New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-02
TWO WOMEN, A BOY
AND SOME HORSES
BY MARIA LOUISE POOL.
XII.
ON THE DUNES.

moment I began to doubt.
Presently Amabel lifted her head and showed
face red with laughter.
"Whv." she said in choked voice, 1--WE
promised to be a conscience to him. Another
peal. II thought could safely promise tha'
And sister too?' asked
mo. no--a grandmothec-a grandmother and
q conscience
Down went her face into her handkerchief
again. Her shoulders shook
I'm afraid" began solicitously. that you
are hysterica'
was solemn enough myself
"Oh no; not in the least. But didn't suppose
ne was going on the same with YOU
What did you think were talking about?
"Why-why--the latest discoveries in science
ology-and-and-flying machines
1T wouldn't make any difference with Thomas
J. Riddle. If he were talking about electric rays
OF high scntillation, and If he were alone with
woman, he would give her the impression that he
was making love. He wouldn't say so-oh. no.
but she would be absolutely certain that she
was the only woman TO whom he could possibly
speak in that tone. Why. Amabel Waldo, there
have been moments when I've believed that l
ought to be sorry for him because l could not
possibly return his feeling. But you know you
can't tell man that his love is hopeless and you
never can be his, just because he is asking in a
peculiar tone and With peculiar look your IN
depreciation of his part of the Onc-Eyed Bandit
OF the Apennnes Now. can you?"
NO and YOU can't begin to snub him now.
He'll suspect that suspect something, and l
wouldn't have him do that for ten thousand
worlds He might believe that we were trying
to control our emotions
"Amabcl," said. there is one thing we can
do"
What is 1t? Don't say it is poison. There's
my bowie knife you know; to be sure it is dull
Don't trihe The thing for US to do is to keep
together We have been too much separated
Let us always meet him in a solid phalanX. II
will be hard for even Mr.. Riddle to cast glances
At us both at one and the same time.
Then If you ever sit on the piazza must be
there too: if you go off into the waste spaces OF
ProVincetoUn'-
Exactly And when l have my nap in the
afternoon YOU must secrete yourself One must
never never be seen without the other
But / love TO sit on Town Hill love to go
rowing-I love 10 ride TO the dunes-I love to do
all these things while you sleeping In the
afternoons
II will sacrifice my nap
You noble creature! Speaking of noble Great
ures-how lovely Mr.. Riddle has always been
about my reformation. could quite dote on him
for that"
Your reformation"
Yes; the cross-tree, you know"
well, you may dote him all you please,
but beware of letting him know it. 1t is not good
for a man to know that a woman dotes on him."
So we began. We didn't ever go down the
stairs alone. If Amabel stepped outside our door
/ stepped also. We rode ard rowed together I'M
til we overheard Miss Langthorne say to Mr.
Dunn that we worse than the Siamese
twins for they could have been separated If you
had cut them apart; but for those two women.
no knives could cut their loves in two
Mr.. Riddle did not slacken in his attention for
three days. but Of course he was obliged to give
up his glances, and what Amabel called his low
notes.
On the fourth day we began to be quite sure
that unless he could seem tender he lost his in
terest; "he backslid," Amabel said. We
cessiyely pleasant to him. Albert looked on
scowlingly. He informed US that there were other
men In the world besides Tom Riddle; there was
Dunn for instance whereat Amabel remarked
that she wished that the spectacle Of Dunn, star
ing and smiling at Delcina. might be removed
from before her eyes.
Albert chuckled and asserted that ne knew a
thing or two that we would give anything TO
know. He added that women thought that they
could see through ladder with half the rungs
Knocked out, Dut they cOuloE l, tHey were DIlnuer
than a two-days-old kitten.
What are you talking about?"
''Nothing-not thing. didn't speak, did I?'
Albert rolled his eyes and puckered his mouth
and became silent.
1t was in the afternoon Of that day that the
boy fell on his dirk, not the handle Of 1t, as
he should have done If he were going 10 fall on
It at all. but on the point.
This accident his sister and had long felt was
sure to happen some time, but as II had been so
long delayed we had ceased to think so much
about it.
We were riding toward the Dunes along the
State road. This highway is tolerable for the
bicycle rider and Albert was on his wheel. We
had passed the wood OF stunted trees and could
see the ocean ahead Of us. Albert was in front;
his wheel suddenly twisted up over gnarled
root and he bounced off it as II he had been
flung from catapult.
"Oh, do you think he had his dirk him."
cried Amabel. as she slipped out of her saddle.
was about to follow her example when she
said
Don't you do 1t! You know you can't get on.
And you may have to go back for help.
This was great presence of mind and obeyed.
rode as near as could
Albert was sitting up in the dust He told us
We needn't be afraid; he was all right
He was dressed in white sweater, white riding
breeches and white stockings and shoes. I saw
dark streak soaking slowly down the stockings.
Then why don't you get up-if you're all
rlght?" asked Amabel rather TREMENDOUSLY.
"'Cause thought I'd rest"
But Albert put his right hand down on the
ground and made effort to rise and was I'M
successful.
II guess I've cut me-" he now remarked
ITS the dirk! Oh. Albertf'
you needn't oh Albert" impatiently. It's
its the fortune OF war. Pull her out. can't
you?'
Amabel was bedding over him.
THE dirk? Does It hurt now?
hot,