Middletown transcript., 1902-03-15

and looked over at cousin berta, VIII
sat at some distance reading book
and quite too far away to hear he
Cousins merry laugh, or form an
guess as to the cause of it.
isIt's too ridiculous continued
Edith. ssBut do tell me, Oliver, wha
put it into your head to think tina
Beita was engaged"
'sWeli, don't know that | thought
it all Of my own nnaided fancy" re
turned Oliver BIount, as he leaned
against the trunk of one of the greal
cherry trees to which Miss Ranken's
hammock was tied.
Somebody told me she was en-
gagged, Edith. forget now who II
was. But since I've answered your
question, now answer mine. What is
there SO very amusing in the thought
of Berta's engagement
ssWell, it's ridiculous laughed Edith
again. 9You see, she's so brown-so
very, very brown"
EYES, y replied young Blount, turn
ing his gaze for moment toward the
object of their remarks, ''she certainly
is brown. 7
And then, bringing his gaze back
again, he allowed it to rest somewhat
critically and very admiringly on the
fair maiden lying in the hammock,
and his thought was:
''And you, fairest Edith, are SO blonde
so very blonde"
He continued aloud:
.sBut that is no good reason why Berta
should not be engaged. There is no
objection to a pretty girl being brown.
Some people have been known to prefer
them so.''
"Goodness! Do you think Berta
pretty?" exclaimed Edith. i'll her sud-
den interest raising herself on her elbow,
and Immediately being nearly capsized.
"Mr. Blount caught her, and as she
really was half-thrown into his arms,
he had no choice but to hold her
there an instant while he steaded the
hammock, and then to lay her head
back on the silken cushion.
And in that moments contact Edith
felt that they had more nearly returned
to the relation of two years ago than
at any time during their renewed ac-
quaintancesllip, about a week before
this date.
Somehow their thoughts drifted back
to those bygone days, and, instead of
talking any more of cousin Berta, Edith
began to remind Oliver of many long
forgotten incident of their previous ac-
quaintance.
And SO the minutes passed in these
"reminiscences of old times, until the
gong sounded for dinner, and every
body about the grounds rose from
their various places and sauntered to-
ward the hotel.
Edith Ranken had been as much in
love with Oliver Blount as such girls
ever are with any one except them.
selves.
In other words, she had known that
he was the catch Of the season. She
would have been quite willing to marry
him, and she quite intended that he
should be desperately in love with
her before many weeks had passed.
'There, Carmena, that will dop'
concluded Miss Rankin, aloud, as she
slipped away from the fingers of her
maid, and, catching up great bunch
of roses, pinned them in her belt as
she foated downstairs, and presently
entered the dining-room redolent of
beauty and perfume,
But Oliver Blount did not SO much
as raise his eyes at her entrance, and
Edith saw that his gaze was riveted
on the shy, sensitive face of her cousin,
seated opposite.
And. to her intense chagrin, she was
conscious Of peculiar expression on
Berta's countenance-a something she
could neither define nor understand,
but which, she felt vaguely, indicated
that they were not strangers, as she
supposed.
"Can it be possible they have known
each other? Where could she have
met him? But it's impossible. She
never could have known him! She
must have spoken of it to me, sometime,
as often as she has heard me speak
of him; and if she has known him all
this time, and not spoken of it, there's
some mystery, some secret between
them. Obi the sly creaturel Commend
me to these quiet, reticent girls for de-
ceit.''
Whatever else Miss Ranken was, she
certainly was not reticent, and she
lost no time in asking her cousin plainly
in regard to her acquaintance with
Oliver Blount.
"Berta, you never mentioned that
you had met Oliver" she said, the
first moment she found herself alone
with her cousin.
'T don't know that I have, Edithr
Berta.
And bright pink, that Edith saw
was very becoming. flushed up to the
girls clear, brown cheek.
ss0f course you don't-as often as
you've heard me speak Of himl How
anyone can be SO deceitfulp'
"Edithp' said Berta, with evident
pain. 81 never thought Of deceiving
you or anyone. How could / think it
would interest you to know that / had
met Mr.. Blount2''
She conld not have told her cousin
that even to speak that name was a
liberty she seldom allowed herself, and
then only in the sacred silence OF her
1wn thoughts.
"Well, tell me all about it nowl'
exclaimed Miss Ranken, impatiently.
Where did you meet him?'
Last summer, when l was travelling |
,sft, Mra Marutan Che Il ,7;etant /