The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-04
(CoutiuUed,)

dow Heated up to her, mingled With the early honeysuckle, almost insult ferably sweet. She was alive ana sound. able to enjoy the glad, goodly workable to pursue the life wnicn was so dear, so congenial to hers And she we'd this to &Jem. She hoped with all her energy, that her stupid behavior afterwards had not disgust ed him so as to interrupt the new era of companionship which had dawned between them. She feit quite abjectly humble and apologetic as sine thought of it. In the ex- cuisite quiet, she was conscious or sense of unaccountable. suffocating pleasure, of something like premonI- ton of joy to come. as though her present timid happiness were but the prelude to some great outburst.
 She listened to the surrounding sil- ence with the tears overf1lling her eyes and slipping down upon her checks. And as she listened, her ear caught the sound of Jem's tread, com ing slowly along the gravel walk be- tween the house and the lawn. Yer non's white dress and white face were visible against the background Of cimness formed by the room behind. The one lamp by whose light Aunt Emma was dozing, near the flower filled hearth, did not reach the re- mote window where the girl sat. Jern saw her as he approached. and. with a nasty gesture, flung his cigarette into the bed of crimson pyrethrums. She, however, feeling unaccountably, desperately shy, made no movement, gave no sign of welcome; and after hanging on his heel a moment, he was going on when she softly said, .-Jem.''
 He stood quite still in, the middle of the path for two or three appre- ciable seconds before he answered, al- most as if he were afraid to speak. Yes" he said.
 You needn't be afraid; Pm not going to try to thank you," said she. "Only to tell you how sorry am for that foolish breakdown of mine"
 He came towards her, step by step, az it were reluctantly. 1T want to know how you're feeling" he said. You look pretty white. Were you at all strained?'
 My shoulders ache, and my arms but a few days will cure that
 And your wrists?''
 She laughed as she held them out. Even in the dusk the row of livid marks stood out all round them. My bracelets are amethyst and ruby to- night" she said mischievously. "To- morrow they will be emerald and sapphire
 He made an inarticulate sound of consternation, and taking up her hand, bent his head to look at it. How soft girls flesh isl" he remark ed.
 Well I'm very glad you did not let me drop" she replied. T don't want to leave all this just yet''-waving her hand out over the gardens. vanishing in the mysterious night Jem sat down on the window-sil1.
 How long could you have held on?' he asked.
 Hardly a minute, I think. It was sheer cowardice. I was so terrified at seeing where I was that I lost my nerve. There was really plenty of foothold, if I had had the pluck to try for it."
 "I couldn't think what you were , after, for a moment" he remarked; i; T did run And, after an interval I'm sorry I upset you. But you see I didn't want any heroics.''
 'T know, of course you didn't was stupid not to understand that you would not she said penitently. 'I hope . do hope .''
 Well? What do you hope?"
 ''That it-that you-that we :. what I mean is, we are beginning to get on so much better, and I should be sorry if you were to think that it was no use going on being friends with a girl who was so-miserably gauche.''
 What a thing to say!" exclaimed lem helplessly.
 Well, I don't expect you know now much it meant to me that you were willing to be friends" she con- tinued. Ut was the one thing that . spoiled my pleasure in being here that odious feeling that you disliked me. And now, just as we were going on so much better, it would be such a pity to spoil 1t. There were ways :n which I wanted to help you--I think I could have helped you"
 What ways" inquired he.
 'I thought I could have been some- body for you to talk to--if you should want to tell things to anybody. I would try and be sympathetic. And you did say you were lonely"
 "Yes. I was"
 Do you think I am the kind of person you could say things to?" she r-sI,1g=y asked. ''1 would do nearly anything for you. especially now. I'm rot going to thank you. because thanks in such case are a kind of mockerv-like rewarding the saviour