The Ozark spectator., 1917-01-03
only part of the day, they need no

Ing, Sne lauSneQ.
 But he paid no heed to her. "Toi- nette, there is no one in the world, there will never be anyone"
 "Oh, please don't go on! I shall never marry. l do not believe I was meant for marriage. Aren't some girls | born to be spinsters?'
 "No, no! Not yOu!"
 'GeS, I shall be an old maid. There Is no one in the world that shall ever marry. l shall be happy with my fa- ther all my life-and have only good friends, faithful friends" she added in whisper so low that it seemed thought, not speech
 ''Your father is young no longer. He must wish you to marry-he will be | happier if you do. You must not sac rifice yourself to limit is unjust"
 While he lives I shall not leave him; and oh, do not make me think that there will ever come time when ."
 Forgive me; I am sorry. But can't you marry and still be with him? Wouldn't he rather gain a son? Oh, Toinette, if I could only tell you what I feel. You must marry mel love you so!'
 Il can never marry you"
 "Why not? Is it because you love someone else?"
 She was silent.
 "Is it someone in your old home? Surely not-you would never have left him to come here. Besides, you were too young. Tell me-is it any man in Corydon? Answer, Toinette. Is it. TOinette, is it this newcomer, this fel- low Larrence?"
 She did not answer.
 'Larrence or no one! Well, he's out of my way. You'll see little of him now-oh, I kEow, I've heard of you both! He's happy enough elsewhere" /"
 Stop! Don't speak of Mir. Lar rence!"
 You think I don't know? I've never met him, but news travels far, I tell you. There's a pretty English girl that he spends his time with now"
 T am not concerned in Mir. Lar rence's actions," she answered coldly.
 Believe me or not, as you choose. The whole village knows it. But I know more-you think your heroic MT. Larrence is an honest American now ? Bah What is he,> what is he doing here? Who knows anything. about Larrence? I tell you, he and Cran- mer's daughter are pretty pair!"
 Doctor Elliott! Take care of your words You dare not islander Lydia v
 "Oh, she's honest enough, no doubt but-there's bound to be war with England-and soon. Suppose you were English, wouldn't you do what you could for your country2 There's our forts and this frontier that the English would like to have, remem- ber."
 "I will not listen to this! You can- It mean what you are saying"
 ''If you are a loyal American you will listen"
 ''I will hear nothing more from you about Lydia and Mir. Larrence. And now let me go. I should not have let you say what you have. Forgive me let us both forget It."
 She turned away and Elliott has tened to repair his nasty speech.
 'I have said nothing of this to any one and I have only told you, Tolnette, because I love you so. I don't want you to be misled by appearances. I l ShD1 nnfhinn oh but time will show you I am right. You are not angry with me, Toinette l would die rather than displease youw
 The girl was evidently aroused, and only Eliiott's good sense in dropping the subject saved the walk homeward from embarrassing silence. With ready tact he began to speak of other things. and before they had reached the village had succeeded in drawing a smile from his companion. He told her good night as if nothing untoward had happened.
 Returning to the tavern, he sat a while in his room in moody silence and then began gloomily to pound some drugs with mortar and pestle. "'rhe fat nearly fell In the fire that time," he muttered, and cursed him. self under his breath. You're too devllish hasty," he told himself. "Slow and careful is the word. She loves him But I'll spoil his fine game yet. The girls rich-rich, why, that wiz ened old father of hers must be worth fortune! And he can't live forever" He fell to grinding his drugs as though the simple remedies were poisons that should encompass O'Bannon's death. |
 He had been right in one respect. David had spent more than one pleas ant evening at the Cranmers'. Under his friendliness the girl glowed into a rosy reincarnation of the audacious- ly sympathetic Lydia of their first meeting. It was sweet to hear the broad vowels of Nottinghamshire on her lips and to hear the names of places that struck pang of memory that David thought would never stir