The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-06-25
reached the library, where she found

prised. al did not think IL. Where |
have you been-all this timer"
"where have you been, Milly?' re-
torted her father. laughingly, "that
you did not think it SO late as
o'clock?"
"I? Oh, 1 have been in dream.
land," che said, smiling.
"And I-well, wait n moment
sha'n't we have lights, Milly9 Here
comes John"
"No, never mind the lights-John,
We don't want them yet-this moon.
light is pleasanter."
She sat down upon lounge, with
her arm resting upon the study table,
near the armchair which her father
had assumed.
"well, where have you been,
father?"
Talking with a friend of yours,
whom l met by chance. Well, it is
somebody you are pretty well nc.
quainted with. What do you think OF
his having proposed for you, Milly?
Now you know who IL is, don't your
/ met him just now, when he opened
the subject to me-"
He leaned back in his chair, laugh
ing quietly and softly rubbing his
hands.
Now Milv knew. He had encoun.
tered Captain Dudley, or rather Cap.
sain Dudley had sought him. She
had prepared herself to tell her father
of the gentleman's proposal, but he
knew of il already, 1t seemed. The
captain appeared to be anxious to make
sure work of it.
$50 he has spoken to you, father?"
"To be sure. You seem to take il
rather quietly, Milly. But so, in fact,
did /. Indeed, don't know that it
should be matter of surprised own
have been expecting it tor some time.
and you, suppose, Milly---but I'll
spare your bushes, my dear, and only
ask you what you have to say about
it?"
"Well, don't think of marrying at
present, SIR" answered Miss Glare.
Mr.. Clare regarded her with mingled
astonIshment, severity and coldness.
according to your manner of re-
ceiving his proposal" he said, 81
should say that / have most complete
ly misconstrued your actions. And it
is your fault. Can it he possible that
you have been coquetting with this
young man---merely coIuetting with
him..-all this time? And after rails.
ing his hopes, his expectations -"
"Sir-allow me" interrupted Mil
ly, with respect, yet with dignity,
while she felt her cheek growing warm,
al am utterly unaware of having ever
raised these hopes-these expectations
of which you speak. If he enter
taIns them they are quite groundless. "
Her father rose from his chair.
slightly waving his hand, as if to end
the discussion.
al confess that 1 have not quite un-
derstood you of late. then" he said.
And now his voice had in il less of Sc
verify than acute disappointment OF
sorrow-it was more subnued than be.
.stoou -.
MOVIE w.. - ,Ie quick rush
ing "a rs to Milly's eyes.
"Indeel, indeed you have not" she
said earnestly, tremulously; "but /
did not think you cared for him so
very much, father"
"No matter; no matter, now, Mil
ly," he said. "We will not say any
more about this affair tonight. To-
morrow morning he will come over,
and then you can see him and tell him
what you think. At present it is
nearly time to retire. We will have
lights now"
Milly repressed her tears with diff.
Guilty. She trembled as she gave her
father her goodnight kiss that even
ing. He saw how her dropping eye
lashes glistened with those tears,
how her check was flushed and hot,
and despite what had passed, he could
not help embracing her with all his
accustomed aifectionate tenderness.
His glance followed her anxiously as
size passed in silence from the room.
Shaking his head sorrowfally he turned
away.
When she met her father ut break.
fast she found him atfectionate and
kindly as usual, but serious and dis.
I DOStl W i ut luSI HlRuI :
trouble evidently weighed heavily
upon his mind. This caused her the
deepest pain. She longed to open the
subject then and there, again, to as
sure him II thousand times of the in
nocence of wrong intentions; but she
restrained herself.
"By.and.by," she said to herself,
twill be better. If Captain Dudley
asserts that | have encouraged him,
will lay my past conduct before them
both-compel them to examine it fair
ly-and then il they can, either o,
them, point out n single instance il
which l have sought to encourage hi'
attentions, / will acknowledge that
have been wrong in doing SO"
The morning repast was conducted
in quiet. Mr.. Clare, almost from it,
beginning to its close, was engaged
. in his own reflections. When it was