The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1897-05-28

100 that / am your aamo old oomrade, |
Marcia, your friend, good 10 laugh |
md chat and walk and ride with, 10 /
'onhdo In, 10 sympalhizo Without 10 /
make love to-nevor Be sensible,
now do, you dear old bear Why, Ia
three months you will bo ready 10
thank me for having shown You your
Ho caught roproaehiully at the sug-
gostion In her last words "Ahl how
little you know me after OIL, 10 think
me 80 tickle, 20 false. In three months,
then, 80 be II; three months from to-
day shall show you my heart al
unchanged and claim an answer 10 my
question. Meanwhile, promise me,
dear, you will try not only to appro.
clato my love, but TO give me some In
return, II ever 80 little. j can wait. /
can bide my time in patience. You
must SEQ that the bov-and.girl affec
ton, good Of It's kind, could not last,
yet makes secure foundation for this
stronger, true love. Only try to love
me, my Marcia. Give me-give your.
aolf-time. Only three little months
Meanwhile no word, no look shall an.
noy you. My love shall still masquer.
ado in friendships guise." Marcia
demurred. "For old sakes sake, dear, T"
he pleaded, and Marcia hesitated,
then yielded.
"Three months, then" she said
Even had he 30 desired, Tom would
have found little opportunity during
the ensuing week to press his suit.
There we've many 10 claim her as part
ner in the rides, drives, dances aud
picnics which made Orville gay in the
summer season. Sho did not avoid
him, but she let herself be so monop-
olized by others and was 30 serenely
indifferent to his tender glances that
he was piqued and felt a small desire
TO try to pique her in return. The OPP
portunity he sought seemed at last to
come. A school friend came to visit
Marcia, She had, of course, been de.
scribed to Tom with many charming
superlatives.
"She is so beautiful, so gentle, SO
sweet" said Marcia, "you will be sure
to like her, and you must help ne Ia
make her enjoy her visit Be sure to
call soon and often"
Tom said to himself at first that ht
would do nothing OF the sort; ther
suddenly came plan, O purpose, non,
the less strong because so quickly
formed. He would try Marcia by at
tention this friend of hers. lie would
see if he could not start a spark o
jealousy, and prove that for all he
apparent indifference. some fire 0
love smoldered in her heart. "All'
fair in love and war;" he exclaimed
as conscience warned him that thi
course was neither manly nor honora
Die.
Miss Arnold came, a doll face
blonde with appealing eyes and sweet
confding ways. She adored Marcia
strong, intellectual Marcia-witb
school girls passion, and Marcia, o
her part, gave Annette a tender, pro
tecting love.
Tom found the game of pique d.
lightful, although he could not max
sure whether or not Marcia cared. II
, deed, in his enjoyment of Mss A,
, nold's society hequite forgot to watcl
, He was disconnected whenever anyon
else engaged Miss Arnold's attention
: He felt grievous lack in any da
, which did not give HIM some wore
with her alone. The touch OF h
wind.tossed ribbons thrilled him, IL
> rose dropped from her hair gatherC
cigar scent in his pocket. In fact, h
heart had passed from his keeping b
8 fore he reaiized-s hamefully enough.
that Marcia had been right in callil
y his admiration of her heetlng fame
But Marcia, whose love he had sougL
was he right in thinking that she W
7 changed, distract? The cause? Al
= that he sought in vain, and at last,
- sheer despair, he gave upto the who
y some fact that no man can know
y woman's mind unless she tells it
- she can.
,e The inevitable crisis came. 4 mer
IS party had been making the round
the golf links lately established, a
4 had been driven home by SUNNI
u shower. Tom had proposed to M
n Arnold TO try picturesque lit
IT mountain path. It was rough.
n apologized profusely for suggesting
" way so unfit for her tread, but 1 CT
not say he regretted choice viii
N made it necessary for her to lean
Of his arm so often, so frequently acct
v the aid of his hand. On q decliv
m her foot slipped. He caught her
| his arms. And then-the dear fl
was so tantalizingly, so irresistiI
is near his own-instead OF releasing
n he pressed her close, close to his he
vs. and dropped his lips to hers in lol
ed olinging caress.
A quick flush, half of JOY, half
~ modestv. dyed her face, and her las