Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-07-29
TO BE CALLED FOR.

! the copper beech.
But Pen was away down the glen;
she had no thought just then for her
| grandmother, or supper, or aught else
| UP at the farm.
As she walked quickly away to the
trysting-tree her thoughts were busy
back at that night, just week ago,
when she had stood beneath those pur-
| pie, dropping branches with Herbert
| Maclean beside her. and he had whis-
| pered intoxicating suggestions into her
/ little pink ear; but, best Of all, he VOW
4 ed that he loved her. He didn't ask
/ her to be his wife, but he asked her to
meet him again beneath the beech at
4 shutdown, and-weli, he loved her-the
rest was sure to come right.
She could see the path to the village
/ from where she stood, and loon in the
! distance she espied speck coming
nearer Yes, it was he But as the
/ ''speck" advanced she saw that 1t con-
sisted of two figures, not one only, as
| she had hoped--two figures. both men,
1 Herbert was marching along swinging
| his cane, cutting eff the heads OF dan
| delions as he came. The other was
| shorter and broa6erl he carried a stick,
| but he did not swing IT,
At last they came so near that she
could distinguish their faces clearly.
Halo! The little wench isn't here
yet! Who'd although Of her giving
herself such airs?"
is this the chosen spot? The altar
Of Cupid" asked another voice-a
strangely full, melodious voice.
'sThis is the place, sure enough" re-
sponded Herbert What she means
by not being here first, cant inn
agine."
Not being here first?9 A smile of
amusement played round The others
lips. is that the way you do it
ladies first, even at the trysting-tree?'
Women are always so heastly UNI
punctual," said Herbert. "They can't
fix a time and keep it, SO / always
name quarter of an hour earlier than
| mean to appear"
Always" There was note of
scornful interrogation in the tone.
you don't suppose" Herbert laugh
ed foolishly-"you don't suppose that
this is a solitary Instance? Ha, hal"
Il suppose you've met her often be-
fore?"
Not this particular her, my dear
boy. But girls are cheap. One must
amuse ones self"
sAmuse ones self? Girls cheap"
repeated the stranger, angrily. DO
you mean to say you're such thor
ough-paced cad as to-
Draw 1t mild. old chap, The girls
all right. We're both playing at the
same game"
You're sure OF that" Maclean
stirred uneasily beneath the Others
flashing eyes. You're sure she holds
things as cheap as you do?''
Well Jove, old fellow. really |
never asked her. She is pretty little
thing. It's duh in the country without
some fun. And | asked her to keep the
tryst'
Never imagining that it would be
kept" interrupted the other scornful-
ly.
20 yes. She's only girl. l expect
ed her to have kept the tryst. To tell
you the truth, ] expected she'd have
kept it till called for | expected she'd
have been here long ago
Well, I'm off. You and don't agree
in our ideas about women and honor,
you know. We never did"
And never SHALL old chap, while
you're so beastly straight-laced and
old-maidsh" said Herbert, laughing.
But the other had turned on his heel
and was striding across the soft green
sward in whirlwind of disgust.
Girls are cheap" How often the
words angered him! Was this girl
this pretty Penelope-really making
herself SO cheap in her so-called low
er's eyes?
The stars were all out as Pen crept
home in the Summer night. Her grand
mother was mapping before the dying
embers. So, slipping off her shoes, the
girl stole softly up the stairs to her
own little chamber.
so that's the way the cat jumps, is
it?" Herbert Maclean stood facing his
friend some weeks later, o. CLEAN OF
amusement in his eyes. "The old
grandmother is dead, and Pen is heir
ess TO the family stocking!'
'Heiress to a great deal, it seems"
responded Maurice Deane, slowly.
THE old woman was much better off
than people thought. Penelope has
quite a fortune
And Penelope has smiled on you,
eh?" sneered Herbert jealously. You
didn't go to see the old grandmother
without knowing it was worth your
while. o, you doctors ave such pre-
cious humbugs,"
Maurice didn't vouchsafe any reply
to the taunt. He had gone to Dry
bridge three months ago as locum
tenens to the village DOCTOR His time
had nearly expired, but he had made
many friends and the little flower
faced girl and her aged grandmother
were among the closest. Macleans
name had never been mentioned
Maurice Deane wished her grand
mother had left the girl a beggar or
that she hadn't died just then. There
was something he had lately longed to
say and the family stocking" seemed
to form a barrier. He WASH the kind
of man to whom girls were cheap"
and Pen seemed to him the iairest that
ever breathed.
Herbert Maclean walked homeward
in meditative frame of mind.
However. it wasn't too late to mend,
so before he slept he penned and post
ed neat little note Would Pen meet
him at the old tryst the nelt night?
Frha paxt rfUbt he Woe IN, arOod TINA