The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-12-02
CHAPTER vIl.-contlnusd.

- -SIllklWuEUs
Freer had returned from his visit
to the ruins and was endeavoring tc
interest the rest of US. Arch and
Agatha Sixth and Dearest and my
self IN a dissertation upon rose-win,
dows, when Agatha First interrupted
us by running up and exclaiming:
DO come and see the waterfall
Peterson says there's a beauty over
there In those woods!" She had been
down TO the road with something or
other from the spread, where the au.
tomobile and the chauffeur awaited
our return.
"a WATERFALL" said Archibald.
Dear me! How jollyl Let's 60 and
see IT,"
Come on, them" cried Agatha
First, pausing and looking at him
expectantly. He rose obediently. but
before he could more than utter the
words Delighted, I'm sure!" Agatha
Sixth had risen also, and was now
confronting him. as she coldly and
haughtily reminded him that he had
promised to go and look for wild
flowers with her. 1t was putting the
old boy in an awkward position, / ad-
nit but that's no excuse for his sub
sequent behavior. A tactful speech
would have saved the day, but that
something perverse about him, which
he has in common with most men,
made him want most at that moment
the girl who wanted him least. And
that girl was certainly Agatha First,
for without waiting to see whether he
came or not. she had run Off by her.
self, all eagerness to see the water
fall
Without considering the rashnesg
Of such a speech, Archibald replied to
Agatha Sixth's rebuke by remarking
casually: 80 l did promise to go
and look for wild flowers, but l didn't
know about the waterfall then;
wouldn't you rather come and see
that first?" We shuddered to hear
aim, Dearest and l. It was pretty bad,
you know. Yet, as l say / thought
] understood just how he came to say
the fatal words-just what spirit
prompted him. But Dearest thinks
not She says that he's far too cal
too much on the look
out for his own interests to run the
risk Of losing Agatha Sixth deliberate.
ly She thinks he was only embar.
rassed. But we both thought that |
thu most peculiar thing about the +
whole affair was the fact that Agatha
First, having left the group immedi-
ately her unfortunate invitation was
given, must have been quite ignorant
Of the trouble It had caused. She
seemed, indeed, the whole time to be
absolutely oblivious to the situation
N regard to Agatha Sixth and Ter
lune. And this was the more ex-
raordinary because any one else, any
impartial observer with his eyes
)pen, must, It seemed, have been
ware Of an affair of some kind or
'ther between the two. But Miss
Endieott, It appeared, walked with
Ter eyes shut, like a person in a
Iream, her thoughts upon some other
World or scheme of things removed
rom ours.
AS matters stood, however, the re-
ult of the waterfall proposition and
'erhune's mismanagement Of the
risis It brought about, was a fat re-
usal on the part of Agatha Sixth to
company him anywhere, and his
frightened and tardy pursuit of
gatha First, who was beckoning
i'm to follow from the edge Of the
roods. BY, Jove, II made me feel I
lclined to go after him and tell him
hat thought of him then and there, {
Ltss Lawrence looked SO forlorn and
retched as she watched them disap- {
ear into the woods together.
THE beast~ l began, "he ought
, be-" But Dearest interrupted me, c
nd / realized 1t was because the /
oung lady was still standing within c
lrshot Don't, Wilfred!" she said, S
agatha doesn't mind a bit-do you, S
'ar?" And she smiled confidently g
Id encouragingly into the other d
omans face. It was the required u
mic evidently, for Miss Agatha Law "
nce-sometimes called Agatha d
xth-at once controlled her quiver- C
g lip with a display of self-com-
and upon which / inwardly compli- h
snted her It's a trait of the Amer o
IN girl, / think, that fine self-con- W
81, and something that ! admire it
eatly in my wife. Il
"Of course not" she replied stead II
and turning upon the bewildered "
eer who was standing by, with the v
'eetest possible smile, asked him al
he would mind hunting wild flow al
5 with her. The invitation, / di
Cd not say, was accepted with te
vile gratitude by that undis- sc
minati9g and tmpressionable young 81
In Like the little dog under the dc
Die, Fraer was never 900 proud 70
rtake Of the crumbs. 10