The times., 1898-04-03

AMs @at 81 H&sAAf Ha@ ~ ~
bench sn ihe Aaflns FaFHsts snt eb-
served each ufhar fars1veiy. Hls eyes.
seary with the conteFnpiatien - a sue
eession Of sarsoris failures. rested APP
provingIy on her white drill skirt. her
immaculate collar. and ths sailor hat
of the right shape set in the right place
on her brown hair She told herself
that he was very presentable, and de-
cidedly unexpected in Easton-super
Mare, where in August the voice of the
eXcursionist is loud in the land, and
the accompaniment is of concertinas.
Both We're bored and in want OF COM
panionship; she was young and he
barely middle-aged. and was it quite
tnexcusable when, her book having
slipped from her knee and been re-
stored by him. she not only thanked
him. but observed:
There's a wretched library here
You don't go to the best he re-
piled, with a glance at the label on the
volume. There is quite a decent one
up the street They get a book or
two from Murdie occasionally. l don't
fancy there is much demand for lit
erature here, though"
He has a nice voice." she told her
own temerity, and nice eyes. and he's
a gentleman, and he isn't young and it
doesn't matter"
But her remark had been the result
of impulse. not of resolve, and the re-
action caused her to say rather stiffly:
Thank you. / must try the other
place"
She almost decided that she would
go now, but reflected that she had
l te.A-. -
such a course would be an unmerited
| snub for him, so she remained. and
presently made an observation on the
! heat of the weather and the glare from
| the sea.
"Oh. it's an awful place" he ans
wered: II shouldn't stay here a mo-
ment if I hadn't got to-"
| Nor L."
-Four hours by rail to London" he
groaned, the only place worth living
| in
| Yes" she assented.
Brass bands and Christies. and nasty
| little steamers with yellow tunnels dis
/ gorging at the pier all day Ughr'
But it's healthy" sne said
| "oh. yes. When I'm not eating sleep.
and I'm getting fat. ought not TO
| grumble but do.
| II ought not to have spoken to YOU.
| dacity. and then blushed so hotIy that he
saw it through her thick veil.
/ II am very grateful TO YOU for having
/ done So" he said. Il have seen YOU
about several times during the last week.
| and have felt that we We're both aliens
in the land, and might find that much. at
| least, in common. But there was no one
| 20 murmur a few senseless words of in
/ PRODUCTION over us"
! Poor Mrs. Grundy" she said with a
| smile as he looked at a tiny watch that
| she had taken out of her waistbelt II
must go" she added, its quite late
I'VE shall meet again. l hope he sug-
! gested
Possibly: I'm often about" And with
| a nod she left him.
Easton is specially dreary on a wet
| day They met in the library that he had
| recommended, and told each other so.
| She wore thinner veil today, which
showed him that her eyes were pretty
! and her mouth sweet-tempered looking.
| The gray hairs in his short pointed beard
| inspired her with confidence. She ignor-
ed the fact that his eyes were young.
''It was too depressing indoors, and I
| had nothing to read" she said as she
pulled the first volume of 1.-The Amazing
| Marriage out OF its place.
| '.Ah, Meredith? Allow me; rainy-day
literature is a thing apart, ard, charm
ing as Meredith is. he is not for you to-
| day May I recommend"
| Don't. l am not the sort OF person to
require a funny book to keep up my spir-
its on dreary day. l dislike farce"
''You shall keep your Meredith, he re-
| turned. II vii confess that / have been
revelling in Richard F'everep all the
| morning myself.
| After ten minutes gossip on books
it seemed quite natural that when she
| Il r. -, frT
low. The discussion on the merits of
the Kailyard school was at far too in
teresting a stage to be abandoned. and.
once in the street, they discovered that
| they are both going the same way.
That way was along the deserted and
| windy Parade; but somehow when
they parted Easton did not seem quite
dreary to either of them.
II feel as though 1 had known you
forever instead of a week, he said.
And 1 as though we had been prop
erly introduced" she replied demurely.
1t was a hot afternoon. and they had
| wandered into the wooded path that
skirts the hill and overloOks the bay.
The tide was in, so the mud that is a
| distinguishing feature of Easton was
not in evidence and the brassiness OF
the band on the pier was tempered by
distance. They had dropped little
way down the hill: she sat on a large
stone and he at her feet. In spite of his
words, he knew little of her beyond the
fact that she was charming (Which he
had found out for HIMSELF, and that
her name was Grace (Which she had
told him). She had chosen To surround
herself with mild mystery: the reason
of her residence in Easton was un-
known to him. In return she asked
nothing and he vOuchsafed little save
that he had knocked up from oVerworb
and had been sent to Easton for COM
plete rest.
You are so very good. you take me
on trust. he said.
"As you have TO take me. l believe
you want me to ask you questions
and / won't"
You are a very mysterious person
incline to the belief that you are a
princess, and that some day you will
rise up and crush me for my presump-
ton"
Perhaps I serve in a shop she sug-
gested.
"Oh, ,well,I am a hairdresser The next
time you will go into that Bond Street
emporium TO have your hair singed Oh
waved-what do you have done to it
I shall probably come forward and say
This way, please, madam
Bond Street, What extravagant no.
tions you have. 1 go to a little place
in Tottenham Court Road.
do give me the address. Some day
when 1 am out of employment. 1 will
go there, and you will walk in and
cut me, l suppose"
II don't usually discuss Browning
with my hairdresser."
Nor 1 with the girl who sells me