The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-04-10
miscellaneous.
JUST LIKE A WOMAN.

HtIl lllttl Notll lSlSb "OitN iINlltb.
Yes. DIR. Lester"
And will nothing | can say alter
your decision -
He stood looking down at her face,
his own exceedingly grave a tall man
about twenty eight years of age, with
black hair and a strong looking shay
Ell face. He looked reserved and self
contained.
Edna shook her head.
No" she said nothing, | am
afraid
He drew in his upper lip between
his teeth, and his forehead wrinkled
as he still li%gered.
Well" he said, Il am immensely
sorry. | don't want to bother you
besides, l suppose it would not do Il
scrap of good"
Raising his right hand, he pushed
back his hair 1T seems a little diff
cult to realize Just vet. | counted on
Il different answer"
THAT was hardly my fault" she
said, lowering her eyes. They were
dark blue eyes, remarkably dark con
sidering the fairness of her hair and
skin. Edna was small woman, be
low the average as regards height, and
girlish in figure, though she had pass
ed her twenty -nSJ year.
Your fault No, it was merely my
own folly. 1t doesn' matter what one
calls it. The name won't alter the
fact. OF course it is play to you"
You have no right to say that, DR..
Lester. | assure you, | don't find it
the least amusing. | am very sorry
not that | suppose it will be quite
your death"
No" he returned. Men don't die
of that sort of thing. But life will be
wretched. Edna
He took his hat and went away,
Edna standing by the window watch
ing him as he dejectedly crossed the
garden and passed through the gate
way and disappeared. \ few minutes
| later the door opened and Il woman
entered, few years older, and several
| inches taller than herself. This was
| Mrs. Sinclair, Edna's siSter-in-law,
wife of the Town Clerk of Upper
| combe.
We'll -
Gertrude stopped just within the
| door.
"Oh, don't look as if You didn /
know all about il :" cried Edna impa-
tiently.
You don't mean to look me in the
face and tell me you have refused
him ~
Il told you this morning"
What girl says beforehand goes
for nothing Edna, what fool you
are. You know Alfred will be just
wild about it."
alfred did not think it necessary
to consult me, was the answer. "Of
course" Edna added, drawing near
| and placing an arm about Gertrude, 5
waist, ''of course it would be all the
same if he had, darling"
Still, it does seem IA pity" Gertrude
persisted. Though he has only been
a year in Uppercombe, everybody has
a good word for him-or nearl y every
| body. He has increased old DIR. An
drews's practice enormously. DR..
| Lester is a man good many girls
would
Jump at :" | know. That is eX-
actly what ] feel about him. He is
| too eligible-isn that the word too
aminently desirable"
You have always seemed to like
him."
| II do like him, Gerty."
''Then, why i'll the name of goodness
don't you marry him and have done
with it -
Edna slightly shrugged her should
ers as she turned toward the window
again.
Honestly, | don't quite know. |
don't see why | should diSsect myself
for your edifcation, He is very nice
a little too nice tried 10 persuade
myself-there, you see, I'm nothing II
not candid. Only | don't know what
it is somehow, the spirit didn't move
| me-
When Edna was following Gertrude
from the dining room that evening Al
fred Sinclair called her back.
Permit me to remind you that you
are twenty two he said.
BE accurate, Alf. Twenty-Five and
two months"
"Of course he continued. Il need
not tell you we are glad to give you a
home here as long as you require it
But if you ask me-a woman Is much
better in Il place of her own"
The first that offers ITSELF" asked
Edna.
Il didn't think Lester was the first
He is the best of the bunch, though
A fellow who is bound to get on
"Of course, that's everything y
"Oh, well, if you can t treat the mat
! Ter ucii sec tilS 7cONt ~
talking
Neither do l." Edna answered.
One afternoon Alfred came home
from his office looking more solemn
than usual, though the dignity of hi'
position gave him an air of extreme
solemnity at the best of times. Like
: Edna he was short, but carried INN
self at his full height like his sister
again, he was fair, and appeared mort
Youthful than his years. He wore I
moustache which looked too heavy
for his pink and white face.
Sir Edward Strangeways is dead,
= he said, pulling up his light colore'
trousers as he sat down.
Then" remarked Gertrude, 'th
operation was not successful.
Now, if it had been, don't .yol
I imagine Strangeways would be alive
Gerty?" he said, testify. "A bad day
e work for Lester
: "Why?" demanded Edna. "Dl
Lester cannot be expected to wor
miracles. He cannot cure all his pa
tientS."
Saul amongst the prophets :, eN
60 claimed Alfred. "One doesn't 100
= for Lester's apologist over there, Edn.
Il He went the wrong way to cure TIN
one. | was talking to Blenkinsop
about the case only yesterday. Blei
l. kinsopp would have had surgeo
~