Middletown transcript., 1900-11-17

blazing fire, and after a few minutes
absence returned with steaming cups ol
coffee and some hot cakes of her OWE
baking.
| "This is NICE" said Nancy as Paul sal
down beside her. 'How they will envy
us at the Grange when they hear of oul
adventure
"We are very lucky" said Kesterton
watching her with smile. 1--WE might
have been stranded and obliged to walk
home. Won't you have any sugar il
your coffee-ah! then you don't know
how coffee should be drunkp'
(Which is the right way2"
"It ought to be as sweet as love, as
black as the devil, and hot as-well, the
lower regions p
Nancy laughed. 'I am afraid I pre-
fer it without the love-" she said, 'and
the other things only in moderation, "and
she filled her cup up to the top with
cream.
"Ah, you are wrong!" said Kesterton
purposely taking her words in an emble-
matical sense. "You should not defy
Love in such reckless way.
"Without love, our solid Joy,
Lies but foolish empty toy.
And hardly worth possessing"
II don't agree with you," she said
thoughtfully. Speaking as an on-looker,
I think life would be much happier were
there no such thing as love. Think of
the sorrows, the tears, and heart-break-
ings that would be saved"
"And think of the smiles, the joys,
and the happiness which would be mis-
sed." He turned and looked at her
curiously. "You speak only as an on
locker then2 y he queried. "You have
never experienced the tender passion
yourselfF"
"Never," with a little deprecating
wave of her hand, "and 1 hope never
shall. People look so foolish when they
are under its influence"
He laughed amusedly. "Was 1 not
right in calling you an icicleF' he said.
''But you will not be so always. You
will fall in love one day like everybody
else, and will look just as foolish, too"
She moved her head restlessly under his
gaze, but did not answer. Instead, she
rose from her chair and went and looked
out of the window.
"Why, it is snowing," she exclaimed,
showing hard p
"What good thing we are able to
drive back" said Kesterton, joining her.
"We shan't get wet, as it will take us a
very little time to get home"
'I shall not trust you as weather pro-
phet again." she said scornfully. "You
said it was more likely to thunder than
to SNOW"
"Did II" laughing. IT daresay.
You see, I wanted you to come out with
me so badly"
The dogcart was outside, waiting for
them.
care you warm enough?' he asked,
looking anxiously at her. "Let me turn
your collar up, or the snow will get into
your neck.
He turned up her seal-skin collar until j
it reached the edge of the seal-skin toque,
and quite concealed the golden coil of
hair. Mrs. Brown, standing few yards
off, wondered why such small action
should take such long time.
".
The days flew by only too quickly. A
fortnight passed and the party at the
Grange was soon to break up.
Fortunately or unfortunately an attack
of gout had kept Mr.. Carew to the house,
so that he had not been witness to his
granddaughter's growing intimacy with
the man he had warned her against
For Paul and Nancy had been insepa-
rable and Gerald Borthwick looked on
and sulked.
And to-day, while the two had been
skatning round the lake hand in hand,
with dry fresh air blowing in their faces,
Paul had asked Nancy to be his wife, and
Nancy had said eyes"
1t was only as they were walking home
ogether that the outer world was remem-
oered, and the first little cloud came
Icross their happiness.
''I don't know what grandfather will
ay," said Nancy, anxiously. "He will
lever give in. He is SO antiquated in
lis ideas. He thinks marriages ought
,nly to be brought about by convenience
nd that love should have nothing to do {
With them"
There was sound of halting footsteps !
N the frozen ground close beside them, .
nd Nancy started violently as Mr. Carew i,
ppeared round the tree.
'I am afraid this is an occasion when 1 :
m obliged to undergo the common fate
t all listeners" he said grimly. ]
They neither of them answered, for his r
udden appearance had been rather alarm ,
ng.
"May ask what you are doing" 7
he old man asked sharply of Kesterton, q
with your arm round my granddaugh-
er's waist?"
Nancy tried nervously to free herself,
ut Pual only held her closer. n
Nancy has promised to marry me-" Il
e said simply, while an expression of n
esolution settled down on his face. i
Mr.. Carew's eyes cleaned. "What O
oes this mean, Nancy?" he cried sternly. s.
I told you, you were to have nothing to D
o with him."
II am sorry, grandfather" she said 81
18th lovely upward glance at Paul, g
but could not help loving him." q q
"And you, sir" turning to Kesterton Il
nd striking his stick fiercely on the Z
round. "I was so careful to confde my el
Jews concerning Nancy's future to you" l. l.
"You told me you wanted her to marry
scornfully. "Then let