Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-30

4
| sion. and they went over all Its details az
| they had done a hundred other times. When
Elizabeth had concluded her description OF
his ridiculous appearance as he plunged
| into the water. Rod cleared his throat with
| an evident effort
"Bess," he said. reaching out for the hand
which she had allowed to drop idly to her
side. II want to ask you a question, but
first have a confession to make
| "A confession?" Elizabeth's tone fndi-
| Gated a prop, amount of alarm at his SOL
| emn manner. and she made weak at
| tempt to withdraw the white hand that lay
| enveloped between two big brown ones Il
| suppose 1 ought not to listen to it, but. :"
| finding that there was no intention OF re-
| leasing the hand, Il am curious to know
| what It can be-"
WELL" began Rod. heavily, you renem-
Der the time we were just speaking of"
You mean tine time when you met with
your accident? Yes, 1 believe 1 have some
| recollection CT the occasion" She gave him
| a glance that would have precipitated mat
| ters had Rod been looking at her instead
| Of at the toe of his boot
"Well," went on that mentally burdened
person, cit wasn't an-an accident
This time Miss Elliot seemed genuinely
surprised. She stood up so suddenly that
the white hand was withdrawn before Rod
could prevent 1t.
Not an accident?'' she repeated; then
| what in the world was 1t
I'll did 1t on purpose" went on the con-
| trite Rod, bowling his head beneath the
on bet
| There was a suspicion Of a smile about
| the corners Of Miss Elizabeth's mouth as
she mentally compared the picture present
\ ed by Mr.. Mason sitting in dust and ashes
at her feet with the one he had made In
| his wild descent Of the slide two months
before. She quelled the smile. however.
and made her voice as stern as possible
before she replied
Il ought to be shocked" she said , with
Mason. How do you explain such con-
duct?''
well" said Rod. fairly writhing in his
ahasement, II didn't known you then, but.
Of course. I shouldn't have done 1t. any
way Only the boys-one of the boys
joked me about wanting to meet you, and
l told him I could go over to your camp
and meet you any time. and he said that
would be forcing my acquaintance you,
| and-weIl, he kept it up until got out of
| paAience-a little" Miss Elliot struggled
against another smile-"and 1 bet him
| that l could come over here and meet you
and row you home"
"And you did," supplemented Elizabeth.
Il suppose you felt very fine to win such
| a bet as that"
No" said Rod, with his first ray Of
| made the bet, and l felt more ashamed
after I-saw you. 1 wouldn't have asked
to take you home that day if 1t hadn't been
so stormy. That was why l stopped when
first started to ask you. l thought of
the bet. And that was why I wouldn't row
around the island. I didn't want the boys
to See
And what did your-your friend say.
and what did he think of me when you
told him that you had won the bet?" con-
tinued Miss Elliot relentlessly.
Il didn't tell him." Rod asserted, with
little more spirit than he had before ex-
hibited. You don't think l could have
done that. do you? 1 told him 1 had lost
It, l paid it.
Elizabeth sat down again. Her hand I'M
nSciOuSly tnnched nat
lay helplesly on the bed of the moss
Since you didn't tell that you had won
the bet" she said. Il don't know but that
you can be forgiven for the rest"
Rod Strengthened up suddenly, involun-
tari.y squeezing the little hand until 1t
was decidedly pink. He looked straight
into the gray eyes that had dropped before
his gaze.
Yes said Elizabeth, while a faint color
giowed through the tan upon her cheeks.
you are forgiven
And at that Rod felt emboldened to ask
the question he had before referred to.
Later-some time later-when the CONVEX
sation had been resumed Rod remarked,
while he patted the white hand. reached
waist:
There's thing, though, that wasn't
in the scheme-the trout. That's why l
wanted you to take 1t that day. It would
have made me feel better If you had"
"Yes?" queried Elizabeth. II was Just
wondering what part the trout played in
your little drama. l wanted to accept it,
too. only l thought 1t better not to-
After another interval, Elizabeth spoke:
by the way. Roderick, dear, you said
that one of the boys had joked you about
me. Did it happen to be Billy Whittier"
Rod sat up again.
You know-White?" he asked, in aston
ishment.
Since he is my cousin. yes" replied Eliz-
ripple of laughter.
"Well. I'll be" Rod checked himself
'Then you are the Cousin Elizabeth he was
always cracking I'D to me when we were in
college! The viIlain.'
''Do you think so?" asked Elizabeth. pre-
tending TO draw away from him. Rod i'm
| medately proved that he did not think so.
And you the Rod Mason whose
praises he sung In my until you
threa tened to become bette noir.' resumed
Elizabeth, when she had recovered breath.
'In fact, until | arrived at very unfavor-
able opinion of you. He told me when
came up here that he should make a bet
with you on the very subject that he after
ward did He also said that you would win
the bet If he did. And l told him that If
you were the sort of person who would
make such a bet you would certainly lose
it: and that If you did not lose 1t l would
pay 1t. You see, l was prepared for you in
way. but l didn't expect you to make
your appearance in just the manner you
selected. When you told me your name l
was suspicious for moment, but thought
1t must have been an accident. Why, Rod
erick. you might have broken your neck"
1T was worth the risk" said Rod. en-
Enthusiastically.
Then" went on Elizabeth. when you
insisted on rowing me home my suspicious
were aroused once more. That was why I
suggested that you row around the island.
When you wouldn't thought again that 1
was mistaken. After I saw how manly
you were about the whole matter I didn't
care whether 1 had been mistaken not.
You see. Billy didn't tell either Of us all
that he might
Rod was still puzzling over these unex-
pected revelations.
But you and White never saw each
other while you were up here?" he said.
well. hardly ever" admitted Elizabeth.
land then when you were not In the vicin-
ity. Billy Is too careless to take much
trouble for mere cousin. and. besides, I
suppose it would have interfered with his
| little plan. Do you object to it?'
"Darling!" said Rod, and again there was
long interval of silence.
You see. Vt was really Cousin VIII who
brought us together" said Elizabeth some
time afterward, when the happy pair were
on their way back to camp. Not only the
| first time. but afterward. when you were
going away. he got you to go fishing over
In Brandy brook. where he knew that uncle
was to be-
Hes the dearest fellow in the world"
I'D md he avt dor- ha