Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-01-06

are?" said Mr.. Wilkins with much
skepticism.
Your betters, anyhow"
A young man by the window here
| Uttered audibly, and Mr., Wilkins
showed signs OF apopleXy.
Very well then If I'm not good
enough for you, you can bloomin we'll
go out by yourself, I'll bid you good
afternoon"
The train had just pulled up at
Chaplain Junction, and, suiting the
action to the word. he stepped out.
| could see his orange and scarlet
shoulders pushing their way through
the crowd with no sign of faltering.
Il don't mind, I'm sure" said LOO,
with jaunty toss of the plumes, but
| thought her pretty red underlip
quivered little, and as we approached
Richmond she became manifestiy
downcast.
Most of the passengers had got out
at Putney, and at Mortlake there only
remained one old man absorbed in the
picture puzzles of a weekly paper, so
we We're practically alone.
Il am afraid you are in trouble.
Can / help you?" l said, softly.
The brown eyes met mine suspicious
~ and there was a CULVER in her
mouth as she said:
Tit is very disappointing when
you think you're going ont for the day
for-for your friend to go off and leave
YOU"
Very; but haven't you got some
more friends in the train? Could you
join them?"
Without him? Nice and sarcastic
they'd be about it, l wouldn't give
them the satisfaction. No; | suppose
I'd better go home, and-and / shan't
have another day out for a month"
Two tears started to roll silently
down her pink cheeks.
Shouldn't I do instead?'
you? But | don't know you"
THAT is my misfortune, not my
fault"
The tears splashed off her round
chin on to the muslin blouse, but there
We're no successors.
what would the others say?"
81 don't know If we go on to
Twickenham and change there for
Hampton Court, you needn't know
and it would pay him out, too"
Yes, you ought to think of that"
Privately, I thought she might for
get him, but apparently she was of a
rare fidelity, for at O'Clock, when,
after most delightful pull, and tea at
a riverside hotel we were drifting
dreamily back toward Hampton Court,
she said suddenly:
Il wonder what Chirlie's doing
-owo"
Drowning his sorrows in drink, per-
haps"
20, no! Charlie isn't one Of the
drinkin' sort. He takes his pint at
dinner and supper, and that's ali, but
I do hope he won't get to hear this.
He's awfully jealous, as you saw in the
train. can't bear me to so much as look
at another man He'd think nothing
of knocking you down if he heard of
me coming out with you like this"
81 don't see how he is to hear Of it,
well, | don't want to be deceitful
toward him." she said meditatively,
land | always was the worst hand at
keeping a secret"
But don't you think for his own
happiness Mr.-er-Wilkins had better
not hear about this expedition
II don't know | shouldn't like to
deceive him. He is very honorable
himself, for all he's so hasty in his
temper. He was fined five shillirss
once for punching the head Of a man
who winked at me-"
There was pride in her voice, and
she seemed quite Indifferent as to the
unpleasant consequences her remorse-
full candor might entail on me.
1t was not a subject on which to
argue, but l decided not to go back
with her Our parting should be at
Molesly Station, but when put her in
to a carriage and held out my hand to
her, her eyes nearly overcame my
resolution.
"You aren't coming, too? Well, I've