The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1918-03-07

LdFKE EfoVe Idce Indt Gay IN Lne par
sonage when they had discussed the
love of Jim, her unwonted gentleness
and her quiet manners during this
visit, and one night when Carol, sud-
denly awakening, had found her weep
ing bitterly into her pillow. Lark had
/ said it was headache, and was better
now, ard Carol had gone to sleep
again, but she remembered now that
Lark never had headaches And she
remembered how very often lately
Lark had put her arms around her
shoulders and looked searchingly into
her face, and Lark was always visit
full, too, of latel She sighed. Yes,
she caught on at last, had been
pushed on to it," she thought angrily.
She had been a wicked, blind, hateful
little simpleton or she would have seen
it long ago. But she said nothing of
this to Jim.
"You'd better run along then and
switch your proposal over to her, or
I'm likely to accept you on my own
account, just for joke. And be sure
and tell her I'm good and sore that 1
didns get chance to use my flowery
rejection. But I'm almost sure she'll
turn you dowa."
Then Caro- ctood in the path and
watched Jim as ,te leaped Ishtly over
fences and ran through the sweet
meadow. She saw lark spring to her
feet and step out from the shade of an
apple tree, and then Jim took her In
his arms.
After that, Carol rushed into the
house and up the stairs. She flung
herself on her knees beside the bed
and buried her face m the white
spread.
Lark" she whispered, Lark She
clenched her hands, and her shoulders
shook. my little twin" she cried
again, my nice ole Lark" Then she
got up and walked back and forth
across the floor. Sometimes she shook
her fist. Sometimes little crooked
smile softened her lips. Once she
stamped her foot, and then laughed at
herself. For an hour she paced up
and down. Then she turned on the
light and went to the mirror where
she smoothed her hair and powdered
her face as carefully as ever.
'It's just q good joke on me-" she
said, smiling, "but it's just as good a
one on Mrs. Forrest. 1 think I'll so
and have a laugh at her. And I'll pre-
tend l knew it all along"
She found the woman lying in a
hammock on the broad piazza where a
broad shaft Of light from the open door
fell upon her. Carol stood beside her,
smiling brightly.
"Mrs. Forrest" she said, 81 know a
perfectly delicious secret. Shall tell
your"
The woman sat up, holding out her
arms. Carol dropped on her knees
beside her, smiling mischievously at
the expression on her face.
"Cupid has been at work." she said
softly, land your own son has fallen
q victim"
Mrs. Forrest shifted slightly, but she
looked lovingly at the fair, sweet facN.
81 am sure / cannot wonder" she an
swered In a gentle voice. as 1t oil
settledY"
"I suppose so. At any rate he n
proposing to her in the orchard, ard
1 am pretty sure she's going to acceSt
him."
Mrs. Forests arms fell away frol
Carols shoulders. Lark |" she ejac3
lated.
"Yes-didn't you know it?" Carors
voice was mildly and innocently SUP
prised.
"Larkw Mrs. Forrest was plainly
dumfounded. T-I thought 1t wa
your
"Mep Carol was intensely aston
ished. "Me? Ga, 5sas Nara. Forrest,
whatever in the world made you think
that?"
"Why-I don't know" she faltered
weakly, II just naturally supposed II
was you. 1 asked him oHcS where he
left his heart, and he said, at the par.
sonage,' and so of course Neught 4
was you"
Carol laughed gayly. "What sake.
she cried. "But you are more fortu-
nate than you expected, for it is my
precious old Larlxie. But don't be toe
glad about Ii, or you may hurt my feel
ings."
swell, am surprised, I confess, bat
believe / like Lark as well as I az
you, and of course Jim'R the one to
decide. People say Lark is more sen
sible than you are, but 1t takes a good
bit Of man to get beyond a face az
pretty as yours. I'm kind o. proud
of JIM"
After Fairy's wedding Carol natu
rally felt lonely. They had been sucf
constant companions that the parting
was sorrowful for both. Carols
thoughts frequently dwelt on theil
days of mischief in the old parsonage
before Prudence was married, remem
boring especially one April fool jok,
that was decidedly on the twins.
ITO RE CONTINJEDO