The Democratic advocate., 1905-09-09

Beatrx looked at him closely, but hi:
face was almost a blank
Il say" he added, lets walk
''Oh, no, ;" she said; ''let' sit here.
Come on he urged; diets 90 look
at the lake.
''Ts that where Miss Willingham and
Mr.. Travers VENT she asked.
Eyes, he replied.
Il believe should like to see the lake,
she decided
They descended the veranda steps, but
he turned to the left. Bob had gone to
the right
But this isn't the way they went, -
Beatrix suggested.
''Much nicer this path, he said
They walked on in silence
Does this path lead to where they
are?' she asked at length.
NO, he said, mot this path ~
''It IS very rough, said Beatrix, II
never saw such rough path.
Il say, the Schroeder boy urged,
Just take my arm.
In reply, Beatrix uttered little scream
and sank to the ground in an eddy of skirts.
My foot she cried GIVE sprained
my anklel | must go back =
She rose and limped. She did not limp
very well, but the Schroeder boy was not
a connoisseur of hmps and he accepted it
as a first class quality
M horrid sorry he said, in real
distress. You must take my arm now
You can t Gmp all that way, you know. "
"0h, yes, | can, she said, quickly
Il prefer to. It's-its good for me.
The Schroeder boy awkwardly barred
her way \ wave of red spread over his
face.
''You can take my arm, you knew, he
said. and blushed Il don't don t
mean to iirt by it. | can see things, it |
am bit slow, and saw first of that Mr.
Travers was rather he paused to con-
slider the most delicate way To put it
''lhat YOU two were chummy, he said,
hastily, and that | was pushing in. But
don mind telling you that Miss VII
awfully gone on her. We almost made it
up between Us, YOU know, while Mrs. Bur
ton was in town. but somehow We got to
quarrelins, aud thought maybe If left
her alone Bit He paused, and
wiped his face. You see, she won t let
me near her If YOU could say word to
her, now
As they rounded the familiar corner Of
the cottage, they came face to face with
Bob and Miss Willingham Bob was
limping couspieuously. So WAS Beatrix.
Ia a moment each forgot everything but
the other pain and they sprang toward
each other with the speed and wholeness
Of ht athletes.
Dearest, cried Bob, are YOU hurt?
Are YOU injured9 Are you in pain?
Bealrix Tell at his feet and clasped his
ankles
oh, what is the matter? What is the
natter she walled.
Nothing. with me, he assured her
II IN all right, she declared.
And then they laughed. And then
they caught the astonished glaneeS Of Miss
Wilingham and the Schroeder boy, and
they blushed
CHAPTER Y.
The four of them sat down on the lower
step Of the yeranda and entered into ex-
plantations. The explanations began with
the dsy Beatrix and Bob were married,
aad continued until they reached that very
seat they then occupied.
How American said Miss Willing
ham
Mighty clever, you know, said the
Schroeder boy.
YES, said Bob, but how are we to
tell Mrs Burton? 1t was sort of mean
triek on her, don t you think?
Jolly go<d trick, | call it, said the
Schroeder boy. shes such Il dear old
soul she won mind. rdjust tell her off
hand
but hardly know her, pleaded Bea-
trix, and I'm sure Eve told piles Of tibs.
What will she ever think Of me?
Say, its jolly said the Schroeder
boy. .'She might be little put out to
think she was fooled into trying to couple
up Mrs. Travers and me, and Mr.. Travers
and" He looked doubtfuuy at Miss
Williugham, She smiled in friendly
way.
.Pshawr' said Bob; .'after all, what is
there TO tell? We are married Wepre
tended we were not. I'll just 90 up to her
aud L II say, 'Mrs. Burton
"Yes? asked Beatrix, eagerly.
.'In say. Mrs. Burton-' Bob
resumed, and then stopped.
Go on, said Beatrix; that good
beginning. -
well, Bob asked, turning to Beatrix,
what would you say after you had said
Mrs. Burton
..rd say, said Beatrix, waving her
hand gracefully, :" Mrs. Burton, | am
married. Bravely, like that. -
How would it do, asked Bob, "for
You and me to go in together, and then |
could say, Mrs. Burton, this is my wife y?
II sayr' exclaimed the Schroeder boy,
Il have it, You know how laugh.
Or no, you don't | haven't felt like
laughly lately. But Miss Willingham
knows, don you, Grace?'
Miss Willingham did not rebuke the
"Grace. She smiled.
"He lawfs chawmingly," she said.
Like this, said the Schroeder boy,
and he raised his head and laughed until
the others laughed with him.
Great, yes?' he asked. "Well, sup
pose | 90 in and find Mrs. B. and let off
that laugh at her, and then choke it off
and say: The greatest joke! Best thing
ever heard Travers is married. Mar
ried to that girl that came with him. And
then I'll tell the whole story. She can't
be angry then-think so?
"If you only would!' exclaimed Bea
trix. Tell her how we suffered before,
and how | thought we would pretend not
to be married, and never imagined We d
meet anyone we would know.
eff you'll do it, said Bob, "rll be
your best friend for life "
She goesr' said the Schroeder boy.
"Now l laugh. -
He burst into his happy, ringing laugh,
and the four arose and turned to ascend
the steps. The laugh dwindled and shrunk
into squeak, and the others gasped.
Il