The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-06-05

wished for wife; but that she herself was
the girl he was slow to realize. Indeed,
I doubt whether he would have realized it
at all had they continued to go on side by
side, as man and woman, as they had done
as boy and girl.
The Morrises and Icons had been neigh
bors and friends for two generations, and
Marcia and Tom had known each other all
their days. Yet more. His dear sister
Margery had been Marcia's best friend
until death had snatched her in fair maiden
hood. Then it was that Tom had put aside
his disdain Of Marcia as that mistake OF
nature, girl, and come to her to paste
kites mend balls, and discuss lessons and
games. Afterwards she went off to school
in Kentucky convent, and for three years
she and Tom did not meet-for the inter
vening vacations she spent with school,
mates. Then she came home, ready to take
up the old friendship where they had laid
it down, for Tom was still just Tom to her.
But she was no longer the same Marcia
to him. During her absence she had
budded into fresh, sweet young woman
hood, attracting men as naturally and in
evitably as clover draws bees. The first
symptom Of love Tom felt was q twinge Of
jealousy when he saw the other fellows
monopolize her. He watched her from a
distance. OF the three-sorts of womanly
beauty, beauty of color appeals to the
crowd, beauty of form to artist and critic,
beauty of expression to lover and friend.
Not noticeably lacking in the first two,
Marcia, strong, pure and tender, was richly
lowered with the last. More carefully
noted, she seemed more Noteworthy.
Women are usually quick to see the
transformation of man into lover, but
in this instance Marcia was blind. Tom
was so firmly fixed in her mind as the I'M
sentimental comrade of her girlhood days
that it never occurred to her that he could
make love to anyone, least of all to her
until he was actually doing it.
1t was an August day. They had walked
together to Mountain Niew-a favorite
resort near her home-where the mountains
seemed to curve and rise so as to lay bare
all their beauty and grandeur Glorious
at all times and seasons, the scene was
douhly SO now; in the long pervasive light
OF the summer evening. Marcia fixed her
eyes on the distant slope where sky and
earth seemed to meet and melt together.
She looked with delight which deepened
till it grew almost to pain.
80 Tom" she cried, turning her moist
eyes to him in quick need of sympathy.
But, disconnected, she started back from
what met her--Tom' 5 steadfast look of love
and admiration.
He caught her hands in both his and
poured into her astonished ears the story of
his love. What was all the mountain
splendor to him when there at his side was
the one face in all the world which could
make bright the darkest-the face which
he longed to have by his side always as that
of his dear, true wife?
"No, Tom, no." she cried, snatching her
hands from his clasp. "You would not say
all this, of course, unless you thought you
meant it, but you don't really. No, no;
you don't truly want me for your wife.
Say you don't, Tom,' she pleaded.
"Marcia, darling, have you known me
SO long only to think so mean Of me as to
deem me thing of straw, not knowing
my own mind, my own heart? Want you?
Sweetheart, l shall never rest until win
you"
ooh, Tom interrupted Marcia, sis this
to be the end OF our friendship, so long, so
true? You were always like dear good
brother, and cared for you as"
Tom laughed grimly and interrupted in
his turn. "Don tsay like a brother, please,
as the girls in the comic papers always do.
At least spare me that.
Marcia mad recovered sufficiently from
her surprise to take refuge now in a quiet
dignity. "No, Tom" she said gently,
'you need have no fear of my treating you
to the commonplaces of discarded lover.
1 was thinking"-her voice faltered-''of
Margaret them Her face, too, softened.
81 remember how we have been together,
child with child, youth with youth, and l
feel sure that this other feeling of yours
will soon pass away and leave our friend
ship strong and loyal as in old days. am
Just back after long absence, you see, and
you aren't used to my being grown. You
look on me as some other girl. But soon
you will see that am your same old COM
rade Marcia, your FRIEND good to laugh,
and chat, aud walk, and ride with, to con-
fide in, to sympathize with, but to make
love to-never! Be sensible, now do, you
dear old bear! Why, in three months you
will be ready to thank me for having shown
you your mistake"
He caught reproachfully at the sugges-
ton in her last words. "a, how little you
know me after all, to think me so tickle, so
false. In three months, then, SO be it;
three months from today shall show you
my heart all unchanged and claim an an
swer to my question. Meanwhile, promise