Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-12-09
KIT at fb G
World Said
By ALLAN p. AMES
Copyright. 1903, bB r. c. Mcclure


are three opinions to consider"
zone is enough for me-" said the girl.
Your own, | suppose"
"of course. l presume one of the
others is yours. Whose is the third?"
Eastcn gave a long sweeping stroke
tl.dt sent the canoe darting far through
the waters and laid the dripping pad
die across the gunwale ''rhe third"
he replied. sis what the world says"
And who cares for that?" spoke the
girl lazily from her cushions near the
bow.
Public opinion is something none of
us can afford to ignore" said the youth
gravely.
But this is not public matter. The
extent of my liking for you is some
thing just between ourselves"
Our world tonight. Anne. is not the
world of last winter. It's smaller-just
the little colony at this end of the lake.
in fact. That's the way we men feel,
at any rate. We come here to get away
from the world of work, and we want
to keep wholly within this little pleas
ant sphere of our own. Now. you can't
say that nobody about here has noticed
my devotion. If you should inquire
I'll bet you'd find that most of your
friends can enumerate the times that
I've proposed in the past month. Oh,
they know all about us, and they're in
tensely concerned. You can't have for
gotten what an active interest you and
7 tnoly in uour, cic nffoi,.v
I'VE were only rude children then"
Summer days like these make chill
dren of us all I've been growing
younger ever since I knew you. Now,
l have a childlike faith in the worlds
good judgment Can't you let it settle
this question for us?'
do you value its opinion above
mine?" asked the girl, with smile he
might have seen had the moon been
larger.
"Oh, no; only, you see, your opinion
in measure is neutraliZed by mine.
Here's disinterested third party.
Why not submit the question to him?
| am convinced that you should marry
me- You say you shouldn't. The rest
| of mankind are comparatively unim-
portant, but let's leave it to them.
| Isn't that fairy"
would you have them vote it at
next electiong'
NO, no. | am in earnest. Anne. If
| all our friends thought as | do.
wouldn't it make any difference to
you?"
But | don't know what they think.
| I've never asked them. Have youT"
Certainly not" answered Easton in
| dignantly. But | know way Of
| learning-to certain extent"
What's that?"
| Listening"
"At keyholes and open windows
suppose"
No. / don't feel quite young enough
for that. Besides, it isn't necessary.
See here"
Easton left his perch on the stern,
worked his way to the center of the
canoe and picked up small mega
| phone. Put the little end to your
ear" he said, handing it to his com
panion. Here's another just like it for
| me-"
why, Joseph Easton! I'm ashamed
| of you! Do you often do things like
| this?"
| Never did it before. This is very
exceptional case"
| you're sure to hear something about
yourself you won't like"
NO danger" he replied chee1fuily
as he raised the funnel to his ear.
Don't they say all the world loves "a
| fellow in my conditionT
Then, while the girl sat watching
him, with her own megaphone I'M
touched in l,er lap, he listened first in
one quarter, then in another. Sound
travels surprisingly far at night ON
| calm body of water. To the unaided
ear nothing was audible but the chirp-
ing of insects upon the shore and the
lapping of ripples along the keel. New
| ertheless at the fourth trial Easton
| attitude betokened that his megaphone
had intercepted some sounds more IN
telligible.
"Pity you're missing this" he chuc-
killed. presently. Better follow me"
Can you really hear somebody talk
ing about us?" asked Anne, interested
in spite of herself.
Seems to be couple OF girls DIS
cussing you," said Easton- And very
nicely too. Excellent sense those peo-
| pie have. Hush
''Now they've switched off on me-" he
added, after a pause.
Anne could restrain herself no Ion
ger. at isn't so wrong for me to listen
when they are speaking of you," she
said finally. The next moment two
megaphones were leveled into the dark
ness.
This is what came through them;
"Roving fancy. did you say? Indeed
he had. | never saw man change as
he has since last summer. he showed
a preference for Anne then, but he was
willing to glance at the rest Of us occa-
sionally. But now-well, it's case, all
ripht -