The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-04-07


MOT
"Then you've quarreled again, Alice
went on
alice, Mr.. Webster is in New York
How, then, can have quarreled again
with him? Please don't tease me; and
Dot persisted in her practice.
But he isn't in New York He's in
town and you must have seen him
What's the use of hiding it from me?
am quite convinced and you need not
deceive me"
II have not seen him, Alice, she re-
piled with a fast-beating heart So
Larry had retuSnedl Sure he had not
been gone but seven or eight weeks
but to her it seemed a liftime. He had
gone the 18th of February, the day after
they had quarreled. And now he had
come back,
You must have seen him. for we
met him in the vestibule as we came
in He was going away, but we made
him some back and help us. He looks
quite cheerful, SO I thought you had
made up for"
Larry here? In the churchi" The
nerveless fingers fell now, and Dot
hastily glanced around and down
There, standing in confused mass
of evergreens, with his tumbled curls
falling across his forehead and his
eyes bent eagerly on the organist's
face, was Alaric Webster. Dot grew
faint and sick with excitement, but she
calmly feigned not to have seen him
and slowly gathering up her books,
prepared to depart.
'Strangei" thought Alice. as she
watched her go. 81 really must find
out the mystery. I'll go this minute
and beg Larry to tell me-" but well
she knew Alaric would sooner bite of
his tongue than condescend to explain.
That afternoon the young people
gathered once more in the church to
finish the work begun in the morning.
But there were no pealing notes of the
! organ to help them on now. For Dot
was in her own little room at the rec
tory, looking out towards the chapel
door and half-wishing she dared to go
finish the interrupted practicing. But
he would probably be there and she
feared to stay in his presence.
A timid knock came at her door and
a golden head appeared A childish
voice asked:
PLEASE may come in, sister,
Pauline looked very shy as she stood
before Dorothy, and her forehead puck
cred up in puzzled way as she hesi-
tated
What is it, Pauline?'
dot, I'm so sorry you've been cross
and snappy lately and l know now why
you couldn't help it,"
But, dear sister doesn't want to
talk about that I'm sorry, too, that
have been cross to you and | won't
be any more. There, go away now,
dear"
mo. you won't be cross any more
and I'm goin to tell you why, and the
| little hands went up to Dorothy's face
and a pair of soft lips pressed hers.
The tears stood in Dots eyes as she
threw down her sewing and took the
child ON her lap.
"Tell me why, Pauline.
"It's awful mean of him, that's what
it isl An I tol' him so, I did,
'But, my dear child, please don't talb
SO Of Larry-Mr. Webster, mean
Il don't mean Larry, mean Tommy
Tommy Webster He went and sent
that horrid valentine to you his OVID
self, he didi'
Child, what do you mean?p Dot
started in amazement.
II mean that big dreadful picture You
cried so over the 14th of February an
you said Larry sent it, cause it was his
writin on the 'veiope, an you sent
him back that sweet little damon.
ring, an he went right off to New
York mex day, an"
but, child, tell me, you said Tommy
sent it. How can that be? 1t was GER
tainly Larry's handwriting.
II know, but Larry was goin to send
you lovely valentine and Tommt
found it on the table. He toll me so
t-.day, JUS as if he thought 1t was
awful smart to take it out and put that
horrid one in instead and seal it up
an '-"
Dot was speechless, terror-strieken.
What mistakes
AN Larry never knowed no differ
encet" went on Pauline. l toll Mister