The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-02-11

| sfyou arranged THIS picnic, you sAouiu
| know more about it than | do.
Il don't think we need be quite SO
distant: it sounds rather idiotic.'
4Verv wcll,. said BERTHE, huffed; it
was quite up to the level Of my usual
conversation - first introauctions
I though.
.Oh. / didn't mean that" she said,
4 hastily. II mean, as we've known each
other ~ many years.
III Zee. Well, I'm glad You put it In
that way, because have something
ratber-rather delicate to ask you,
something T couldn't ask a complete
stranger
What is it," she said, in low
| voice not quite knowing whether she
hoped or feared He hesitated.
1.-THE fact is, I should rather like you
to return me the ring l once gave you
er-you may perhaps remember-
ooh. certainly" she said. She had
/ forgotten all about it; it was still on
her finger She HANDED it to him. Il
am sorry; of course, l meant to return
it to you this afternoon. How foolish
of me-"
/ She would have liked at least one
more attack upon her sense of duty.
1 Not that she would have yielded, Of
course.
mo" said BERTHE, tit was rather
! strange Of me to ask for it. But the
fact is, want it just now for a special
reason
He held 1t between his thumb and
forefnger and looked at it tenderly.
4 She saw that the attack was coming,
and rejoiced.
What reason?" she said almost in
whisper.
ssWell.'' he said, "as we are on such
/ friendly terms, I don't mind confiding
it to you. You see that tall girl IN
blue over there, under that scrubby
green stuff?''
"SIaude Merchant" said Eva, start
led
YES. Fact is, I've got the next
dance with her, and it struck me that
she's such ripping girl that I've de-
/ cided to ask her to marry me, and on
occasions like this it is always useful,
/ find, to have the ring ready, you
know"
il "O.'' said Eva. She could think of
nothing more to say.
i stAs you are sort of a sister, you
| know he went On dreamily, II don
II mind telling you how passionately ]
love her. II is SO nice to have some
body to confide in, in a case like this
somebody sympathetic. You know
Maude?"
YES said Eva, in a choking voice.
isn't she dear girl? Isn't she per
feet? Did you ever see such hair, such
eyes, such an outlook? And her dis
position is so SWEET
Z think you'ye-you've made a very
good choice.
Eva was making a heroic effort fe
see things in the common-sense light;
to a sister all this should be inter-
esting, nothing more.
I'm glad you are pleased he said
81 value your opinion more highly than
that of any other friend I've got. Sc
you advise me to do it9''
20, yes!'' she said, with hollow
cheerfulness.
Thank you, thank you so muchn' he
said shaking her hand earnestly and
locking into her eyes. Isn't that the
next dance beginning"
Eva had a headache. She deter
mined to go home, and looked around
for her mother. but was claimed fol
the next dance by an elderly gentle
man who would take no refusal. Ant
she was fortunate to have got rid O
a man who could see anything in tina
horsey Noreham creature.
!, Her next partner, a cheerful youn:
man. said, Have you heard the new
about Maude Noreham?"
Her heart sank, in spite of all he
determination. 'About-about-he en-
gagement?" she asked, family.
Yes" said her partner. Luck.
beggar, isn't he?"
! She didn't know what reply sh
made, nor what they talked about TO
the rest of that dance. She only kneE
that. in order to do this so suddenly
! BERTHE and that-that person mus
have had an understanding for month
before. must have simply been wait
ing for the opportunity. =. must have
: oh, the villainous treachery of it ALL
Mother, really think we had bet
ter 20 now" she began. when her ey
i fell on a familiar figure. BERTHE wa
standing at the table. Though munich
ing a sandwich, he looked the pictur
of hopeless misery.
Nonsense, nonsense!" said th
q duke, II couldn't allow such a thing
g the next is my dance with Mrs. Row
S en-" And they went away and left he
helpless and alone.
: BERTHE came slowly toward he1
e naourEfully rubbing crumbs off hi
i gloves. His step was heavy; it SCENE
e as if the light had gone out of hi
: life.
Il think the next is our dance. Mis-
il Rowen,'' he said, offering his arm.
:, What was she to do? She took
y and they walked toward the ballrooI
e in silence.
n do you want to dance this?a
g asked. in hollow tones.
II stJust as you like she replied.
z do not feel said BERTHE, as
9 | should ever want to dance again.
He took her to the conservatory an
e they sat down in the same corner q
before. He groaned and put his hea
t on his hands She waited, with som