The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-10-16

nSO 0IO1A uS udO
loved each other for years and every
body besides their own selves knew
it.; they knew it, too, in a sort of I'M
compromising way. Arthur's pres
ence made the sunshine a little bright
er to Phebe; when Phebe herself was
neal Arthur never noticed whether the
sun shone or not. But still, as has
been implied, they were not sure of
this happy knowledge. Neither one
would have owned to even suspecting
the truth.
Those two happy idiots will keep
on incoming and spooning without
knowing it for years and never come
to an understanding"-this was the
dictum of Arthur's sister.
What does it matter so long as they
are happy?" Phebe's sister would re-
ply.
Both sisters, it might be mentioned,
were older by several years than the
brother and sister about whom they
were so concerned. Both saw how
things were with the clearaess of sight
which comes only from having "been
through the MILL" Neither of these
merry girls of 80 were love-lorn in the
slightest degree, but both of them had
had what the French term IAN affair.""
However, the days wher these events
had come to pass were SO long gone
by that they were half-forgotten.
Phebe's sister declared that she could
scarcely remember what it was to have
a beau: she smiled tenderly when
Arthur called on Phebe three nights a
week, nevertheless. Arthur's sister al
ways called herself a heartless old
maid, but her eyes softered when she
saw him buying and taking violets to
Phebe. Some n had bought violets
for her, once on a time. Some one
used to buy roses for Phebe's sister,
also.
But to return to the walk. 1t came
to pass on a beautiful Sunday after
noon, the late afternoon of a perfect
spring day, dropped by accident into
the heart of January. The day was so
lovely, in fact, and the sunshine so
tempting as it lay on the snowless
stone pavements, that Arthur insisted
that they all go for a walk. The park
was their destination and they walked
by three and two. Arthur and Phebe,
with Phebe's sister, led the way; Ar
thurs sister followed with Phebe's
younger brother. And for awhile they
walked close together and joked and
laughed merrily.
But presently the rear division Of
the army" as Phebe laughingly called
the couple which walked last, noticed
that the others no longer answered
their sallies. Then they saw that
Phebe's sister and Arthur were doing
all the talking and that Phebe herself
was very silent. Arthur's sister
smiled at Phebe's younger brother
and they gave up daring the advance
guard" to walk faster than they did.
They had reached the park by this
time and the beauty of the simmer
ing, cleaning, dimpling lake, radiant
and shining In the last rays Of a bril-
liant. winter sun, was sufficient excuse
for the sudden silence which fell upon
them all. When, after a turn on the
esplanade, they began to think Of
home, nobody had anything to say, and
Phebe, especially. was very silent.
The rear guard" were Incompetence
ingly silent also. And after awhile
they managed to get in front and leave
the others far behind.
They don't want us any longer, I
guess" said Phebe's younger brother,
and his companion was fain to ac-