Friendship and Folly

, and threw a

olyn?" she a

e house. Where'

eems as if we ought to cons

ven try to make Max

ortune y

y you speak of

in the shade of the tree near w

onverse,"

an resumed

isn't the way I speak of absent friends. I

hen, I should

ou may call him 'fir

ong blade of grass, and

flirter

at her; he saw that her face was softening in a way he remembered. He thought he wou

njoy it," he

," she replied, in a gentle voi

r too forcibly; "fli

at all," she rem

t!" he commented, emphatically.

ase don't ta

whole face seemed to quiver for an instant with some uncontro

be spoken. He did not intend to be the one to speak them

you not to keep up this appar

, as one laughs

o something

now, but he looked at he

" He put the inqui

u require everything to be explained?

nswered, "I beg your pa

rself more under control. At last she said, "I

ets of his loose coat. He could shut th

epeated. "I don

must und

. Prudence now went on hurriedly, as if she could not speak fast enough, and

d for my-my mistake-I could almost call it cri

the speaker covered he

tions. He gave the girl one look, which took in the graceful, well-remembe

woman you love," Prudence now went on, qui

d, promptly, and with u

Her face was wet, her ey

es, and I don't like them myself. But I didn't expect ever to see you alone again, and, happ

es

your hand

et, and extended it, grasping clos

he said, smiling; "Carolyn will

o sat in silence, both gazing straight ahead w

't suppose I would have been anything like a model wife, and Caro will be. She'll be always wanting you to be com

face still straig

have

d like a stone man, in that he made no visible response. She went on directly, in

ad not ji

then said, "But you just t

I

at, you wouldn't now be engaged to C

m indefinitely. It did not seem to him as if

y inquired. "Do you want me to go up to the

t in the still air. But before he coul

kly also. "Are you

her hands clasped and hanging down in front of her. He

lundered over the words. At last he said, constrainedly, "

rapidly. She took a step

l ever be alone together again," she said,

d we are going to be friends. Isn't t

, Rodney, you don't forgive me,

rimly looking at t

hinking you bear me ill-will,

had not married some one else, do you think you

h to be able to take back the words. But the sting of bitter

But she did not fall; she stood up straight and stiff. Even her lip

ive me that ring? Leander

nd drew forth a ring in which was set a large, dark red stone. He held

s the end," he sa

d while she closed her fingers over the ring.

"I'm glad you've come, Caro, for I don't know what would have happened if we had been left to ou

fore he turned. In the violence of the revulsion he could hardly breathe. What would Carolyn think of him if she saw his fa

t now she reached a curve in the path. She paused

has been

ays of Troy

sed the dea

any, man

has!" Carolyn exclaimed, as

e eyes of the two met, and

ppened?" she ask

violently, "I thank heaven that it's you who wi

hands and insisted upon drawing her nearer. With

, that you are not making a mi

ed, eagerly. "And why should we put off

e; a very s

nd I shall not

, sure beyond question, th

from Lawrence, "then we'

resolve that his marriage should not be deferred.

lay. The two had always known each

start on a long journey, going in the Cunard steamer that sailed on the afternoon of the day. "We will be gone two

ad come back from Carlsbad. She told her every detail. There was to be no wedding party, only just the family present; mamma had insisted otherwise, but

y Lawrence, who was very thin, with black hollows under very b

said Prue's mother as she kissed her niece, "and you'll be happ

girls disappeared up the stairs. The mothers sat in the drawing-room over a fire of logs on the hearth, talking over, for the twent

lingered on the piazza. He lighted

He took off his hat and pass

ought to have everything fair; and I shall have fair weather, too, if

ked up at the sparkling hea

e her as happy as s

he was going. There was a brisk southwest wind blowing, though it was not cool

purpose towards the bay. He had thought of the

He hastened across the field, and in a few m

the sky, so that the stars shone out only intermittently in the deep blue-black

e from the post on the wharf, something came pell-mell dow

at you? I didn't know but it was s

help it?" asked Lawrence,

t. Goin

aren't y

I'll go with you." And Leande

chatter. He reached forward and took hold of Lee'

xplained; "and Aunt Tishy'd

o the boat and began to p

mitted calmly, not to say hilariously. He was h

nt any chaperonin' done, just send a cable message

out of his pocket two cigarettes which he had that day taken from Lawrence's case. Then he t

nd notwithstanding the darkness, had put up the sai

ade for shelter in a storm. At the ent

w did you get the sai

YOU SO,'