Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-12-17
well, / suppose | oughtnit to say
ha said suddenly flushing crimson.

he said. suddenly flushing crimson.
did she propose to your <
Welby, with an incredulous look OF
amusement. Answer paid, toe The
| devil she did. And you have accept
ed?.
What else would you have me dor
returned Sands, stolidly.
For the next few days Horace Sands
experienced a general Of beW1ld-
ering depression. He was an engaged
man-to a lovely girl, it was true, but
nevertheless he was engaged, tie up5l
as it were-somebody's property. He
must buy presents ana rings and think
of furniture. Never In his life had he
thought about furniture. Even at col
lege he had not, as many of the men
did, troubled how his diggings were
arranged. He passed a man in the
street carrying a kitchen safe. He
| tried to think what a safe was meant
for, and realized that they would Ger
tainly have to have a safe. Some per-:
ambulators in great shop caught his
eye, and he blushed and looked obstin-
ately on the other side of the road. He
had postponed calling-he had not
dared yet. He would " summon
courage to behave as a lover should
to such a wonderful piece of feminin-
ity. He remembered now that her
eyes were gray, and serious, and
laughing all at once; that she had p
delightful, ~petulant mouth. The
thought of her was sweet. The real
ity at present was terrifying. He could
not yet face his betrothed. He must
have time to get used to himself un-
der these new conditions. Another day
passed. On the fourth he dressed him.
self in a frock coat, adorned his but
tonhole with a gouquet, and started
for her house. When he arrived as
far as the street in which she lived he
turned round and went to the club.
There was a note from her-three days
old. Again he flushed and thrust it in
his pocket. He went out, and in the
busy traffic of the street read his first
love letter from Maisie:
Dear Mr.. Sands: How chivalrous
and nice of you! It was a bet you
know"
He did not read any more but strobe
hcmeward. He had been a pretty kind
of a fool anyhow vain ass too. AS
if a beautiful girl like that-then he
began to laugh. At any rate he was
free again-free!-but somehow he
wasn't quite sure that he wanted to
be so very free. The furniture had be-
gun to interest him.
They met the next evening at Lady
Vaugh's. She received him with a
very bright smile and they danced.
They danced several times and then
he said at the end
II suppose you couldn't care for me,
could you?" And she colored all over,
and said,-
"Oh, no, I couldn't, not anyhow in
the world"
Fate threw them together. They
constantly met. She tried to avoid
him, but he would not let her. and she
ceased at last to try. At the end of
three months he again asked her to be
his wife. The tears c1ept into her
eyes then and she said,-
you are very kind and chivalrous,
and l ann very grateful, but I can't,
indeed Ican't!" So that he went away
co-scious that there was a barrier be-
tween them be could not break down.
He then went abroad with Welby, and
proved a preposterously dull compan-
ion.
'She will never have mel" he said
one day, i~rrelevantly. II believe it's
all because Of that confounded tele-
grant"
"Most likely"
What shall I do?"
Forget her."
That's what I have been trying to
do, but she crept somehow into my
heart, and l can't"
Wire, them"
"What?"
What she wired you"
Maisie was sitting with Mrs. Ham
lin, and her pretty face was even paler
than on the memorable occasion OF
the sending of the kilograms.
"Ah!" she said "it is a pity. l care
for him so much-so much-and 1t
could never be now! Could it?"
How mad of us all to let you do it!
We didn't realize till the things were
gone. Your spirits carried us away.
He's abroad, isn't he ?"
Yes, and can't bear it, but I must:
that's life, isn't it?" she said with q
little sad smile. I'VE all manage to
bear what We can't" And then a tele-
gram came, reply paid.
$500
What is it?" said Mrs. Hamlin.
He has wired. Look"
And what are you going to say?.-
The girl sat~down upon her heels.
upon the floor, and locked first into
1.-THE fire and then 4at MrszEamlin.
I think l ought to be polite, don't
your" she said. HE was to me-"
"Yes," said Mrs. Hamlin, 81 think
you should be polite"
And Miss Maisie was.-Waverley
Magazine.
Green Leaf in Limestone.
A remarkable freak Of nature and