Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-03-05
~ ~ Bah ~ ~

LLAiIih IL loA give od hoWs NOllJ anu
scold you afterwards, when the day of
confession comes"
She held out her hand half laughing,
yet with softness in her smile. Oliver
inclined his head and touched her fingers
with his lips.
Heaven bless you" he said quietly,
"for your trust'
He threw back his head with a proud
light in his eyes, and put the whole of
his young vigor into the strokes which
were taking them rapidly up to the
island, now just visible round bend in
the river. Bah turned her head and
looked backward over the ripple in the
water made by their boat. For some
mysterious reason she felt she wanted to
cry. She felt frightened and breathless
Her heart seemed to beat in her throat
so that she could not speak. certain
confusion came over her thoughts, and
she longed to tell Oliver of her aunt's
harshness and her approaching marriage,
to pour out all her doubts and fears to
him. But Oliver sang out that thew
were just at the island, that he for his
part was unendingly hungry and looking
forward to rare old spread, so casting
sentiment from her she began hauling
their various purchases out of the locker
and then scrambled with Oliver to their
well-known picnicking resort, where on
the soft bracken they spread out their
repast and proceeded to do ample Justice
to it.
The day wore on with its golden
glamour, and the two on their solitary
island gave themselves up to the iov of
it. Nearly all their sentences began with
"Do you remember?''
1t was just as it used to be; and re-
gardless of the morrow and its seedlings
Bah was happy.
But even the longest, happiest summer
day must end, and at last the level rays
of the setting sun warned them that
theirs was over. With a sigh of regret
they strolled down to the old boat.
Bah settled herself at the bottom of
the boat among the cushions with Noll
on the low seat in front, dipping in an
occasional scull to keep them in the cur
rent. The pleasant stiffness of the even
ing made for quiet, also the vague melan-
choly which accompanies the passing
away of a time of happiness, and Ion"
silences took the place of the laughter
and joking of the day. Babs eyes grew
mysterious and sad, and Oliver, watch
ing her, thought he guessed the reason
of her melancholy.
He wondered how the girl had kept so
sweet and true and young in the con-
tinual companionship of the sour and
despotic old maid who had brought her
up-a tyTant who thwarted every limo
cent wish, apparently for the pure pleas
ure of thwarting, and had not shown the
smallest natural affection for her or
phaned and friendless little niece. deliy-
cred into her care at the tender age of
10. That she had kept young was due
he knew not how much--to him. He was
the only playfelow she had ever known;
with him she had braved for the first
time Aunt Hephzibah's wrath; to him
was due the discovery that the tyrant
when defied, was helpless, and this knowl-
edge brought with it a sense of power.
Generally" she resolved, 81 shall do
what she tells me, otherwise her petty
prosecutions would drive me frantic
Sometimes l shall rebel, and do what |
like for long day-then she will punish
me with Imprisonment and bread and
water, but l shall have had my day.
Never had she been afraid of the pay
ment Oliver was wrong in thinking it
was the prospect of Aunt Hephzibahs
wrath which brought that look to her
face He little guessed the truth
well, our day out is over, Bab" he
said at length. when is the next one
to bef"
Tin afraid this is the last" said
Bah, with a sigh.
What? What bosh! 1 intend it only
to be the first of many. Some day.
he laughed, trying to speak lightly
some day when Aunt Heph grows too
rusty, We'll elope for good and all. Sail
away in The Wicked One, and never come
back no more"
"Ah, I wish we could" said she, with
such vehement sincerity that his heart
gave thiob.
"And why not 1t is the obvious end
ing to long career of evil doing, Will
pou-some day-Bab?"
you forget. We are not little boy
and little girl any longer"
Il didn't mean as little boy and girl"
he answered, and this time the tremble
in the words was not to be denied. Il
meant as man and woman. Do you I'M
derstand?"
Bah did not speak, and he went on
carefully
Il know you look on me only as an
old playmate and chum. But some day
perhaps He broke off again. per
haps you find it hard to believe that /
that | care for you as a man-as man
loves the woman he wants to marry. But
Il know it as surely as if / had loved
you without knowing it all this time.
1t sounds bit thick"-he tried to laugh
but what made me come today to see
you? No other woman has ever mat
tered to me 1t seems as if there were
something between us"
Again he broke off, not knowing how
to word his appeal to this child girl who,
he felt, must be approached so delicately
whose feelings he could not guess at. At
length he said with difficulty
DO you think you ever could. dear?"
Bah met his eyes. and the color surged
to her face in a burning wave Childish
" she put up both hands to hide her
face from his look
"0h, Noll," she whispered; chow