The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1908-12-24

Mother was Off on an cleVenth-nOur
and unsatisfactory wres,le with the
Christmas shopping prgbiena' Sis had
chosen this gray afternoon to call On
a chrm home from college. So Kate
had opportunity to make herself as
miserable as she desired.
1t was now six weeks since Jack
had called-and six weeks is long
time when man is 20 and girl is 20,
and each is very mucl Interested in
the other. Just how much Kate was
interested was something unsus-
pected. Once Jack thought he knew,
but now all he knew was that he did
not Know. When Jack suddenly disap-
peared from Kate's perspective no one
noticed his absence from the picture.
To most people Jack had seemed a
part of Kate's social background.
Some who had seer them together at
Grand Traverse had atvarced him 10
the middle distance. But of the fore
ground no one thought.
What happened in July was this:
The Wilson's were no more than
firmly established in their cottage,
which looks over Grand Traverse bay,
than Jack appeared at the hotel,
which looks over them both. That
was net remarkable. for all had been
members Of that particular summer
colony for years. Then, the day Of
the picnic on the Point, Jack and
Kate found themselves sitting at the
green fringe of the forest looking out
over the blue eXparse of the bay.
hundred yards In front Of them Mrs:
Wilson was gathering up the table
cloth and things.
There was a little sense of chill in
the air-a harbinger Of autumn. And
there was a change in the atmosphere
between the two. The girls lips were
tremulous The man was agitated,
and strangely tender and brutal in his
speech.
1T will not interest you," he said,
but l am going down tomorrow
But why so tragic? We will be
back in town in week ourselves
and yet l do not feel SO horribly blue
about it,"
"Well, things down there are diff
ferent."
Yes, they are different, but not I'M
pleasant when you first get back to
them. 1 shall miss the Gamma in front
of your hotel; but | have no doubt the
fall millinery on State street will be
quite as gorgeous.
"Ycu are clever, and, like most
clever people, a little heartless. You
know how things are different down
there. The people are different-why,
we are different ourselves. And it is
lust the difference Of which you
sDeak-the difference between these
flowers and flowers of silk and satin,
between those lilies cut tnere and lily
stems of wire and paper.
You are a little unkind, Jack" she
said, gently.
The soft reproof, more suggestive CT
| tears than anger, brought the story
| to his very lips. He wondered how
| he should tell it. Then an old schoolboy
| trick came back to him. He brought ou
! his penknife. Beside them was a little
spruce and in the soft, flaky bark he
carved a heart Within its lines he
| dug deeply the initials of two people
The girl caught her breath and blushec
| little. which are the proper and Gus
tonlary things for a girl to do at sucf
| time.
! Then he told her what was in hi:
mind. 1t left her a little panic-strickeI
and she took the refuge her sisters al
ways have taken-she asked him t.
wait for his answer.
| In such a case there is but one thin;
for the man to do, and that is to wal
Until tomorrow. But when maj
is terribly in earnest he takes peopi
seriously.
when l see this carving of your
again then we will talk about this
Jack--if you still think this way"
She thought she was putting hlr
on a most proper probation. 1t wa
onlv a woman's reluctance to give u
her freedom.
But he took her at her word. Mex
day he went away.
lack in town again, at first he sa'
| her often. His restraint she Imagine
was resentment. In November,
month Of storms and draary skie
they quarreled. That was sig ,weel
ags-