The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-21
ra,nyr mixed. n laughs in 80 Of her;

TdUnCE LliASAs Ild laughs II ~ "a y
SELF
He-You seem amused, Miss Neville.
She (nendaciously)-I was just think
ing. Suppose every one has filled up their
programmes?
He Ito hinlself)-As if she hadn't prom
ised that little cadlt (Aloud, meaningly.)
1 fancy there is no great danger of that.
She Ito hersalf)-Of course. / wonder
how many she is keeping for him? In
blue, too-the only thing those straw col
ored girls look we'll inl Oh, if I'm not
very careful l shall say something-silly.
/ shan't speak again; that's the only way.
[Silence again. Eventually they turn q
corner and come out Oh the highroad.
He-We shall soon be there now.
She with an almost inaudible sigh
Yes.
He interprets the sigh as one of relief,
md relapses promptly into dignifled ST.
lence. The pace becomes moro and more
rapid, and the rickshaw jolts from side to
side.
Hell am very sorry to bump against
you SO, but
She growing neryous)-Oh-oh, never
mindl Don't you think we are going too
fast? Please tell him not to-(agitated)-
oh, please-I don't like i'll
He shouts to the cody, who shouts
back in unintelligible Chinese.
He'll can't quite make out what he
says, Miss Neville, but I'm afraid he can't
90 slower. The riekshaw's got a bit too
much for lin.
Then a part of the darkness suddenly
becomes solid and heayes up, and hits the
rickshaw full on the side. Presently the
girl sits up in the middle of the road and
locks round. Near her, at the foo of a
low wall, are the sad remains Of the rick
shaw-one lamp is smashed, the other still
burns diInly, and she sees lying in the
road a vague, dark heap. She looks at this
for a moment, then suddenly rises and
goes quickly to it.
She with a frightened ery)-Oh, Mr..
Davenport-Walter Darling-don't look
like that-oh, don't, don'ti ITO the cooly)
Run quick and fetch SOM onel Get
waterl And we've lone nothing but quar-
rel ever since yesterday morning. My
fault, all my fault! He would never have
noticed that odious girl if l hadn't. Oh,
my dearl My dearl Oh, wake! Come back
Ii can't bear It'll
[She bursts into tears. The man comes
to and opens his astonished eyes in the
pitchy darkness
He Ito himself)-Hellol What the dew
Where am I? Why, this can't be- 1t Is
though. Crying, upon my soull
She (sobbing)-Ohl viii no one ever
come? He will die, I know he will, and I
can do nothing for him, ~nothingl
He-Marionl Then d'you mean TO sa@,
you don t care for that little brutsF
mond after all?
She-Oh, how you brighten mel
more than before.)
He (peering eagerly into her face throug-
the dark)-Don't cry. Tell me. Let me
hear you say you don't care for that little
brute-you didn't val his beastly BAN
gle. 1t drove me wild to see you take it.
She (sobbing)-I th-threw it away
d-directly after. Oh, oh, Walter IL
thought you were d-deadi
He (yigorously)-Darlingl
She (presently)-Then you're really not
hurt2
He (beaming)-Not a bit. Are your
She (blissfully)-Oh, mol Only my
frock's all over lamp oil and dust. I can't
go to the dance, that's certain But (mis.
chievously) you might go and-and sit
out, you know, with Miss Symes.
He (laughing)-Whatl That girl? Oh,
you ridiculous
She Observation-Disclosures I call
her a very nice grill
He (generously)-Oh, WE'LL She can
console Raymond, poor little fellow He
he's not half a bad little chap, I think.
(They laugh.)
He (suddenly)-By Jove, here's that
fool of a cody coming back. Get up,
dearl He's got two rickshaws with hilns
and your cousin, and, oh, confound the
fellowt What need he have been in such
an awful hurry for2
She-Yesl Rushing back like that, the
stupid idiotl-St. Paul's.