Evening journal., 1899-10-28
TO BE CALLED FOR.

had gone out to keep her tryst beneath
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 a 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
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
sundOwn, and-well, he loved her-the
rest was sure to come right.
She coHld see the path to the village
from where she stood, and soon in the
distance she espied a speck coming
nearer Yes, it was hel But as the
"speck" advanced she saw that IL con-
sisted of two figures, not one only, as
she had hOped-two figures. both men.
Herbert was marching along swinging
his cane, cutting of the heads of dan
delions as he came. The other was
shorter and brOaderi he carried a stick,
but he did not swing IT,
At last they came so near that she
could distinguish their faces clearly.
"Hallol The little wench isn't here
yeti Who'd a-thought of her giving
herself such airs?'
"Is this the chosen spot? The altar
of Cupid?" asked another voice-a
strangely full melodious voice.
"This is the place, sure enough" re-
sponded Herbert What she means
by not being here first, can't i'm
agine"
mot being here first?" A smile Of
amusement played round the others
lips. rs that the way you do it.
ladies first, even at the trysting-tree?"
Women are always so beastly un-
punctual," said Herbert They can't
fix a time and keep IL SO 1 always
name a quarter of an hour earlier than
l mean to appear"
"Always?" There was a 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-
fore2"
Not this particular her, my dear
boy. But girls are cheap. One must
amuse ones self"
"Amuse ones self? Girls cheap?"
repeated the stranger angrily. DO
you mean to say yoHre such a thor
ough-paced cad as to-"
Draw it mild, cid chapl The girls
all right We're both playing at the
same game"
You're sure OF that?" Maclean
stirred uneasily bepeath 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 a pretty little
thing. It's dull 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 a girl. expect
ed her to have kept the tryst. TO tell
you the TRUTH l expected she'd have
kept it till called for / expected shed
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-maidishl" said Herbert, laughing
But the other had turned on his heel
and was striding across the soft green
sward in a whirlwind Of disgust.
Girls are cheap" How often the
words angered him! Was this girl
this pretty PenelOpe making
herself so cheap in her so-called loy-
er's eyes?
The stars were all out as Pen crept
home in the Summer night. Her grand
mother was mapping before the dying
emhers 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
it2' Herbert Maclean stood facing his
friend some weeks later, a gleam of
amusement in his eyes. THE old
grandmother is dead, and Pen is heir
ess to the family stockingi'"
"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 are such pre-
cious humbugsi"
Maurice didn't vouchsafe any reply
I to the tauHt He had gone to Dry
bridge three months ago as lOrum
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 Maclean' s
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 wasn't the kind
of man 10 whom girls were cheap.
and Pen seemed to him the fairest that
ever breathed.
Herbert Maclean walked homeward
/ i'm a meditative frame OF mind
| However. IL wasn't too late to mend,
so before he slept he penned and post
cd a neat little note. Would Pen meet
him at the old tryst the next night?
The next night he was in good time
at the appointed spot As he ap-
preached he saw no one was therel
only a white patch-an envelope-was
pinned to the soft brown bark: while