Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-01-02

N<A Q<t1iICD d4<k III
that same chair, in which. it began to
seem. she was to live out the rest Of
her life Now and then II she thought
people were looking at her as they
passed she broke into laugh and nod
ded slightly. as if still amused over her
mishap.
After a long time she rose and, laugh
ing cheerfully to Mr.. Flftcroft, who
was standing in the doorway and re-
piled with wan smile. stepped out
quickly into the hall, where she almost
ran into her greatuncIe. Jonas Tabor
He was going toward the big front
doors with Judge Pike, having just
come out of the latter's library, down
the hall
Jonas was breathing heavily and was
shockingly pale, though his eyes were
very bright. He turned his back upon
his grandniece sharply and went out
of the door. Ariel turned from him
quite as abruptly and re-entered the
room whence she had come. She laugh
ed again to her fat friend as she passed
him and, still laughing, went toward
the fatal chair, when her eyes. caught
sight of Eugene Bantry and Mamie
coming in through the window. She
went to the window and looked out.
The porch seemed deserted and was
family illuminated by few Japanese
lanterns. She sprang out, dropped upon
the divan and, burying her face in her
hands, cried heartbrokenly. Presently
she felt something alive touch her foot,
and, her breath catching with alarm,
she started to rise. A thin hand, issu-
ing from shabby sleeve, had stolen
out between two of the green tubs and
was pressing upon one of her shoes.
"Sh!' said joe sDon't make a
noise! What were you crying aboutY'
Nothing she said, the tears not
ceasing to gather in her eyes.
II want to know what it was" he
insisted Didn't the fools ask you
to dance? Well, what do you care
about that for?''
81 DON'T" she answered; 81 don't.
Then suddenly, without being able to
prevent 1t, she sobbed.
She gave way all at once to gust of
sorrow and bitterness. She bent far
over and caught his hand and laid it
against her wet cheek. "Oh, joe" she
whispered brokenly, Il think we have
such hard lives, you and II 1t doesn't
seem right while we're SO young! Why
can't we be like the others? Why can't
we have some Of the fun?''
He withdrew his hand with the en-
barrassment and shame he would have
felt had she been a boy. Get outr' he
said feebly.
| She did not seem to notice, but, still
STOPPING, rested her elbows on her
knees and her face in her hands. II
try so hard to have fun, to be like the
rest, and it's always mistake, al
ways, always. alwaysw She rocked
herself slightly from side to side. IT
am fool, it's the truth, or | wouldn't
have come tonight. | want to be at
tractive. I want to be in things. I
want to laugh like they do"
"I'll tell you something" Joe whis-
pered, chuckling desperately. Scene
made me unpack his trunk, and don't
believe he's as great man at college
as he is here. / opened one of his
books, and some one had written in it,
sPrigamaloo Bantry, the Glass Try-to-
Bep He'd never noticed, and you
ought to have heard him go on! You'd
have just died, Ariel. / almost bust
wide open. 1t was mean trick in me,
but couldn't help showing it to him."
Joes object was obtained. She stop
ped crying and, wiping her eyes, smiled
family Then she became grave.
you're jealous of Eugene she said.
He considered this for moment.
Eyes, he answered thoughtfully; II
am. But / wouldn't think about him
differently on that account. And I
wouldn't talk about him to any one but
you"
"You must go away" she said anx-
iously. "Oh, please, Joep'
Not yet. want
She coughed loudly. Eugene and
Mamie Pike had come to the window,
with the evident Intention of occupy
ing the veranda; but, perceiying Ariel
engaged with threads in her sleeve,
they turned away and disappeared.