Middletown transcript., 1906-02-17

have asked her why she didn't.
However, with q glance at the
novelist's figure appearing up
the mountain road, I contented
myself with another role. Threw
back my head proudly-just as
the hero is always doingin those
historical romances that Gibbons
Writes-afld then | sternly re-
marked:
Indeed! It is no doubt thought
less of me, but ! was under the
impression that you were en-
gagged to marry me and that you
had never met Mr.. Gibbons be-
fore to-day's luncheon at the inn.
But Marjorie only laughed.
Exa stly, she said. If | WASH I
engaged to you, Id be afraid to
let you go.
We might break it, for the af-
ternoon, / suggested.
And if | had met Mr.. Gibbons
any sooner, she contiaued, calm
ly ignorance my interruption, |
might very well be tired of him
by now.
Marjorie, you are utterly lack
ing in romance.
All the more reason why |
should talk to MIR. Gibbons. Run
along now after the little girl in
black.
But l don't even know her
name-there were so many peo-
pie to whom / was being present.
ed at once.
No more do | know it, so you
have no advantage of me there.
Run along now, ] say. She's
already at the third hole, ano
here comes Mr.. Gibbons up the
: road.
AS usual I obeyed. Also as
usual 1 obeyed with the firm de-
termination to make Marjorie
sorry for this. If she insisted
upon sending me after another
girl, she must take the conse-
que6ces. It only remained for
me to create them.
So | shouldered my sticks
there are no caddies in the Fitz-
william links-and trotted up to
the girl in black.
She wasn't really all in black.
Indeed, only her golf skirt was
of the mourning shade. Her
shirtwaist was white, and her
arm, exposed to the elbow, glow
ed with a healthy tan. So did
her face. 1t was pretty, piquant
face, and belonged, / soon de-
cided, to a pretty, piquant girl.
There was blond, almost pert,
pompadour-she was bare headed
and saucy nose blue eyes
that laughed continually, and one
of those puckered little mouths
that are always daring you to
you know the sort of mouth l
mean. Well, this was the worst
yet.
You're just from the second
hole? she asked as l made my
little bow.
I admitted it. 1t wasn't true,
of course, but / admitted it any
how. Someway, she was the
sort you inyoluntarily agree with.
Then you must be fast goer,
she continued.
With unfailing modesty of a
man playing the fifth game of
his life l admitted that too.
Because, she explained, you
have evidently got here ahead of
your ball.
It's an old ball, / apologized,
and can't be expected to travel
so fast as these young bloods. Do
you mind my zeal in beating it to
SO charming a goal?
Notat all | only wondered
Then I shall confess that had
you asked me if got here by
walking on my hands, and had
seemed to want an affirmative
reply, / should have told you 1
got here in just that manner. Oh,
/ would make Marjorie sorry,
never fear!
The be girl ri in black took It admir-
ably. / thought, she said, that !
had noticed you coming in quite
a commonplace fashion and not
alone.
If you noticed me at all
It was quite inadvertant.
Still if you did notice
Fore!
There was nobody ahead of us,
nobody else on the links at all,
except Marjorie and the detesta-
bic Gibbons, and them I now OBJ
served calmly seated on a rock at
the first tee, with the bottom, ap-