Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-06-25

mi NSMAi by side, as man and
70 woman, as they had
done when boy and girl.
The Morrises and Icons had been
neighbors and friends for two gener.
atoms, and Marcia and Tom had
known each other oil their days, Yet
more. His dear sister, Margery, had
been Marcia's best friend until death
had snatched her IN her fair maiden.
hood. Then il was that Tom had put
aside his disdain OF Marcia 40 that
mistake OF nature, q girl, and come TO
her to paste kites. mend balls and dis.
cuss lessons and games. Afterward
she went off tn nchool in Kentucky,
and for three years she and Tom did
not meet-for the intervening vaca-
tons she spent with schoolmates
Then she came home, ready to take up
the old friendship where they had hid
1t 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 womanhood, attracting men as
naturally and inevitably as clover
draws bees. The first symptom Of
love Tom felt was twinge of jealousy
when he saw the other fellows monop.
olize her. He watched her from q
distance. OF the three sorts OF wo.
manly beauty, beauty OF color appeals
to the crowd, beauty OF form to artist
and critic, beauty OF expression to lover
and friend. Not notioeably lacking in
the first two, Marcia, strong, pure and
tender, was richly lowered with the
last. More carefully noted, she
seemed more Noteworthy.
Woman 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 tho unsentimental comrade of hor
girlhood days that il never occurred
to her that he could make love to
anyone, least Of all to her, until he
was actually doing it.
It was an August day. They had
walked together to Mountain view--s
favorite resort near her home, where
tho mountains seemed to curve and
rise 80 as to lay bare all their beauty
and grandeur. Glorious at all times
and seasons, the scene was doubly so
now In the long, pervasive light of the
summer evening. Marcia fixed her
eyes on the distant slopes where sky
and earth seemed to meet and melt to.
gether. She looked with delight,
which deepened till it grew almost to
pain.
"Oh, Toni" she cried, turning her
moist eyes to him ih quick need of
sympathy. But, disconnected, she
started back from what met her
Toms steadfast look Of love and nd.
miration.
He caught her hands in both his and
poured into her astonished ears the
story OF his lite. What was all the
mountain splendor to him when there
ut his side was the one face in all the
world which could make bright the
darkest scenes--the face which he
longed to have by his side always as
that OF his dear. true wife?
"No, Tom, no." she cried, snatch.
ing her hands from his clasp, "you
would not say oil this, OF course. un.
less 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 yeu known
me so long only to think 30 mean OF
me as to deem me . thing OF straw,
not knowing my own mind, my own
hearth Want your Sweetheart, /
shall never rest, until I win YOU"
"Oh, Tom !" interrupted Marcia els
this to be the end OF our friendship,
so long, SO true? You wero always
like q dear, good brother, and cared
for you as"
Tom laughed grimly, and inter-
rupted IN his turn. "Don't say like q
brother. please, rs the girls in the
comic papers always do. At least
spare me that"
Marcia had recovered sufficiently
from her surprise to take refuge now
in 9 quiet dignity. "No, Tom" she
said gently, "you need have no fear OF
my treating you to the oommonplaces
Of discarded lover. I was think.
higher voice faltered-"of Margsry
then" His face, too, softened. 81
remember how We have been together
child with child, youth with youth,
and feel sure that this other feeling
OF yours will pass soon and leave our
friendship strong and loyal 90 IN old
days. / am just back after long
absence, you see. and you aren't used
to my being grown. You look on me
a. some other girl. But soon you viii |