The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-05-04

boy. A very earnest boy he had seem
ed that summer day in the rose-gar-
den at Mountbay, when he besought
her to marry him and she had an
swered with laughter.
Marry" she had exclaimed. "Why,
it's too early to think of marriage and
I but eighteen and all the world be-
fore me. If ever marry it won't be
for ten years at least"
She remembered his grief-stricken
face now better than she had remem-
bered it earlier, and it was nearly ten
years ago.
"Let us be friends" she had an
swered him. TITS too soon to think
of marriage and that sort of thing
When one is engaged there is nothing
to look forward to-"
He was only six years older than
she, but he took his trouble bravely
and with as much dignity as If he were
forty.
Il shall always be your friend,
Flora" he answered. THAT is, of
course, when you want me, which
ISL likely now.
"And you will come again to Mount
bay?" she asked. "It wouldn't be the
same without YOU"
THANK you," he said, "but I don't
think I can do that. It will be too
too different"
He caught her hand and kissed it.
There's no harm in that, is there"
he asked, when I'm going away?"
"Not bit; and as I can't kiss you,
will kiss rose and give it to you,"
she said, laughing.
She broke a bud from the tree be-
side her, pressed it to her lips, and
gave it to him. His hand shook as he
took it.
cit is a pledge of our friendship"
she exclaimed.
Eyes, of our friendship" he repeat,
ed.
That was the scene which she re.
membered now, and he-of course he
had forgotten, since it was nearly ten
years ago as her father said.
During those years she had remem.
bered him sometimes as thing in
separately connected with her youth
but as she grew older, she realized
him as an impossibility since he was
poor and she was poor, and in her
world the poor must not mate with
the poor.
And yet she had" refused many Of
fers from wealthy men. But now it
was different; women said she would
never marry and men believed it. She
had acquired a reputation and must
live up to it.
"She will never marry; she is too
much devoted to her father" said Lady
Carroll, who had six manageable
daughters; and the other dowagers
echoed her words. All of them ex-
pressed admiration of Lady Flora and
congratulations on her self-sacrifice
as they kissed her cheek.
Lady Flora smiled at these felicita-
tons, but she was not overpleased at
their assumption that she was no long
er rival of their daughters in the
marriage market. Still the stubborn
fact remained that she was on the eve
of her twenty-seventh birthday and
had no lover except Jack Cavendish, a
handsome, intractable boy Of twenty
three, whom she had alternately petted
and chaffed since he had worn Elton
collars.
The thing of course was absurd, for
Jack hadn't a cent and had just sue
ceeded in being ploughed for the
army. But women Of twenty-seven are
often less prudent than girls of eight,
cen. If Jack could only be made to
do something then perhaps
1t was at Lady Windle's ball that
she met Jack three days after her
| twenty-seventh birthday. She was
feeling rather bored listening to Ma
jor Courtenay, a distinguished officer
and an authority on Jack. His hand
some face was gloomy and discomfort
ed, and she felt more than ever sym
pathetic with him. When he saw her
his face frightened and he came to
her quickly.
81 say" he exclaimed, this is no
end of good luck. had no idea you
was laid up with govt or something,
and that you were nursing him. Have
you any dances left for me?"
GA few, think" she answered, Civ
| ing him her programme and letting
him scrawl his initials where he
| would.
Thanks awfully," he said, return
ing the card. 81 wanted so much to
see you. The governor has been rag
ging me something awful. Goodbye
for the present. I've got to hop with
the Dalzell girl-the one with the
freckles, you know. Her father owns
the what-d'ye-call'em mines in South
Africa
Major Courtenay had looked on with
curious smile. When Jack was gone
he said to Lady Flora: Have you
known that young man long?"
Eyes; since he was a schOolboy.
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