The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-03-09

Wb64-WlLn0UL our engagement be1HHs
known-except to ourselves went
into secIusion and lived like a ne
ligieusef Is it-ls IT, he Insisted. that
you cared more than you wished to
eonfessT,
She uttered q sharp little cry. 'You
were always like a surgeons probe.
And. with a beseeehlng fiinging OF her
hand: @Please, please goI Don't You
see you make me wretchedT
For moment they stood measuring
each other. her snoldering. pleading
eyes vainly trying to wrest away from
the intensity Of his steadfast gaze
There was a cracking of underbrnsh
and little, wizened old man. carrying
a bunch Of newspapers, shambled into
the small open.
Thought yon might want some
more. miss. to clear your skirt With
he said, ignoring the silence OF the two
and the presence OF the young man.
"How did the scraps dos j come back
as soon as ever could. Know'd you'd
be a pretty sight goin' into town ii i
didn't.
There" he said officiously, crlm-
ping up large page and thrustirg II
toward the young man. you clean that
side, and I'll 90 at this. and we'll soo:i
have her In some sort of decent shape
He squstted beside the girl and began
scrubbing the spots as though he werr
polishing harness
The man looked at the girl. the cir
looked at the river. and neither move.
a muscle. though the man locke.
sheeDish with his big wad Of pape
and bit helpless and quite-a good den,
torlorn.
Girls is strange critters" speculate
the old man, beginning on another spo,
"Allus dom what they amt got no "a
to do and jumpin' the traces when yot
least expect 1t. Funniest part of IT
they don't allow as they ought to =.
their contemporaries neither. If yoG
tell 'em not to do thing they e,
straight and do IT. and II they get irj,
trouble they expect some one to yan'
'em out Here. YOU" he called sudden
" TO the young man. ''set to and rnb
out them spots-near as you can"
Tim afraid 1t won't do much
good" he said, obviously eying the
girl rather than the tar smears.
The old mans eyes CLEANED mis-,
chievously. Haven't you been intro
duced yet? Well, now, that's an over.
sight! Young man. this is a girl thai
read that there sign about no trespass
In on these premises and decided right
OF to come in and make me call.
That there barb wire fence is enough
to keep ordinary trash out, but you
can't never reckon on a girl. Girls
mostly needs a keg O. tar, too, and she
got both"
The old man backed off and squinted
his eyes. Mighty fine skirt to get
scratched up. But, then, girls is skit-
fish. I'd sooner break sixteen colts one
winter than try bringin' one girl to
time" And he grlnned illuminatingly
up at the young man from the safety
Of the back breadths of the gray skirt.
The girl shook herself lmpatiently.
THAT will do, thank you" she said.
moving quickly forward. ut is grow
Ing late. must be going"
But the old man had firm hold on
the skirt, and she stopped short. He
continued to rub away-he had never
stopped.
Had little experience o that my
SELF" he said reminiscently, when
was courtin' Mandy. Swore she
wouldn't ever have gol burned thing
10 do with me-just cause l held Tahi-
tina jumpers hand one sleighin' party
to see II Mandy cared. Tickled plum
ray For the first time the old man
ceased to rub, and, half crouched. the
lirty paper crunched in his hand, he
sazed out across the river. Queer how
kind a-durned happy fellow can be
Just cause a skittish girl shows him
she cares" he muttered.
fWho-oo-oo! Who-oo-ooI' A shrill.
reckoning call tioated across the wood
lot.
The old man let the larry paper fall
from his big hand.
''It's Mandy" he said, springing M.
Il guess you'll have to manage now
tor yourselves. Supper's waitIn'." Wiz.
4 quick sidelong movement he was o.
through the low hawthorn.
Both the man and the girl stood an.
looked at the place where he had dis
appeared until the last leaf ceased to
tiutter, then slowly she turned to the
man before her. Their eyes met aul
fingered for long moment fraurhi
with questioning. What they answered
could not be told In words, so the man
fell on his knees and began-oh. 50
gently!-to rub spot Of the precious
gray skirt. She stood looking down On
his broad shoulders. his big blond
head touched gold by the setting sun
Then her eyes wavered to the crude
sign, mo Trespasslng," directly r.
front With quick movement sir
reached down and ran her slender i..l
gers through his hair. stopped Ill
touched his face caressinsly with hc-
Beware of the dogs" she said l., Z,