Middletown transcript., 1897-07-31

"Oh, deah! yes l am. go over to
the hospital at sick-cAIl, you know"
"Why don't ever see you then2'
Perhaps you haven't risen yourself. "
"I'm always up at reveill-."
"Nol Goodness; Why on earth do you
do that?o
Il believe you 90 over to the hospital
the back way and aren't half awake
and don't even have a collar on.
"Now Miss May-how unkind."
"Isn't it trueP"
81 always have my collar ou." He
told a future truth. After this he
would wear collar.
81 hate lazy people,"
"Oh! Miss May-how unkind. You
don't hate me. hope" His eyes were
on the pink ribbon that futtered from
her belt; he took hold Of it and wound
it around his finger, getting gradually
nearer to her.
81 do, if you are lazy"
"How can prove to you that l am
not"
''That's easy enough"
''Do tell me howP"
"Just prove it.''
''By rising early and letting you see
me2'
"Well-yes." !"
81 shall do SO Tomorrow"
"B1t I always go for a ride before
breakfast.
MAY not join you?"
"If you like. [ don't care" Which
is feminine for caring very much in
deed.
So DR.. Randolph rode with Miss
Spencer the next morning, and he
breakfasted at the Lorrilard'S and sat
on the Lorrilard's porch to watch
guard mounting, and then he played
tennis with Miss Spencer, and when it
was too hot 10 do tl.at any longer, they
sat together on the porch again, shad-
ed by the crowfoot and morning glory
vines and read aloud by turns. They
parted for lul cheon, but Immediately
afterwaId they met again in the Lori
lsrd's sitting room to practice the
mandolin and guitar. Randolph dined
with the Lorrilards, and then he and
Miss Spencer walked up and down the
line until taps and after taps they sat
on the porch once more and talked in
undertones.
Occasionally the Roche boy made a
third, and though he was far from
welcome, he never guessed it.
Now it may seem incredible but it
is true, that though this went on
without pause for ten solid months,
Randolph still modestly doubted if he
were loved and dared not voice bis
passion. Mrs. Lorrilard began to
think that she had done quite all that
the family could expect of her, and she
grew hopeless and weary, moreover of
boarding free two hungry people. She
told Miss Spencer rs gently as possible
that she might go the next time the
ambulance went over to Carthage
which was the railroad station. Miss
Spencer told Randolph she was going
and Uept. And Randolph cons5led
her from afar, and actually thought she
was weeping at leaving her little
nephew and niece and her sister. There
are men like that.
The ambulance went week later to
carry Major Roche and Teddy Roche to
the rail road. Teddy was offered a
position at Tucson and was going to
take it the major had government
business at Carthage. The Carthage /
road is branch; it joins the main
line Of the A. T. d 5. f. at a station
called San Antonio. The major would
chareron the young woman to Garth
age thence she would 60 to the main
line and East and Teddy to the main
line West. Only Teddy and May COM
promised. They both went 10 SOcorro
which is on the main line, very little
northeast of San Antonio.
The contract doctor and Mise Spen-
Ger had a narrowing parting. The
latter lost her temper over his procras-
tination and burst into tears. IL nearly
broke bis heart aid entirely silenced
his tongue.
After she was gone, hpelessly gone,
he determined to reveal the secret of
his heart by letter. But he put of
doing it. Instead he swung in his
hammock all day and thought of her
blue eyes and PIE ty lace aud guilel, IS
emile and regretted llss elstv.llIle con-
stant companion. The ambulance
would return, empty Of its lovely load,
in Ave days. He knew that. He would
write when it returned.
So, on the AFTERNOON OF the fifth day, |
he sat, still swinging in the hammock |
and smoking pipe, The ashes whereof |
his coat, when the four
mules and the ambulance ratified into |
the post. They stopped at the majors
quarters in cloud of dust, and two
men and woman alighted. There vas
no doubt about who the woman was.
In his delight Randolph lost bis head.
He strobe down the broad walk to the
Roches'.