The Opelousas courier., 1898-03-05

IT beg your pardon" he said, and
Sara fancied he was trying not to
laugh. "The maid evidently thought
you saw me-"
Sara rose. "My father is not at
home" she said ~distantly. '..Is there
anything I can do for you?"
cat what time will Mr.. Maitland re-
turn?" Alan asked, looking at his
watch.
"Possibly not for two hours" Sara
replied recklessly. evil you come
in and waltz"
Alan raised his eyebrows. "Ithink
not" he said, quietly. cit is half
past five now. I will leave the lease
with you, if you will be kind enough
to give it to your father when he re-
turns"
"Certainly, as soon as he comes in"
Sara took therss1m1Is ~ble-looking doou-
ment and bowed him at. with a cold
"Good evening, Mr.. JSUis," that
froze poor Alan's boyist spirits
Whatever he hadintended to &c. was
left unsaid, az The strobe away with a
swinging step and his head held high
in the air. Ii he had looked around
and seen the miserable face watching
him from behind the curtain, he would
have come back; but he didn't.
There were many errands to be done
in town that week, so Sara undertook
them one bright morning, in g fren-
zied desire to be doing something
rather than to be longer in lonelyidle-
ness. The express had gone when
she reachedthe station, SO she %leisurely
mounted the ~'local" stairs and strolled
along the platform, looking into the
cars for one where she could be undis-
turbed for the next hour. The car
next the smoker held a gay party of
young people intent on an excursion,
and their laughter so Jared on Sara's
loneliness that she quickened her
steps to the second car. Here the
prospect was pleasant, with the excep-
ton Of three children racing up and
down the aisle, SO Sara passed on to
the last car, which she virtually had
to herself. Across the aisle was a
benevolent-looking old gentleman,
and in a side seat a man was SO busily
reading a newspaper that she could
see nothing Of him save eight fingers
and two long legs.
The train started up by the time
Sara had read over her shopping list
and calculated her expenses, SO she
put the list in her purse again, and
looked up to find hat the young man
had folded up his paper and was look
ing at her with the familiar, quizzical
smile of Alan Slocum. She looked
out of the window, but the quick color
famed into her cheeks, and she
wished she had not come. Her atten-
ton was apparently riveted on the
before her, but she was fully
aware that Alan had come across to
take the seat facing her, before he
"Good morning." he said genially.
''The sun is q pleasant sight again,
isn't it,"
Sara was proud of her presence of
mind as she turned toward him with a
chilly "You have the advantage of
ne, sir"
Alan cooked his head on one side.
eyes," he said, no whit discon-
Sin being able to sit opposite
,
The benevolent old gentleman half /
and Sara, in a panic, discovered !
hat he was intending to champion her /
,ause.
"Why, you're Mr.. Jarvis, to be {
she said rather hastily. "The '
of the back room leaks" ,
The old gentleman sat down again. j.;
"Would you like to have me come =
nd look at it?" Alan asked soberly. :
TT does worlds of good to have the
gent come and look at a leak for q l
|alf hour or SO every day" 1
Sara bit her lip and said nothing.
''Or perhaps you'd rather I'd hire a =
ubstitute," said Alan, s'and stand {
cross the street until he comes back 1
without the leak?"
''Send a sensible man to mend the n
said Sara sharply" and it's all '
II ask-of you" II
Il have fbbed, h~yperbolized, and I
verlastingly perjured myself to get u
into Woodlawn," said Alan tragi- c.
lilly. "and this is my reward" j
Sara refused to smile. II shall be h
bliged to you if you will take your Fl
d seat" she said coldly, ''and that r.
ALL" "
FAlan's face fell. st don'tknow how v
ou feel about it, Sara" he replied in P
grave, tired voice, 'but I'm heartily
OK Of this COMPOUNDED stranger bust ci
sss, and want to be-friends again. al
ont you?" c,
IT said strangers, and it's going to m
} strangers" said Sara, with strange r
ubbornness, struggling her shoulders lii
differently. p,
"Perhaps if Ihad not hesitated the
st summer I met you, I might have
ID a show" said Alan deliberately.
But I'm O slow fellow when I really &C
re, and I did SO tremendously ad- a
ire you. That Davenport slid in til
cad of me and I had to step out" pe
Sara clasped.and..unclasped her purse W
rvously, but said nothing. OF
"The next summer was better" said 81
an, continuing with rather a bitter to
Tile. II had q long vacation, and as
u were good tome. You were South wi
the winter, and I thought you were D
to see me-poor fool that T was! st,
NEWPORT didn't turn up OF all that
or, and I didn't feel sorry. I was A,
ID you'd turned him down, because Ell.
vas a heather, and I didn't know do