The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-03-31


are" answered Lucy Ann. Then after
a moment of silence she said, I'D go
myself if my aunt would let me-"
''Why shouldn't she?' l demanded.
81 am a great stickler for propriety
myself and yet
t'Goodnessv' cried Lucy Ann. with a
laugh. 1T isn't a question of proprie-
ty; it's the work. There's such a lot 70
do
Somehow this struck me as very hard
lines and REINFORCED my suspicion that
the genial Mrs Witherspoon was
slave driver in disguise.
''Mr Trask is always wanting me to
go here or there with him and Miss
JONES' said Lucy Ann. Talk about
a stickler for propriety-there's one
''Trask?" 1 cried. well, he doesn't
look it,
:Neither do you," said Lucy Ann de
murely, land yet you are, you know.
But l was speaking about Miss Jones.
She is so awfully particular she won't
do anything, and she drags me out on
all occasions to sit with her and Mr..
Trask OF course I'm willing enough.
garden"
1 looked at Lucy Ann closely, almost
anxiously.
''You don't like Miss Jones very well,
do you?" said 1.
But Lucy Ann protested that she
thought Miss Jones was one of the
Ioveliest girls ever created, an object
of envy to all others and quite unap
proachably perfect. Yet my opinion
was mistaken, and 1 began to feel a
certain animosity against Trask.
Are they sweet ON each other?" I
asked
Lucy Ann shook her head, not mega
lively, but as one who considers the
whole question.
81 don't think they're engaged said
she at last. do your"
The last two words had notable force,
though they were spoken softly.
''They might be married. said 1,
they're so blue"
81 don't think they'd be blue if they
were married." said she, as if my
worn joke were worthy of serious con-
both of them. Don't you think 500"
L,
cialIy under the conditions which you
indicate. But between ourselves I
don't think Trask is so much. He's got
a fine head, of course, but his eye is
cold. Under certain circumstances l
think he could show himself selfish
and heartless."
II guess you're jealous of him." said
Lucy Ann, with laugh, but l discreet
ly refrained from making any guesses
of my own.
Mrs. Witherspoon came up at this
moment, having gathered vegetables in
several different states during her alb
sence. l presented my plea for Lucy
Ann and carried it, though with diff
Guilty.
As a result we walked down the long
path that afternoon and embarked in
the very boat that had behaved so bad
ly with me on the previous evening.
Lucy Ann took the steering ropes and
sat up primly against the blackboard.
She had exchanged her gray garb for
what l took to be her best summer
gown. 1t was white, with a white
sunbonnet to match, somewhat more
coquettishly designed and worn, too, |
lAdH gray OIlC
"Are you going to give them to her
yourselfY' she asked.
1t was the first utterance on either |
side since we had got into the boat, |
and it had an effect of suddenness |
which prevented my understanding it. |
"Give what to whom?" said l. "Oh, |
the roses. I'd almost forgotten them"
''Well, you're a nice one!' responded |
Lucy Ann 81 thought this was very
sentimental"
1T is very romantic" said l. ''These
roses are for young lady whom 1
never saw-that is, don't know wheth-
er ever saw her or not
That's queer" said she, with height [
ened interest. You don't mean
And she waved her hand toward the
orchard, which was coming abeam.
nodded affirmatively and then instinc-
lively glanced in the direction she had
indicated. The fair artist was almost |
in the precise spot where l had first
seen her at work, but on this occasion /
the umbrella planted in the ground OBJ !
Structed nv vision even more than it