Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-04-21
DRIFTING.


between them, and by uniting their
properties, which were only divided by
fence, they would both be as we'll oil
as either desired. They had known
one another, boy and girl, all their
lives, had played in one another's nur-
series, had hunted over the same coun-
try, danced in the same bathrooms, sat
i'll the same corners, and had been so
mutually interested as to Ee quite
frank, without ever being sufficiently
familiar to breed contempt. They
might have gone on in this way to the
ends of their lives if people had not in
terested themselves in their welfare.
1t was done in this way. Their mutual
uncle and aunt had met, and Mrs. Cross
lands had said:
cts a pity Frank and May don't
make match of it,
To this old Martin Kirwin had re-
piled:
ut is, indeed"
"Do you think there is any under
standing between them?"
"They seem to understand one an
other very Welt"
"Do you think Frank affections are
placed elsewhere?"
81 never heard of such a thing. How
about Maya"
"She is, l am convinced, heart-free!
Did it ever dawn upon you that they
We're in love with one another"
sit certainly has"
II have thought the same thing fire.
qucntly, and now that you say so, I
am convinced that it must be so; bu,
having known one another so long it
has never occurred to either that their
love is reciprocated, and each fears to
lose friendship by making any adj
| vance,"
II think, Mrs. Crosslands, there is II
good deal of sense in what you say.
will pump Frank!"
"And will question May"
"And then we can compare notes."
"Certainly-but l am sure there is
only one way to arrive at the truth"
'And that is"
"For you to assure Frank that May
is in love with him, and for me to pro-
test to May that frank is eating his
heart for her."
"a very good idea"
That is how Frank and May came to
be engaged. They each declined to
believe the story told to them, and, by
the way of disproving it, agreed to put
il to the test. 1t was 81 curious comedy.
May treated Frank more coldly the
warmer he pursued her, and Frank.
thinking he was safe, finally proposed
to her. and she, for pure pity for him.
and because she was such friends with
him, and also because she was mex,
perienccd and half thought it would
be fun to be engaged, accepted him,
and they both played their parts in the
second act of the comedy to perfcc
ton. The colder Frank felt, the more
attentive he forced himself to be, and
May, plying the good fellow she knew
him to be, did all she could to make him
happy, until the inevitable quarrel, as
she thought, would come about and re
lease her. But, not being lovers, they
did not quarrel, and so both drifted into
what each dared not, for very shamc's
sake, withdraw from. The announce
ment of the engagement brought heaps
of congratulations to both, and every
wedding present that arrived seemed
like new black seal on the band tllas
bound them together. Frank couli
not face being called "cad," and May
had not the courage TO treat anyone
badly. There were only two people
who knew the truth. One was Jaci,
McGregor and the other was Bessie
Harcourt, but as neither of these two
knew of the others existence, Frank
and May became Mr.. and Mrs. Ire
mayne, and drove away amid a shower
Of rice and slippers to spend their
honeymoon at Harlesden lodge, near
Pangbourne, on the banks of the river
Thames.
1t had been a, beautiful day-as fair IL
day as ever smiled on Il bride and the
evening was delightful. Their luggage
had been taken upstairs, and they had
managed to get rid of all traces of the
ceremony. Indeed, as Frank said, no.
body would ever suspect them of only
just being married. They dreaded the
presence OF the servants, and according
" agreed that it would be pcasanter
to go in search of some inn where they
could dine comfortably without being
stared at. 1t sounded frightfully un.
conventional, and May a little afraid
it would not be quite right, but they
had been accustomed to INDUCING in
harmless jokes together, and SO it was
arranged. Frank told the staid butler
that he and Mrs. Tremaync were going
out and that they would let themselves
i'll and no one was to wait up. May
came down in o. blue serge, and de-
liciously fresh blouse and straw hat,
and Frank was soon punting her up the
river. They found an old-fashioned
inn, and the dinner he ordered was OK
celent. The consciousness of their
newly acquired state made them afraid
OF attracting attention, SO they dined
i'll the cotfee-rooln and almost forgot
they were husband and wife in the
amusement they derived from the nov.
city of the situation and the innocent
Jokes they made about the other guests
They had coffee in the garden. where
they sat till Frank, who was always at
tentive, where women were concerned
suggested that it was getting chilly and
they should be starting for home. When
they got on the water the wind fell, and
the clear, round summer moon lit up the
blue night and the dark river, and