THE COURIER.
THE END OF THE BEGINNING.
The Story Of An Over-Burdenod Heart
"Are you a witch or a woman?" the
man said, irrelevantly.
"Perhaps 1 am both I come of Sa
lem stock, you know," and Miss Kent
stretched herself in the boat, lazily.
Arnold took out a fresh cigarette, and
began a search for his match-box.
"Do you mind rowing,'' Miss Kent be
gan; "the Now York boat is bearing
down upon us, and I hare not a fancy
for going under.'
With a few vigorous strokes the man
swung the boat nearer shore, but not be
fore the swell from the passing Bteamer
had caught them, rocking them about
unpleasantly. It rouBed Miss Kent from
her comfortable attitude, and caused
her to gaze with some curiosity on the
boat that was ploughing its way up the
river, its decks crowded to the rails with
excursionists.
"Do you know if I were poor, I should
never budge. The mere idea of taking
one's pleasure like that in herds is
horrible!" Miss Kent shrugged her
shouldeiB, disgustedly. "Toss me a
cigarette, dear man, and I'll give you a
match in exchange. I happen to be sit
ting on the box, I believe."
The man looked at her and laughed.
"You'er a witch all of you. A month
ago I should have refused you the cig
arette I never used to 1 ke to see wo
men smoke. To day I offer you the
box somehow you make it seem de
cent" "What subtle flatter!" Miss Kent
lighted a match and held it out to him,
"You poor, deluded man, I feel sorry for
you!"
Arnold shifted tho oars, and, blowing
out the match, covered the lim white
hand with his two brown ones. "My
dear," he said, "I do cot want your pity.
Will you let me talk to you a little? '
"Oh. please do not get serious, not
now nor any time." A troubled look
came into her eyes and was gone in a
moment. "Think! we have hours ahead
of us, and things aro so charming as
they are! Besides, I never am serious!
Have I not told you that a hundred
times? And it's much too drowsy a day
to talk or think," she added convincing
ly. "Shall we not drift with the tide?"
The man dropped her hand and
picked up the oars again. "You do not
make things very easy," he said.
"Things have not been made easy for
me."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing."
"Do you ever mean anything?"
"Sometimes."
"Thanks. Is it possible for the per
son of average intelligence to recognize
your serious movements?"
"I do not make friends of persons of
average intelligence."
"Thanks again; though possibly, I am
flattering myself."
"Possibly." The girl was trailing her
hand in the water and smiling up at
him.
"You see the most tantalizing woman
I know," Arnold said, pulling steadily.
"One moment I want to tip you over
board, the next but no matter about
the next; it would not amuse you! Will
you steer us into tne creek, please? The
tide is running very Btrong here."
Miss Kent gave the rudder a turn,
swinging the boat into the creek that
made its way bacic into the woods. The
trees, rising from either side of the
buk, were mirrored in the clear sur
face of the water, and the girl gave an
exclamation of delight as the boat
woand in aad out, following the course
of the aarrow stream.
"Why have you never brought me
here before? It is exquisite! You can
ot expect me to talk in the face of all
this! Natare.pure aad simple, makes
Mteagve tied. Won't you encourage
my cnthntin a bit aad say it is beau
tifal, too? She turned to him appeal
iaflj.
"It is very beautiful," Arnold said
simply, but his eyvs were on tho
soman's face.
She flushed angrily. "Don't be stupid
and commonplace."
He turned his face from her and
looked over the water, where, through
an opening in the woods, the broad,
glimmering river could be seen, the
mountains towering majestically be
yond. Some familiar verses came into
his head:
And on her lover's nrm she. leant.
And round her waist she felt it fold,
And far across tho hills they went
In that new world which is tho old.
But ho did not repeat them to Dorothy;
she would laugh at such a display of
sentiment. Arnold took off his hat
flinging it into the bow of tho boat.
"I uncover my head in the presence of
your enthusiasm!" His voico was very
mocking, but it changed again to its
usual serious tone. "Perhaps you do
not know, dear, that I grew up on the
river. Not a nook or eddy or creek that
I do not know by heart. And I love
every turn of it, but it is too much a
part of me to excite any special demon
stration. As a boy I spent whole
days drifting about, conjuring up
visions of the old patroons who rode the
waters in high disdain and lived like
lords in the stately manor houses along
tho river banks. Sometimes I built air
castles, too. Foolish day dreamB, you
would call them, and I have not alto
gether given up the habit yet."
"Were you not relying just a little on
the environment, dear man, when you
brought me here today?" Miss Kent
laughed softly. "I see through your
artifices; big, honest men like you
are as transparent as glass. "She
pushed away the cushions on which she
had been lying and sat up in tho boat.
"Give me an oar, this minute," she de
manded, "two oars and I want your
seat If I don't do something I shall
grow sentimental! There is nothing
like work to give one balance! Pull me
up, Mr. Arnold!"
But the man did not move from his
seat, and leaning forward he laid one
hand on her shoulder. "It is not nec
essary that you should resort to such
desperate means of killing sentiment I
wish for onco you would give way to it
Why," he added bitterly, "do you al
ways crush your better imoulses you
who are so keenly alive to everything
that is beautiful? Oh, my dear, my
dear, do you not know how sweet you
could make life for"
"For any man, if I tried?", she inter
rupted flippantly.
Arnold drew back as if she had struck
him. "You may finish it as you like."
Miss Kent pulled herself upon her
knees, bringing herself on a level with
the man who sat facing her. Then 6he
took his face in her hands.
"I don't like to be nasty," her voice
was childishly penitent "and I am
going to kiss you, as a sign of truce, if
you will be very good and Bit quite
still." In her sudden change of mood
she was all tenderness. She put her
face up close to Arnold's. "Oh, shut
your eyes, dear; I could not bear the
humiliation of having you see me do it!"
She brushed his cheek lightly, but at
the touch of her lips Arnold dropped
the oars and flung his arms about hert
drawing her close. He made no attempt
to kiss her in return, fearing he should
frighten her into the garb of cynicism
which she habitually wore. Having
gained so much be was willing to wait a
little. But as he held her he felt trans
ported, carried beyond himself. Was
this "the new world which is the old?"
He opened his eyes to make sure that
it was all true, and then he bent his
head over the fluehed face that lay
against him. "Look at me. sweetheart;
turn your face this way."
She moved a little in his arms and
lifted her head. Arnold tilted up her
chin and laid his lips upon hers.' He
felt a thrill run through him, and then
she trembled, but his eyes held hers
with the intensity of his love, and she
gave her lips up to him with absolute
surrender.
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O
oat in the rain
A good drenching in a cold rain is often the beginning
of consumption. Yet no one claims that the germs of this
disease existed in the rainwater. Then how was this brought
about? The exposure was followed by a cold; the vitality was
lowered ; the cough continued for some weeks ; the throat
and lungs became congested; and thus all the conditions
were favorable for the growth of the consumption germs.
S tolls &rnulsteru
of Cod-liver Oil,with hypophosphites, does not directly attack
these germs and kill them. But it does tone up the whole
system and restores the body to health before serious harm
is done. The germs of consumption thrive best when the
system is weakened and the throat and lungs congested. Do
not delay until it is too late, but treat your cough early
Scott's Emulsion is one of the very best remedies.
pcU. aad$i abottfe ' SCOTT BOWNE, CkcmiaU, Ksw Vtk.
