The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-09-21

but wasn't at all upset about it, and
after awhile I decided that it was
really a most comfortable arrange
ment, and that it was probably all
nonsense that height of Bliss and
Overwhelming happiness sort of
stuff that some persons talk and write
about.
l was very matter of fact at first,
but when poor George chafed at that
did my best to play up to my part.
I never could imagine why persons
couldn't go on just as usual, instead of
sinking off for tete-a-tetes, just like
silly children telling secrets; but
George seemed to like it, and by de-
grees got on capitally. / really tried
hard to do as other engaged girls did.
l don't mean to say that l had to try
hard because it was irksome to me;
1 really did not object to it, only 1
was apt to forget sometimes. How
ever, in less than month broke N.Y.
self of Juggling away from him and
looking bothered or resentful when he
kissed me; and when we had had
tiff l was always ready to be friends
again. In those days, when we had
had tiff and had grown tired of
sparring, George always used to say:
LET us go down the river to the is
land" And I always went. The is
land" always meant making up our
quarrels again and being more devoted
to one another than usual; and George
admitted that I never bore malice in
my heart.
So the months went on, and George
had to go away; and l grew much fond
er of him then, and l don't think |
would have cared to change him for
any other man 1 knew-as fiancee;
and l used to write such lovely letters
to him. l used to think out sentences
in the night-little remarks l knew
he'd like to get from me. really was
very attentive to him. I've nothing to
reproach myself with on that score.
And so things went on.
And then, after awhile, when George
had been gone some time, his letters
changed, and he seemed rather
troubled about something. I didn't
take much notice of i'll just thought
that perhaps the climate didn't suit
him; and once 1 took the trouble to
copy out and send to him a recipe
if one felt irritable.
b nothing seemed to cheer George,
and at length, when I was really be-
ginning to grow troubled about his
temper, l had letter from him to
say he thought we had better say
"Good-by;" he thought it was his duty
to me to say SO; he felt that we 1--WE,
if You pleaseD had made mistake;
he could never hope to be worthy of
me (his modesty was somewhat new,
etc.-a whole heap of it.
1 wrote back and said: ooh, very
we'll; l expect you know best" But
| was really awfully angry; and what
made me angrier than anything else
vas the thought that neither he nor
anyone else really knew how hard I
had found it to play the sweetheart
part of the arrangement to George,
and that I hadn't wanted to be en-
gagged at all. Of course, they all
thought that 1 was secretly wearing
the willow; and the livelier I became
as the days passed by, the more COM
passionately my relations looked at
me. 'She's overacting, poor DEAR"
they were thinking. I'm fairly placid,
as a rule, but my wrath did simmer
up at times, and 1 did think few
strong thoughts of George.
AS l said just now, my wrath blazed
out strong as ever when Jane opened
the door this afternoon and an
nounced Cousin George, his very self,
and smiled straight into his face, and
talked away without moments
awkwardness, and said how glad l was
to see him( which was true). He
seemed rather uneasy, and not in very
good spirits; perhaps he was a tiny
bit ashamed of himself in spite of my
down. and 1 talked on blandly, and
didn't shirk thing. 1 told him about
every person and every place we had
seen and known together, and posi-
lively dallied over the subject of his
long absence and the summer before
his departure. 1 did it chiefly to prove
to him that memories were nothing to
nle-that was mere justice to myself;
but I did see him grip his hands now
and then, and his lips grew white, just
as they used to do when he kept on
proposing.
He didn't talk very much, on the
whole; he answered my questions with
good many monosyllables, but now
and then he would dash into CONVERSE
ton with strange sounding voice.
And played off my dimple recklessly,
and felt so glad that my frock was ex-
tremely becoming.
At length there came pause in our
conversation, and then l feigned an
other mood, and made up my mind
that would not break the silence.
Cousin George sat and breathed hard
for minute or two, and then, sup