Barbour County index., 1906-06-13

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more or less than you love sea-gdlls?' p
why should IlliAe one or the other
more or less?" i II
"well-a whale is a mammal-and
so is man. H Fl
! Man is beast,p she corrected.
eyes, 1 suppose he is. And wom-
an-woman is crister."
Thanks. 1 was afraid you would
call woman either an angel or a mer-
maid.' RI
NO" he replied, refectively, II
never took home seither feathers or
scales, on-on my coat lapel"
"You can actually speak about that
affair, and-love?"' She; blushed as
she nearly missed fire on the final
word.
"Why not?" he inquired. 'fThe sea
is doing me good. shall be myself
once more in a week"
"And begin to- regret your unmiti-
gated bachelor selemnities?"
Certainly not. I'd like to see the
girl who could make me regret such
a sensible STEP"
He looked so deeply into Ada'si eyes
as he spoke that she sew the whole
some, honest boy she had known so
happily. once upon time. Then he
presently added: III Il
Besides, that's doneand there's
an end to it." Il
Something happened in Ada's femi-
nine mind. She said:
''That sounds exactly like the things
you used to say SO long age. Just be-
tween our childish calms and storms.
A bright light flashed in his eyes,
for second, to- counter the sparkle
in hers. 4
ada, there's nothing poetic or
reminiscent abotit me now" he con-
fided, "but everything feels to me de-
cidedly like spring" i II
With a nod she conceded he had
paid her back Nevertheless, she ig
nored his gentle repartee.
WAS it spring the whole year
through, when we wera two; foolish
children" she queried.
81 never thought" he admitted
"but-hang it all Il believe itEwas."
The sole purpose of making din ocean
voyage so protraesed is TO entrap the
innocent passengers into vague little
sighs of inconsequent regret when at
length it is finally ended.
Both Seton and Ada were apostles oil
inconsequence.
That final evening they sat on the
deck and beheld the moon ariss like
red-hot disk from somewhere over
the edge. Ada looked at it steadily
THE poor old thing must take us
very seriously" she said, FOR look at
the wrinkles on her brow."
Il used to think a sillier thing than
that-what a lot of rings it would
make, cut out, one inside the other. u
He was silent for a moment, men
tally carving up the unsuspecting
planet. Then he observed: :
They would all be plain gold
rings" /: i
"Yes, 1 know. That was part of the
idea. l said it was woefully silly"
Perhaps you thought you would
like one of the rings?" Il;
Perhaps 1 did," she confessed. ''l
was very young" II
He suppressed a tentative feeling OF
excitement. II!
"Of course, you don't wish for any
thing of the sort 3ny longer?" he in
quired, calmly.
How could L. M. Lowe?"
81 was trying ito think" Il
You were trying to think swhat?"
"How we could both get out of it
l mean-how I-::we--well, let; it go tn:
way l said it first" l..
She looked at! him steadilyi and fell
herself grow pale and warm alter
nately. I'll
Get out of what?'' she murmured.
, ada, we can't get out of the fac
that we love one another, devotedly.
he announced with a boldness tha
took away her breath when W.
used to play, as ichildren. we used tl
say we loved each other for the court
ship, and that we loved each .dther lol
, the marriage, ard then, after the di
vorce, we made: up and said we lovet
each other again, so as to hagin tn,
game all over. So we can'S set out o
that, now can we? The oDlyaauestiol
is how to get around our solemn VOW
p to the bachelor associations
I 'But-Seton-'! if
b Il know. I've always said you are
S sweet, sensible girl: If YOU Advise ii
r I'll simply break my pledge.:,t
But I don't sdvise it. l don't ad
h wise anything. certainly
d Don't you loS1e me. sweetheart, JUS
2 enough to help lihe out?" ; :I:
G She was silent for moment H
took her hand. lit was trembling, bu
], it lay in his without alarm H
e looked in her eyes, and even in tn
It moonlight, saw the answer Ne needed
Then finally Seton, pressing his IS
3 to his heart, with adj his strength. dis
s covered he was gazing in RAPTURE o
Il the moon. He thought what abeautifu
|, plain gold ring he could Gu. from ih
E. splendor of the disk. i III