The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-08-22

uOl WALT IL. Ills ungeTS SLOWLY III
terlaced themselves as he stood ther'
doubling, denying, disbelieving tha
which he saw. Suddenly it occurred
to him that she might not have drunk
the "radium." Watching her mis-
chievous little pupils as a gambler
watches the dice, his own face al
eagerness, his voice faltering, he re.
peated his question of the early morn,
ing:
"Did You taste anything unsua'
about that lemonade?'
Miss Vera laughed heartily at his
perplexity, then said, eyes, I did, il
that will make you feel any better"
His hopes fell like grass before a
scythe. She had drunk the "radium, -
still her pupils remained the same.
Plainly there was no love in her
heart for him. AN awkward silence
fell over them. Heartsick, he led the
way to quiet spot-quiet for a fair
ground--and sat down.
Near by, flock of sparrows chat
ted, gossiped and quarreled over a
crust of bread. A little way beyond
the peanut seller, the popcorn peddler
and the 'lemo" man pitted their shrill
voices against those of the mounte.
bank, the booth-merchant and the
man with the toy balloons. Across
the race course the cornets footed
away and the drums row-de- -dowed.
Miss Vera tried to affect an air of un-
concern as she drew pattern in the
dust with her parasol. Ord was pre-
occupied with his own thoughts. Un-
consciously he spoke aloud.
"They certainly don't look the way
hers did last night"
"What'd you say?" asked Miss
Vera, eagerly.
Ord bit his lip in silence as he felt
his face crimson.
"Who's eyes were you looking at
last night?" demanded Miss Vera.
Miss Kerr's," he stammered.
Every likely" she sneered.
Again that awkward silence so fa-
miliar to lovers.
Confused, Ord began to watch the
crowd. Near by half dozen raga-
mullins were cutting fandangoes be-
fore admiring friends, sprawling on
the dusty grass. Just beyond them a
crowd of happy-go-lucky jackanapes,
spruced up in their Sunday best, 0e-
lirious with joy, were whooping it up
in front of lemonade stand. Walk,
ing around them were groups of coun.
try girls, smiling, dimpling, tittering
and nudging one another as they turn
ed stereotyped smiles on some stupid
young gander or jeered some country
greenhorn. Intermingling with them
were garrulous wives, dragging can
dy-begrimed little yokels, many of
whom, weary of being pulled about,
their feet pinched or blistered by Sum
There were men, too; some standing
first on one foot and then the other,
pulling their boards, nervously, ap-
parently over conscious of their home
spun appearance while others shed
their linen busters and gadded about,
their hands under their coat-tails more
than satisfied with themselves.
But crowd can hold ones atten-
tion only SO long, and it was not very
long that it was able to hold Ord's.
He soon found himself eyeing the
vour1p woman at his side.
"How do your eyes feel?" he ven
tured, breaking the silence.
Cali right" she replied then ask
ed. with a giggle, "How do yours?"
"About the same, reckon"
"Why do you ask 7"
80, / just wondered. T"
Another pause.
IT do wish 1 knew why you asked
me-" said she, wistfully.
Resting his chin in his palms Ord
listened without reply.
won't you tell me?" she pleaded,
con6ding caress in her voice.
He began to 6dget; then blubber-
ed, "Did you care if was looking at
some one else's eyes last night?"
Miss Vera vanished beneath her
hat. Ord could not help noticing how
pretty she looked as she sat there
pouting-pouting because he had
looked at some one else's eyes.
"She's just acting" whispered
suspicion in his ear. Cant you see
that her pupils have not dilated?"
Instantly he was himself again
suspicion incarnate. He was on the
verge of giving voice to his contempt
for woman who would marry for
money, when he remembered that she
still had a chance to prove that she
loved him for himself. But there was
an intonation in his voice that BODIED
i'll as he gave her a paper, with the
request that she read certain pas
sage aloud. Without hesitation she
began to read. stopped twiddling
his hat and began to glare at her.
She glanced up, caught glimpse OF
his distorted features and broke into
a merry laugh.
eff she reads all right, get away
from her like you would from a pizen
snake She's after you for your
money!" came the Doctors words of
warning. Ord sprang to his feet, but
faltered an instant for he could not
help noticing how innocent she look
ed. However, in a moment suspi-
cion was again his master and prompt
ed him to exclaim
"You thought you had me bamboo
zled into thinking that you loved me,
didn't you? But you hain't. Not
by long shot I've always been
more or less suspicious, and now I've
got double-barreled proof that you
don't love me at all. So TIL be say.
ing good morning to you, Miss
Reede."
Away he went lickety.split, into
the crowd, leaving Miss Vera toe
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