The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-12-22


yond mere friendship If so, you are
the most heartless" drew myself
up stifay.
'Really," said, frigidly, 'you carry
the way too far, Mr.. Chalmers. There
is point at which It becomes an
suit
"InsultI' He stood up and lowered
over me. Insult That / love you
That Lob, am a fool to tell youl''
'Foolishnesss" said, meaninglv. 'ia
pardonable. Some things are not. De-
eeit is one of them" He looked down
at me for moments Then he snai
q wintry smile.
Deceit, he agreed, lis one OF
I do not think shall ever I1u deceiY
by q woman again
He looked SO angry that It seemed
to me that perhaps, after an, he IL
really fallen ia love wish me little.
It was wrong, wicked, inexcusabie; but
I was glad, glad, gladl Unjust find out,
I resolved.
Tell me honestly" demanded, 81
you can drop pretense for once
"You have no right TO speak to ME
like that, he interrupted, furiousIy.
Have not? Have you not known
perfectly well, all along, that you would
never, never be anything more to me
than friend?"
81 thinly," he said, 'that you are
the" He stopped abruptly. II don't
like to say hard things to woman, -
he stated, after an interval. Then we
were silent.
There was a sudden burst Of con-
versation when the game came to an
end.
"They will be making up another
set, F" said, Won't you join them2''
He took a quick step to the. opening
of the tent. Then he turned.
'For Gods sake, Eve, he impIored,
"ten me that it isn't your real self that
is speaking this evening. If you knew
how much I cared for you, if you un-
derstood-"
''I understand ? I said, quietly.
Haven't you down in the bottom OF
your heart just one little bit Of love
for me? When I love you so much-rny
dear2"
1 tried to say mo" but I couldn't,
I clenched my hands fercely and bit
my lips to Keep from crying out aloud.
Oh, he should never, never knowt AIT
ers a few seconds, that seemed an age,
the others came to the tent.
All, Miss Eve said the colonel q
knew hat you were hiding here, bui
wouldn disturb you. Let me intro
duce another Mr.. Robert Chalmers, the
cousin of our big friend here" I rose
mechanically. 'He is coming to settle
down here with his wife and-Why,
what is the matter, my dear?"
'I--I-feel faint" I said, feebly. !
dropped back in a chair, and everything
grew misty. Some one ran for water,
think, and the two Robert Chalmers
lifted me, chair and all, into the open
air.
I soon recovered. Then they lifted
me back again into the tent, out of
the cooling breeze. They insisted upon
carrying me, though I knew I could
have walked. Then began laughing
and talking, and they went off one by
one, till only Bob-my Bob-was left.
He sat down on a chair some distance
from me, and looked out through the
opening and didn't speak.
thought of several things to say,
but they didn't seem the right ones.
So waited a few minutes for him to
begin, but he didn't. He looked so
hurt that felt 1 couldn't wait any
longer.
''It is awkward" I remarked, feeb.
ly, "that you and your cousin have the
same name"
ut is not unusual with cousins" he
answered, indifferently.
''No-o, but" looked at him ap-
pealingly.
ST don't see why it matters"
People might mistake one for the
other"
eyes. Do you mean-has anyone"
''No-o. At least-Do you know your
cousins wife?'
"Of course! One of the jolliest lit
tie women in the world He is devoted
to her"
people might think that you
were"
"Eve!''
'Were married, l mean"
He stared at me for moment. then
he jumped up. It was a good
thing that I was sitting right at the
side of the tent.
When he had spoiled my hat and
crushed my blouse he demanded an ex-
PLANTATION. So explained. expected
that he would be dreadfuIIy cross, but
he wasn't. He just put his arm around
me and
AS said, he has good way with
me.-Madame.
TlI-Fated Friday.
The ill-repute of Friday as an un-