The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-12

Colin Marshman likes him."
Colin Marshman likes everyone. and
couldn't suspect anybody of anything. The
question is. does Randie like Colin Marsh
man?"
Why shouldn't he like him? Colin is
awfully kind to the whole family"
@Yes-theres where the trouble comes i'm
What trouble-and what are you talking
about?"
IF you will have it. think Colin talks
too much to the girl
ITO Dolly"
Yes; Randie is awfully mashed on her.
and he wants to get engaged to her If he
had only some more substantial means of
living He wants to buy some boats"
Who told you all this?"
Mrs. Melody told me-"
What fellow you are for getting into
the confidence of these dear old ladies! Not
that | mean to imply that Mrs Melody is
old. Well, what else did she tell you? How
does she like the match?"
Not over much. She thinks Dolly is fit
for something better-and so do l. Between
ourselves, think she has ambition for Dol
ly, and would like her to marry some young
man in good position who would make
lady Of her-at least that is my conjecture"
Young men in good position don't usually
marry girls who teach swimming
oh, / don't know-you never can tell
such things are always happening, and Dol
ly is very pretty girl. You know think
Colin Marshman ought to be great deal
more careful"
Careful about what?''
"Oh. WELL this is your first visit this
season; think he ought to be more careful
about paying attention to Dolly"
Does he pay her attention."
He does-he is always about with her
and think it puts wrong notions into her
mothers head and also into Randie'sA Just
observe for yourself
Did you ever speak about this to Coiin?''
'Oh, no, ! shouldn't like to do anything
of the kind. You are a much older friend
of his than am"
We'll, / can tell you that if see any
thing at all out of the way or alarming,
shall speak to Colin at once He is about
the last man in the world who would like
to make mischief anywhere, and | know he
has great regard for all the Melody folk
Il wish he would come along now, for it is
quite time we were getting off. I say, where
is the 'Saucy Arethusa's boat?"
We had always to get on and off the
''Saucy Arethusa'' by means of her boat.
yacht to come close in, and the local author
tiles of Shepperton had not yet made up
their minds as to the necessity or even the
propriety of building a pier Many people
contended that the place had got on quite
we'll enough SO far without pier while yet
others declared that to build a pier would
be to turn Shepperton into another Margate
or Ramegate. So as there was no pier and
we did not see the boat, we kept futtering
signals to Willie and Christie to endeavor
to impress on their minds the fact that we
wanted to get on board somehow.
"Hello!' Gregory suddenly said in low
tone, '1ook there"
1 looked in the direction at which he
nodded his chin, and there 1 saw the boat
emerging from behind the stern of the
''Saucy Arethusa," and having a man and
woman on board it. 1t was rowing towards
us and when it came a little nearer we could
see that the pair, both rowing, were Colin
Marshman and Dolly Melody. I turned an
instructive glance back upon the beach and
there, to be sure, busy among the bathing
boxes. was Randie Grimes. Then the boat
came in and Marshman and Dolly leaped on
the shingle.
I'VE have been out for row, Miss Melody
and l." Colin informed us, as If anybody
could have needed the information under the
conditions; land it has been a lovely morn
ing and we enjoyed ourselves ever so much.
Didn't we, Miss Dolly?"
"Yes, indeed, we did, she replied with
positive fervor and turning glance of in
describable gratitude on Marshman.
Now you can pull yourselves to the
yacht, you fellows" Marshman exclaimed
cheerily. II am not going this time. I am
hoxy ctr bp
with Miss Dolly" my companion and 1
both thought, but we said nothing of the
kind and only murmured few common
places and got on board the boat
II don't like that Gregory said to me
as we were making for the Saucy Arethusa.
Nor 1, by Jove!'
Ibid you see Randie Grimes there?"
eyes, l saw him. do hope there won't
be row..
There will be no row just now" Gregory
said significantly. Grimes has too much
against him for the moment. If / don't
much mistake the man he is just the sort
of chap who will bide his time
confess that the words and the looks
and the warnings of Gregory began to have
an uncomfortable effect on me. Yet found
it hard to believe that Marshman was real
ly getting into any ENHANCEMENT with the
girl or rather allowing the girl TO get into
any ENHANCEMENT with him. If any one
ever was by nature and training a man of
honor Marshman was. i could not bring
myself to believe that he would do anything
TO bring a young woman into trouble with
her lover or to set the tongues of the neigh
bors going about her. Yet after what
Gregory had told me it certainly did seem
to me very unwise on Marshman's part to
go about with the girl and to put Grimes
into a jealous rage.
OF course there was one possible, barely
possible, explanation. Marshman may have
actually fallen in love with the girl and
MADE up his mind to marry her. There was
nothing to prevent him If the girl cared
about him. He absolutely independent
and he had money enough to marry and live
on He was not a man who would care in
the least for the public opinion Of what is
called his class, and if he fell in love with
the daughter of a seaside clearinghouse
keeper he would marry her as readily as if
she came from Park lane or Belgrave
square. But l confess 1 doubted very much
whether such a marriage would in the long
run be likely to make him happy. Then
1 had always thought of late that there was
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