Middletown transcript., 1910-07-16
BY HERBERT FLOWERDEW

pose, before you 60 abroad, SAID
the girl, so viii wish you a good
voyage.
| do not start for three weeks
and two days yet, said the young
man, interrupting her good
wishes. / hope
The girl shook her head.
On Monday / am going to Scot
land to stay With some friends
for q month. When | return
I shall be at sea, he said, his
heart sinking. He had been
counting desperately on the three
weeks left to him, and wondered
that she had not mentioned the
Scotch visit, which made the re.
spite useless, earlier in the day.
It only showed, he told himself,
how little she dreamed what was
in his mind and heart. It would
be useless to try and make her
understand it.
lam sorry, he added, after an
unnoticeable pause; / hope that
we shall meet again when | come
back from Rio.
In three years, is it not? she
asked, and the reminder made
him feel that the very wish
sounded absurd. What chance
was there that an acquaintance
scarcely a fortnight old and sup
ported by only four meetings at
the houses Of mutual friends
could be taken up at the point at
which it was broken off after the
lapse of three years And he
could not even ask her to CORE
spond with him during the inter
val without appearing audacious
and ridiculous.
Yes, it seems q long time, he
said, and it is possible, of course,
that ! may come home then only
for a visit. Well! l can hepe that
we shall meet again some day,
although it may not seem par.
ticularly probable. Good night,
and goodbye, Miss Arundale.
! must not keep you out in the
cold.
Won't you come in? she asked,
and he declined regretfully.
/ am afraid it is too late, he
said, and although his voice sug-
gested that he was ready for the
scruple to be put aside, she did
not press him. 1t was close
upon eleven, and she had an un-
easy impression that a very
sleepy and indignant father and
mother were waiting in the house
before which they stood making
their farewells.
They had met today at picnic
on the river, and thanks to the
fact that Mavis Arundale's broth
er.in.law, whom she had expect
ed to meet there, was detained in
the city, it had fallen to Dane
Fenton's part to escort her home.
They had travelled alone together
in the train from Shepperton,
and owing to an accident on the
line had enjoyed a couple of
hours more of each others society
than they expected. The two
hours had passed very agreeably.
They had discovered hundred
mutual interests and tastes. They
discovered that they were won
derfully in sympathy on a hun
dred subjects. But although at
their very first meeting Mavis |
Arundale had made Dane say to
that this, more than any
body be had ever met, was the
sort Of girl that he liked, although |
each subsequent meeting had
increased his admiration for her,
and justified his instant liking,
he had not himself realized that
this was love, and that be would
60 though life unsatistied unless
be could make Mavis Arundale
his wife, until their journey end
ed at Waterloo. AS the train
load of impatient passengers who
had been detained SO long on
their journey crowded from the
platform there was a sudden ex-
element. A pickpocket plying
his trade in the crush had been
pounced upon almost at Mavis's
side by q plain.clothes detective
who had been watching him and
there was Q momentary struggle,
while the crowd pressed forward
from all sides anxious to know
what was taking place. Mavis
had been terrified, and in the
moment that Dane Fenton put
his arm around her. 70 protect
her from the dangerously surg
Ing crowd, the world changed
for him, and left hlm 40 longer a
fancy.free unit, looking forward
with eagerness to leaving Eng