The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-05-30

dropped on the sand, slipped his arm
! around her waist and was giving her
an old fashioned hug.
| That the young woman took kindly
to this embrace was quickly proved,
for her head dropped against Ned
Moore's shoulder. and a little hand
stroked bis yellow and black coat
sleeve Moreover, the young woman
murmured loud enough to be heard
above the rush Of the surf:
eyes, darlingy
Ned Moore could plainly hear his
heart beating, but he couldn't, to save
his life, get grip on words. So he
Rugged the girl again. She seemed to-
read the right meaning In bis silence,
however, for she whispered:
"Such a heavenly night, isn't 1t,
sweetheart"
II must say something" thought Ned
Moore, and he was on the point of
speaking when another man spoke for
him:
"Well, I'm darnedv'
And when Ned Moore looked up he
saw facing him man about his own
size and build-a man whose face was
livid with passion. The intruder didn't
give Ned long to think, however, for,
he burst out:
"What is this, Nell? What in thun-
DER
He got no further for, with Shrek,
the young woman sprang away from
Ned Moore. When she faced him, she
looked an enraged tigress. She was
too angry for words. +
ANSWER me. Nell-answerv
ooh, It's all a mistake-a dreadful
mistaken! cried the young woman
mistake? Nonsensew
"No, truth, jack" and the pretty,
tear stained face was lifted toward the
angry man. II was sitting here" she
ran on, her voice tremulous, waiting
for you, and had Just dreamed MY,
way back to last summer and was, oh,
50 happy, living over those dear, sweet
days, when somebody, 50 like you,
passed between me and the sea, fitting
ILL VII DV tluS, WILL lily bWSCb ulCdui
Then an arm stole around me-the
same old yellow and black coat sleeve,
and"-
"Why, bless my SOUL" cut in the an
CRY lover, eying Ned Moore intently,
you've got on my old counting rigI
see 1t all now. Nell, dear, don't say an.
other word. It's all my fault. I'd no
business to sell that dear old counting
coat. 1t was rank sacrilegep'
For an awful moment Ned Moore had
been trying to settle in his own mind
whether he was dreaming. To find he
was not lifted a great weight from
his mind, and he joined his new ac-
quaintances in hearty laugh. Then
he said: I
"And you forgive me, then, both of
you"
"Why, Of course we d." cried Jack
and Nell, and then Jack continued:
"It's my skittish black and tan court
ing coat that played the deuce with
both Of you. How did you get hold Of
it?'
Bought IT secondhand, but I'll make
you present of the whole outfit as
soon as get back to my own modest
clothes. Honest haven't known my.
self since put the wild rig on"
Jack said he didn't want the coat but
his sweetheart timidly remarked:
Eyes; take 1t from him, Jack. You
must I'll never feel quite sure of my
self while that coat belongs to another
man."
Ned Moore found something more
than health at the seashore-found his
heart. And he returned to New York a
new man. Something, time soon test.
fed had opened bachelor eyes to the
loneliness of woman, the loneliness of
bachelor life, for In six months he mar
ried--married and settled down to hard
work and home life. But for reasons
the nature of which he did not explain
to his little wife he never parted with
his own counting coat even when It's
days Of active service had Departed
Chicago Times Herald.