The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-07-20
Brooke found themselves within the de-
lightful inclosure of the bowling green.
ElRxr inro Mia Inrno ihia 10

"By jove, Miss Joyce, this is most
charming, most romantic spoil"
Eyes, is it not? So quiet and re-
tired. No one ever comes here. 1t is
80 different from the rest of the Close"
"What delicious shade, too, under
this old wall Shall we sit down here
and enjoy it littlep" The two sat
down.
81 call this perfect little paradise"
he went on, with effusion. "It was
splendid idea to put this seat here and
make this jolly honeysuckle climb all
over it. One gets repose and sweet
ness and-beauty all at the same time"
The major was getting little out of
his depth, but Ethel knew what he
meant. She sat tapping the ground
with one little foot which peeped CO.
quetishly from beneath her dainty mus
lin frock.
sob, how absurd you are, Major
Brookel Besides, 1 thought you SOL
diers did not really care for anything
so peaceful"
"Don't we, thought Why, fellow
could live here forever if only"-
Major Brooke paused, Ethel had
meanwhile taken off her garden hat
and was swinging it idly to and fro in
her hand.
"Welll If only-what? know, of
course! If only there were no such
things as orderly rooms or parades or
general inspections and unlimited bot
any instead. But even then you would
not be happy. You haven't the true
scientific spirit" She let her hat fall.
elbow do you make that out, Miss
Joyce?"
"Why, 1 believe you've forgotten
what you came for this afternoon. You
don't seem in any hurry to find the
belladona."
"Ah, Miss Joyce, I've found the
belladOnnal"
Anybody who knew Major brooke
well would have been astoundtd to
to have heard him say this. He was an
old public school boy; he had been to
Sandhurst; he was good, sound, solid
Englishman, brought up to entertain
profound respect for his profession and
for himself, and yet here in moment
he had fallen from these heights into
the abyss of mere puerility. 1t is inn
possible to say what might have hap
pened next had not silly bee come
buzzing from the honeysuckle to hover
round the majors nose.
"Come along, Major Brooke, the
belladonna you want to see is in this
corner over here"
The graceful girl ran off to remote
corner among a mass of ruins, over
grown with shrubs and tangled Creep
ers.
"Ah, there it isp' cried the major,
with enthusiasm. He bent over to
pluck the flower at the same moment as
Ethel.
Just as she was cluching the stem his
big hand went to do the same thing,
with the result that his palm fell on the
back of her hand completely. 1t was
an accident, but one of those accidents,
it must be confessed, which belong to
that large class that twill happen"
Major Brooke's attitude was such that
he was obliged to continue to grasp
EthePs hand little longer in order to
recover his equilibrium. 1t was all
over in a moment or two, but when
hand touches hand thus for the first
time emotions are not to be measured
by any such coarse mechanical stand
ard as clock.
Ethel was first to recover herself.
"Really, Major Brooke, how stupid of
meP she laughed little nervously. 81
was 30 anxious for you"--
lawfully clumsy, I'm afraid 1 was
Miss Joycel"
"They stood looking at one another
he rather confused and shy, she with
a pretty blush, the telltale of her feel
ings. He took her hand in his. 1t was
no question of an accident now.
At that moment a sound was heard
of approaching footsteps.
swat moment. Stay here for
me-" cried Ethel, hurriedly snatching
her hand away, "while fetch my hail"
No sooner had Ethel left him than
he saw the dean approaching. He
thought there was no point in attract
ing the attention of that august person.
age, and he was glad to be half obscur-
ed by the shadow. But it would have
been strange thing for man nearly
six feet high to remain unobserved
even in the place where the major was
standing. The dean saw him, but fail
ed to recognize him as fellow guest
| OF the previous evening.