways stubborn, and it ended by me
following him.
The road led from the wood into a
broad sunny lawn, which was domi-
mated by great stone house, where a
man was just stepping into high dog
cart.
"Why,' said Tommie, sits Whar.
ton"
At the moment Wharton saw US.
well, I declare" he'cried, coming
forward.
t'She didn't lie," said Tommie. Gle
is the Harry of the Harry and Fred
probably"
t'Did you think she did," l cried
fierca]y but Tommie was explaining
to Wharton that we had lost our way
and Wharton was insisting on the
hospitality of the Merivale house,
which he had rented for the summer,
he explain ed, and Tommie was accept
ing while stood speechless. At the
moment our lady of the road came
out of the house and blushed at the
sight of US, and looked as if she wanted
nothing SO much as to take to her
heels. Wharton presented us. sMiss
Rose Burton" Tommie had tue au-
dacity to say, "we've met before"
"You have" said Wharton.
81 don't remember" she said, Civ
ing Tommie glance that would have
troubled me, but only seemed to de.
light him. But she rewarded me by
turning and extending her hand and
saying in low voice, 81 don't see
why your friend is so odious about
that mistake"
II don't know, I'm sure" I said.
Mrs. Wharton just then appeared and
I had her-I don't mean Mrs. Whar.
ton-quite to myself-an opportunity
I tried to deserve. I began to believe
that Arcadia was all the poets have
claimed for it. I told her that knew
it was mistake from the first; and,
to be frank, I didn't Try very hard to
defend Tommie's churlishness. I told
her she had rather startled me when
saw her mount Tommie's wheel like
"Like boy" she interposed.
ooh, I don't know" said !.
"How Harry and Fred"
"Ahd Fred?" said, beginning to
suspect every man.
"Oh, he's my brother. How they'd
laugh, 1 was going to say. But a joke
is with him who laughs last with
your friend, I think"
she thought you Dick Turpin dis.
guised," I said. trying to make his
case a bit worse.
'He might have known" she said,
as if much provoked.
eyes, he might" I assented.
Yet in strict fairness felt called on
to let him know my per6dy; and that
night, as we sat smoking and review
ing the days adventures, I said:
"She thinks you insufersble, Tom.
ME-"
"She told you that already?"
"Why, yes" l replied with rather a
self.conscious air.,
"Isay, Fetch, I believe there will
be more fun in this house than on the