The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-10-30
CHAPTER XVIII.

Having finished some errands down.
town, the next afternoon, George AM
berson Minnfer was Walking up Nation
III avenue on his hOmeward way when
he saw in the distance, coming toward
him. upon the same side of the street,
the figure of a young lady-a figure
just under the middle height, comedy
indeed, and to be mistaken for none
other in the world-even at two hun
dred yards. To his sharp discontinue
his heart Immediately forced upon him
the consciousness of it's acceleration a
sudden warmth about his neck made
him ware that he had turned red,
and then, departing. left him pale. For
Il panicky moment he thought of fac
ing about in actual flight; he had little
doubt that Lucy would meet him with
no token of recognition, and all Mt
once this probability struck him as I'M
%endurable. And if she did not speak,
was it the proper part of chivalry to
lift his hat and take the cut bare
headed? Or should the finer gentle
man acquiesce in the lady's desire for
nc further acquaintance, and pass her
with stony mien and eyes constrained
forward? George was u young mar
badly flustered.
AS they drew earer George tried to
prepare himself to meet her with some
remnant Of aplOmb. He kept his eyes
from looking full at her, and as he
saw her thus close ut hand, and COM
ing nearer, a regret that was dunn
founding took possession of him. For
the first time he had the sense Of hav-
ing lost something of overwhelming inn
%p0rtance.
Lucy did. not keep to the right,
but came straight to meet him, smil-
ing, and with her hand offered to him.
"Why-you-" he stammered, as he
took it. Haven't YOU" What he
meant to say was: Haven't you heard?"
Haven't I what?' she asked; and he
saw that Eugene had not told her.
"Nothing!" he gasped. "May +
may I turn and walk with you a little
way?"
eyes, indeed!" she said cordially.
He would not have altered what had
been done: he was satisfied with all
that-satisfied that it was right, and
that his W course vas right. But he
began to perceive a striking inaccu-
racy in some remarks he had made to
his mother. Now when he had put
matters in such shape that even by
the REIMBURSEMENT Of his "ideals of
life" he could not have Lucy, knew
that he eve could have her, and
knew that when Eugene told her the
history Of yesterday he could not have
a glance or a word even friendly from
her-now when he must in good truth
give up all idea Of Lucy" he was
amazed that he could have used such
words MS mo particular sacrifice" and
believed them when he said them! She
had looked never in her life so bewitch-
ingly pretty US she did to-day; and as
he walked beside her he was sure that
she was the most exquisite thing in the
world.
"Lucy," he said huskily, II want to
tell you something. Something that
matters"
IT hope it's a lively something, then"
she said, and laughed. "Papa's been
so glum today he's scarcely spoken to
me. Your Uncle George ANDERSON
came to see him an hour ago and they
shut themselves up in the library, and
your uncle looked as glum as papa.
I'll be glad If you'll tell me a funny
story, George"
swell, it may seem one to you," he
said bitterly. "Just to begin with;
when you went away you didn't let
me know; not even q word-not q
line"
Her manner persisted in being in
consequent. "Why, no." she said. 81
just trotted off for some visits. Don't
you remember, George? We'd had a
grand quarrel, and didn't speak to
each other all the way home from a
long, long drive! So, as we couldn't
play together like good children, of
course it was plain that we oughtn't
to play at ALL"
"Play" he cried.
eyes. What I mean is that we'd come
to the point where it vas time to quit
playing-well, what we were playing"
Eat being lovers, you mean, don't
you?"
"%Something Ike that" she said light
ly. "For us two, playing at being
lovers was just the same as playing at
cross-purposes. I had all the pur-
poses, and that gave you all the cross
ness; things weren't getting along at
all. It was absurd"
"Well, have 1t your W way" he
said. ut needn't have been absurd"
mo, it couldn't help but be" she
informed him cheerfully. "The way
I am and the way you are. it couldn't