The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-03-06

Ranken.
Then she began to laugh, and
looked over at Cousin Berta, who sat
at some distance reading a book, and
quite too far away to hear her cous-
ms merry laugh, or form any guess
as to the cause of it.
Its too ridiculous" continued
EAth. But do tell me, Oliver, what
put it into your head to think that
Berta was engaged?"
''Well, | don't know that 1 thought
it all of my own unaided fancy" re-
turned Oliver Blount, as he leaned
against the trunk of one of the great
cherry trees to which Miss Ranken's
hammock was tied.
Somebody told me she was en-
gagged, Edith. l forget now who it
was. But since I've answered your
question, now answer mine. What is
there so very amusing in the thought
of Berta's engagement"
swell, it's ridiculous" laughed
Edith again. ''You see, she's so
brown-so very, very brown"
'Yes," replied young Blount, turn
ing his gaze for moment toward
the object of their remarks, 'she
certainly is brown"
sand then, bringing his gaze back
again, he allowed it to rest some
what critically and very admiringly
on the fair n,aideh11ying in the ham,
mock, and his thought was:
sand you, fairest Edith, are so
bionde-so very blonde"
He continued aloud:
"But that is no good reason why
Beta 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 Beta
pretty?" exclaimed Edith, in 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 stead
led the hammock, and then to lay
her head back on the silllen 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 acquaintanceship, about a
week before this date.
Somehow their thoughts drifted
back to these bygene days, and, in
stead of talking any more of Cousin
Beta, Edith began to remind Oliver
of many long-forgotten incident of
their previous acquaintance.
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
toward 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 do,"
concluded Miss Rankin, aloud, as she
slipped away from the fingers of her
maid, and, catching up a great bunch
of roses, pinned them in her belt as
she foated downstairs, and present
ly 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 riv-
cted on the shy, sensitive face of her
cousin. seated opposite.
And, to her intense chagrin, she
awas conscious of a peculiar express
sion on Berta's countenance-a some
thing she could neither define nor un-
tlerstand, but which, she felt vague
ly, indicated that they were not
strangers, as she supposed.
'tCan 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.
some time, 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. Oh. the
sly creature! Commend me to these
quiet. reticent girls for deceit"
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.
81 don't know that I have, Edith"
returned Berta.
And a bright pink, that Edith saw
was very becoming, flushed up to the
girls clear. brown cheek.
''Of course you don't-as often as
you've heard me speak of him! How
anyone can be so deceitfull"
Edith" said Berta, with evident
pain. 81 never thought of deceiving
you or anyone. How could | think