The Irish standard., 1898-05-28
/ The Man and the Editor. !

THEY sat at opposite ends of bench
on the Marine parade and observed
each other furtively. His eyes, weary
with the contemplation Of succession
of sartorial failures, rested approving
ly on her white drill skirt, her ilnmac.
ulate collar and the sailor hat of the
right shape set in the right place on her
brown hair. She told herself that no
was very presentable, and decidedly un-
expected in Easton-super-Ma1 where
in August the voice of the cxcursionist
Is loud in the land, and the accompani-
ment is of concertinas. Both were
bored and in want of companionship;
she was young and he barely middle
aged, and it was quite inexcusable,
when, her book having slipped from her
knee and been restored by him, she not
only thanked him, but observed:
there's q wretched library here"
"You don't go to the best" he re-
piled, with q glance at the label on the
volume. There is quite a decent one
up the street. They get q book or two
from Nude occasionally. don't fancy
SAS1S IN luCll Oelllduu lCI literature
here, though"
"He has a nice voice." she told her.
self, trying not to be frightened at her
own temerity. land nice eyes, and he's
o gentleman. and he isn't young, and
1t doesn't matter"
But her remark had been the result
of impulse, not of resolve, and the re-
action caused her to say, rather stiftiy:
THANK you. I must try the other
place."
She almost decided tlat she would go
now, but reflected that,she had started
the conversation, and tia tsuch course
would be an unmerited snub for him, SO
she remained and prssontly made an
observation on the he4tof the weather
and the glare from thete
"Oh, it's an. awfula Place" he an
swered; 81 shouldn'thtay here mo-
me s,at. if hadn't got tae
"Four hours by rail Hom London" he
groaned; "the only pihSse sworth living
in"
eyes," she assented., ;, =,
"Brass bands and ChrFstics and nasty
little steamers with yellow tunnels dis
gorgng at the pier all Gay. Ughl"
'Dut it's healthy" she said.
ooh, yes. When Pm not eating I
sleep, and I'm getting fat. I ought not
to grumble, but do"
II ought not to have spoken to you,
but 1 did," she observed, with sudden
audacity, and then blushcd so hotly
that he saw it through her thick veil.
Il am very grateful to you for having
done So" he said. 81 have seen you
about several times during the last
week, and have felt that we were both
aliens in the land, and might find that
much, ut least, in common. But there
was no one to 1nurmur few senseless
words of introduction over u.s."
Poor Mrs. Grundy," she said, with
smile, as she looked alta tiny watch that
she had taken out of her waist belt.
"Imust CO." she added; cts quite late"
eve shall meet again, hope" he
suggested.
Possibly; I'm often about" And
with nod she left him.
Easton is specially dreary on wet
day. They met in the library that he
had recommended and told each other
SO. She wore thinner veil to-day,
which showed him that her eyes were
pretty and her mouth swect-tempercd
looking. The gray hairs in his short,
pointed beard inspired her with conf
dence. She ignored the fact that his
eyes were young.
"It was too depressing indoors, and
had nothing to read" she said, as she
pulled the first volume Of "The Amaz-
ing Marriage" out of its place.
"Ah, Meredith? Allow me; rainy
Gay literature is q thing apart, and,
charming as Meredith is, he is not for
you to-day. May recommend"
Don't. am not the sort of person
to require funny book to keep up my
spirits on dreary day. Idislike farce,
"You shall keep your Meredith" he
returned; II will confess that have
been reveling in Richard Feverer all
the morning myself"
After ten minutes gossip on books IL
seemed quite natural that when she
moved toward the door he should fol.
awe AhS dIoSu55AOIl Oti lhC AlcIlI6 VI
the Kailyard school wns at far too in.
terestlng stage to BID abandoned, and,
once in the street, they discovered that
they were both going the same way.
That way was along the deserted and
windy Parade; but somehow when they
parted Easton did not seem quite 20
dreary to either of them
II felt us though ! had known you
forever instead Of week." he said.
"And us though we had been proper.
~ introduced" she replied, demurely.
1t was hot afternoon, and they had
wandered into the wooded path that
skirts the hill and oyerlooks the bay.
The tide was in, so the mud, that is a
distinguishing fentnrc Of Enston. was
dance with their spurs fOn, which Jingle