Morris tribune., 1906-10-06
A CLOVER ROMANCE

i
tage il the park
"How would you like to live in St.
LOUISE he ventured to ask while the
| chickens he had ordered were being
Matched, dressed and cooked
Il fancy | should like the city," she
returned dreamily, all the while scan
ming the faces of the guests on the
veranda 1.-The city has decided adj
vantages over the country, but there is
no use cherishing a hope of ever
making this my permanent home, for
nothing would induce my father to
leave his farm"
"But you will not always be with
your father" he suggested.
81 have no present prospect of leav-
ing him. she replied, and if she
caught the covert meaning Of his words
she betrayed nothing.
Then they talked about the weather,
discussed the foibles of the bicycle girl
as she spun past them and at length
did Justice to the viands they had
ordered.
''Did | hear Fred Ward asking you
to go out to Wells station with him
this afternoon?'' he asked when the
demands of famished nature had been
pretty we'll supplied.
81 have no doubt you did if you were
anywhere on the veranda," she re-
turned laughing Il thought at first
he was asking some one over on the
south side"
II don't see why you didn't go with
him instead of coming out here with
me- 1t would have been ever so much
more fun. But I couldn't get off to
take YOU
"Oh, you asked me first and, besides,
Forest park is more to my TASTE" she
replied coolly.
Then the evening breeze waited them
q strong odor of onions and beer from
the next table.
"Are you fond of onions?" he asked,
trying to be Indifferent.
"No; I can't eat the vile things" she
! said, with more feeling than she had
yet manifested.
ooh, 1 am so glad!' he exclaimed i'm
pulsively.
She laughed outright.
"What ridiculous fellow you arev'
she said "What possible cause for joy
can you find in the fact that l do not
| like Onions?"
He looked confused and subsidized into
his plate for few minutes
wonder if she really doesn't suspect
| what l brought her out here for or if
she is trying to spare me the pain of
REFUSAL" he unused.
She was so pretty and could be so
sweet when she chose, but today she
was a tantalizing little witch, quite
too much Of study for his lovesick
brain.
would you like to go out for row
on the lake," he asked when they had
finished their rep2st.
'Are you quite sure that you can
keep out of the way of the launch?"
she asked mischievously. "You see, l
don't want to run the risk of being
drowned the last evening I am to
! spend in st. Louis"
''Well, | fancied I knew how to
handle a boat" he returned, with a
snap of injured pride.
Then he sprang from the table, over
turning his chair as he arose
''There is Nell, and she is riding her
new diamond frame. She promised to
take her first spin with me- he cried
as he waved his hand to the girl on the
wheel.
The vision in knickerbockers waited
kiss from her finger tips as she sped
past. Then he turned toward his COM
panion just in time to catch an ex-
preston of pique on her face.
II don't see why you didn't go riding
with Nell this afternoon. She certainly
gave you ample opportunity to ask her
last night" she said coldly.
ooh, can go wheeling with Nell any
time, and this was my last chance to
let you see the park" was his light
reply.
Her face was beginning to twitch
just a little, but she made a desperate
effort to control it.
''Shall we go down to the lake?" she
asked presently.
Il don't want you to risk your life to
afford me a little doubtful pleasure.
Perhaps l can find a man to go with
us and row the boat" he answered as
he stopped to pick up her glove
''Three men in a boat might go very
well, but two men and maid would
be a new combination, she said, with
a desperate effort to be gay.
They were crossing the grassy slope
S@-~
now, and the sun was going down.
Suddenly she stopped and picked
something from the grass at her feet.