The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-09-02

he saw by the sudden pause in th
movements of her hands that she wa
listening for the end of his sentence.
May | tell you Why" he asked
"Oh, yes-I suppose so" she an
swered, irritably. but it doesn'
really matter. 1t doesn't interest m.
in the least"
Il did it, because | couldn't bear tt
lose you. | knew, if You went then.
should never sec you again: and
knew, if you stayed. should fall il
love with you."
Il suppose | have given you the
right to insult me-" she sa,d, tiercely
II deserve it all, | know"
''It's no insult" he said, YEARLY
Il could have loved You with all my
heart. was 4 fool to think you could
ever think of me, of course. But VIC
seemed to like the same things-and ii
has been the pleasantest day of my life
And | didn't mean to tell YOU; but you
would walk, so | had to. And |
thought after to-day l should see you
again; and, after long time | should
tell you-and, perhaps, if you had
learned to love me by then, you would
have smiled and forgiven me. Is the
tire all right"
at will be-
Then I'll leave you. I'll walk on
i shall come to a house presently
He imped away along the dusty
road. She stood upright and looked
after him. After all, she, too, had en-
joyed their time together, had felt that
here at least she had met a man whom
she could like, and-yes, if she were to
be Honest with herself. she must own
that she had thought it would be pleas
ant to See him again. She had Won
dered whether he liked her, and had
hoped he did. Well! he did like her.
But she knew nothing of him. Nor he
of her. Yet, in her heart, she felt that
each knew much; and how she should
never see him again: and he was very
nice; and, after ALL he had gone-bc-
cause she told him to go. That weighed
with her more than all
She finished mending the bicycle;
and. after the regulation wait of half
an hour, mounted and rode swiftly
down the road by which he had gone
She came up with him mile or so off,
sitting on heap of stones by the way
side. He looked torlorn and pale; and
she noticed now the black band on his
arm. She jumped off the machine and
came up to him, flushed and trembling
a little.
"Look here" she said, looking him
straight in the eyes, 'Ill mend Your
puncture and we'll ride on together
if you'll promise never to say another
word of all that nonsense"
IL promise" he said. ''if ever the
subject is broached again between us,
it shall not be by me, but by you
That is not likely" she said, toss
ing her pretty head.
He was silent.
* x X
"And did he keep his promise?' |
asked my friend, when he had told me
the story.
YES" he said, slowly.
"And did she ever refer to the sub
ject again." I questioned.
''Never," said my friends wife,
fastening to answer me-
"Then, how" urged ''It's an in
discreet question, | know, but the story
fills me with the most intense and re-
spectful interest
My friend and his wife looked at each
other, and smiled.
"You tell, she said; II don't mind
htm.
"Well,' said my friend, sit was when
we had known each other about a year;
she stuck hairpin into my bicycle,
and found it sticking there. shame
lcssly. SO then, Of course, | saw"
Nothing less than hairpin could
have done it" said my friends wife;
che IS so blind!'- London Critic.