Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-08-07
FORGIVEN.

looked round over the long level Of
marsh land that surrounded us and saw
no sign of any of our party felt the
first thrill of not unpleasant uneasi-
ness glanced at my companion. She
was walking quite contentedly by my
side, apparently secure in the assump-
tion that 1 knew my way. AS matter
of fact, l had the gravest doubt about it
and there seemed no possibility Of max
ing sure. For miles OH either hand the
marshes stretched to the low horizon.
The dry tracks were few and i'll defined
and already a light white mist was ris-
ing over the numerous straight water
ways. l looked at Miss Pascoe again,
and my uneasincss gave place to kind
of expectant pleasure. Even supposing
we were lost, there was no actual dan
ger, and the great sense of solitude that
hung about us gave me a feeling of pos
session that was keenly delightful Miss
Pascoe, unconscious of my doubtful
cogitatiOns, still walked on as though
her feet We're upon familiar road, and
indeed, as far as I could judge, we were
making i'll the right direction To have
stopped would have been like confess
sion OF Incompetence on my part, and
this to an unavowed lover was out Of
the question, at any rate until ciroum-
stances unquestionably had me at dis
advantage. So we went on, and the
twilight deepened, and the mist trailed
in denser wisps across the shivering
reed beds
Suddenly she turned to me.
"What queer place this would be to
get lost ill.,, she said
think the serious possibility of such
thing had not occurred to her at all.
She threw out the remark merely as a
contribution to tagging conversation.
eyes," said. "But you're not
afraid. are you?'
"Oh, no; not at all! OF course you
know the way, and that makes all the
difference"
"Of course it does, 4 answered, with
gllmmering sense of shame.
"How far are we from home now?'
she asked after pause, in which the
darkness had perceptibly increased.
"Three miles, l dare say" said at a
blind hazard
That's nothing" she said. II
thought we must be quite four"
Are you sure you re not tired?" I
asked. Wouldn't you like to rest?"
But she persisted in walking OH at that
swinging pace of hers.
Even if l wanted to rest there's
nothing to rest OH, she said.
''I'm sure l could find fence some-
where" l said.
Il don't believe you could" she
said, but Pm not going to let you try
I'd much rather get home"
We walked on silently for another
five minutes, and then Miss Pascoe
stopped and listened, leaning forward
slightly, with her hair blowing about
her face.
Is that the sea?" she asked.
1t was the sea Enthusiastically, the
slow roll mingled with the rustic of
the wind over the rushes. And then it
became quite Obvious to me that had
before us instead of almost at our backs
1t must be the sea-" said, after a
show of hard listening.
But it shouldn be there" she said.
"Why not?'' l answered rather feebly
III order to gain time. 1T always has
been there, l suppose"
Don't be foolish" she said. You
know what l mean. We must have got
on the wrong path. Mr.. Thirlmere,"
she cried, chow could you have been 81
careless?''
''My dear Miss Pascoe," l said, "if
! have made mistake, l am yer,
,orry."
And you said all along that you
knew the way" she pouted, trying to
shoot condemnation from her eyes at
me in the darkness
"You see," 1 said, II got my direc-
and he's often so very inaccurate, isn't
hep
'Absurdly Inaccurate" she almit-
ted. IF I'd known you were relying
upon Jim, | wouldn't have come at
all "
And then l should have missed the
most delightful walk ever had.
She turned away from me a little,
with a petulant movement of the shoul-
ders that pleased me nightly.
II wish we had Jim here" she said
with pretty fierceness
GtI DOME - 1 c.td