The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-29

"Inaogiae girl UeYy much like me-"
last evening about asking his name, as
if she wanted to be sure it really was
Wrinkle, and yet could not bring herself
to question us about him. And sup
pose they are talking now. Do go back,
one of you, and see. y
ST WILL say, and / turn back to
the door and open it quickly. Kathleen
is standing very close to Mr.. Wrinkle,
talking most earnestly-too earnestly,
I think, for any subject connected with
literature. She starts violently as ap-
pear and moves little away.
"You seem nervous, Miss Walford, :"
says Mr.. Wrinkle Kathleen flashes her
dark eyes at him and exclaims: ''Nerv-
GUS? Oh, nolp AS much as to say,
s'You know did not start from nerv-
BUSINESS.
murmur something about having
left my notebook, and go over to my
seat and hunt for it most carefully. It
is not there, of course, as I left 1t with
Lou, and while I am looking for it Mr..
Wrinkle leaves, after a few words to
Kathleen about how long he will keep
us on the early writers. AS if did not
know he changed the subject on my en-
trancel AS soon as he is gone turn to
Kathleen and see her hurriedly putting
note in her pocket.
Kathleen Walfordp' exclaim, and
just then Lou and Hortense burst in the
room. We beseech and implore her to
tell us how and where she met Mr..
Wrinkle, for met him we are certain she
has, and what there is between them,
but she laughs at all our questions and
declares she has no idea what we mean.
She never saw Mr.. Wrinkle before. She
did not hesitate about asking his name.
She only meant, when on entering the
room she said, ooh, I cannot!" that
she could not learn literature. The note
I saw her hide was only a piece Of pa
per with her French exercise on it, etc.
But when we ask her to let us see the
"French exercise - she will not. Tells
us we must trust her word, etc. We
treat all her explanations with the con-
tempt they deserve and tell her mysteri-
ously that "She will see, which is
equal to the darkest threat. But we do
not get hold of the note and we are tor
tured with a. burning desire to see it's
contents.
In the evening Kathleen comes to us
and proposes to have some fun, but we
inform her that we are not having fun
with people who do not confide in u.s.
She gives us look of reproach and ex-
claims in a heartbroken tone, "Oh, II
you only knew" But we tell her I'M
sympathetically that is just what we
want-to know-and until she reposes
in us the confidence we deserve she is
not one of us.
Nearly two weeks have passed. Mr..
Wrinkle seems to take no special notice
Of Kathleen, but every day one or the
other of us sees Kathleen hiding note
She is not good at deception. l really
think I could do it better myself. We
wonder if Mr.. Wrinkle knows that we
suspect. He seems perfectly at ease and
meets our eyes with the utmost equa-
nimity, but then he's a man, and one
can never tell what man is up to- At
least that is what our French teacher
always assures us, and she has been
married and ought to know. AS time
goes on we only grow more anxious to
have "our little mystery" as we call
it, explained, and at last we decide we
will not sit tamely by any longer and
have romance enacted before our very
eyes without knowing all the particu-
lars. So we waylay Kathleen after
school hours and explain to her calmly
but firmly that although we dislike ex-
tremely to resort to force, still, unless
she consents to tell us all about herself
and Mr.. Wrinkle, she will have two
pitchers of cold water-one after the
other-poured over her, dress and all.
After which dire threat she reluctantly
consents to comply with our demands
and tells us to come to her room after
dinner and we shall hear all. So we let
her go and exist until 8 o'clock when,
by various strategies, we meet in her
room.
Imagine girl very much like me
visiting at the country home of her I'M
Gle last summer" she begins, looking
around with a rather amused expression
at our interested faces.
Imagine how soon a girl of a lively
disposition would tire of utter, ceaseless
monotony-nO companion of her own
age, no gayeties, no new novels-in
short, most unenioyable period of her