The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-09-14
AN INTERRUPTED STORY.

SS0-A
coat-"just keep right on forever? 7"
Sometimes" said I.
"But that wouldn't do at ALL" she
replied. "The editors would get
cross and the readers crosser. Besides,
the people themselves in the stories
would grow old and spoil everything.
No"-Betty shook her head-"you
must end them somehow"
"Then end them with the first in.
terruption," said I.
"Oh, DEAR" Betty exclaimed,
zone is so likely to be interrupted p
''Not here" said I.
We were, in fact, sitting in the Gu
pola of the great colonial mansion
which faced the sea, having made our
way thither through the relic-laden
attic and up fight Of cobwebby steps.
All noises in the house below were in
audable, and the salt air from the sea
crept in cool and fresh upon our faces
as we looked far out to the line where
blue met blue.
eff you talk like that / shall go
downstairs at once" said Betty pa
thetically. Her engagement to Rex
Leonard was announced not so very
long ago, and was prepared for some
such retort. But I was not in the
least disconnected.
81 don't like to doubt your word"
Il began.
Look" said Betty, ''is that a
French steamer going out :"
eff it is, it is many hours ahead of
time," said 1, without taking my eyes
from her face.
Betty colored. ''I shall be forced
to call for assistance" she said.
Like the girl Mr.. AIDE knew, who
sat in the hammock and called for a
chaperone?"
"How was that 2" said she.
"She sat there calling till mid
night"
Betty looked very angry. Ofcourse
she should have. She also smiled.
Of course she should not have done
that.
"That brings to my mind"-she
began.
"Don't letit," cried. "Please"
"The night Rex proposed to me,
she finished, as if there had been no
break in her sentence.
There was very little left for me to
say, so I said it. "Why?" prompt
ed.
II won't tell you," said Betty,
blushing very red.
"I'm waiting" said I cheerfully.
swell, if you'll never breathe 1t to
a soul, that's the way / made Rex
propose to me- Betty gigled guiltily.
There may be more delightful sounds
A II this Yofld ts than Betty Bsttys sq gHiltY YYg gjg
It is a sound of mirth trying to btb-
bic through propriety and finally suc-
ceeding in a tiny but triumphant
chuckle. But you really must have
heard Betty do it to understand.
"I'm mystiied," said l.. "Why
should Rex, or, for that matter, any
sensible man, have needed any COM
pulsion 7"
"H'm," said Betty thoughtfully.
"Hyperbole, hyperbole. Or else, OF
else'-
''Or else what 7" said I.
"Or else some men are less sensible
than the world gives them credit for
being"
doubtless many men are," said ]
oracularly. "Was Rex unwilling OF
merely timid?"
"Timid, of course - Betty ex.
claimed Indignantly. "What do you
take me for? I merely had to dc
something to make him think he was
a bold man."
$50 you called for chaperone {"
said I.
"Metaphorically, yes" she an
swered.
"And no chaperone came"
Literally, no, - said Betty. :.
$50 there was no interruption T.
1 said, with little sigh.
mo interruption at all" she an
swered, looking musingly out ovei
the tree tops to the blue sea.
I sighed again. Betty turned and
looked at me inquiringly. I shook
myself together and smiled at her.
"Will you ever tell Rex?" / asked
Certainly not" she replied. 81
shall let him think he did 1t all him
self. That's the surest way to hat
ter man."
"The surest way to catch a man
you mean," said I.
"Not always" said Betty, agaii
looking over the blue sea.
Ibid you ever try it before" l ask
ed.
She made no reply.
"Did you ever try 1t before!' I re
peated. :, :,
"Once," she answered, still look
ing into the distance.
"When? 7" inquired, leaning to
ward her.
Zone SUMNER" said she.
"Where?" said I.
"In hammock" she answered.
"Where was the hammock" 7" said l
"Under some apple trees" sal
she.
"Where were the apple trees!"
urged.
I'm an old-fashioned garden,
dear, old-fashioned garden" Bett
replied.
"Was the garden far from here ?
"Not many miles," said she.
"Did you really trys" said, afte
a pause. perhaps the man though
you were only playing, thought it a
a game, ard felt it violation of th
rules to break through into seriou:
ness"
Betty shook her head the least Ii
tie bit, which had the effect of moi
committal negation.