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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1886)
THE WEST SHORE. 209 " What was? " inquired Joan. "I heard him groan! It frightonod me bo I ran away as fast aa I could I " "And this in all you know, Phyllis?" " Alinoet Papa went to auk how he was Uiia morn ing. His head is very much hurt, and the horse had kicked him, but thore was no danger, But he will be very muon dinhgureU. Ian t it a groat pity f " I don't know bo much about that," said Oartor Ab bott, pulling his long mustache. " lie waa altogether too good looking before. No chance for us plain fel lows." "Poor fellow!" sighed Phyllis, with a pouHive air. "His mother is fearfully upset And as for Lottie! papa said she had cried herself into a perfect fright There, that is all! Now let us have some tennis. I see that game is finished. Joan, what do you say to Mr. Abbott and me against you and Mr. Leuthall?" Joan excused herself and waB walking away, whon she found Leuthall at her side. He was extremely grave, and certain linos appeared in his forohoad, which only showed when he was disturbed in mind. He saw that his companion waa pre-oocupiod, and for awhile Baid nothing. Hut wlmn Joan found that thev had Btrayed to some distanoe from the rest, she turned to go back. And al though she did not know it, Leuthall had almost taken this opportunity to tol hor of the hope he had so long cherished. If it had not been for hor pallor, and illy-omiooalod agitation on hearing of Emerson's accident ho would have spoken the words that trembled on his lips. As it was, he kept them back, afraid to risk the almost cor tain "no." An hour later Mrs. Kennot signed to hor daughter that she wishod to take her loave, but Phyllis caught Joan by the arm. "Come up to my room before you go. I've some thing to show you," Bhe whispered. The two girls walked decorously in at the ojion French window, but once out of sight they ran up-stairs at full speed. When they reached her room, Phyllis Wked the door and placed a chair for her friend. " Sit dowu, Joan, while I get it out," she whispered. Joan obeyed, half wondering what was to come, while Phyllis turned the key in a drawor and pulled it open. The next instant she hold up by the brim, with thumb and forefinger, a battered, sha)ols thing, hard ly recognizable for it originally was-a hat " Look there!" And she waved n wuore Joan s w tonished eye " I picked it up and brought it in hew just to look at, and now I don't know wha 1 1 do with it I dare not lot it be seon-aiiyoue might think tba I was in love with him. I am-rather. t hat would you do with it?" I don't know," said Joan, l'lg lthoul 11,9 shadow of a smile. Wouldn't yon like it, dear?" " No, thank you. Why don't you bum it? It can't be any further use. With what a crash he must have come on his head to luiiko that Ltd. wuh liiol ligu! It makes mo fool sick! " " You are quite sure you would not like to have it Joan? I thought perhaps you would liko to treasure it up." Joan laughingly declined the offer, and after tho drawer was once more closed and looked they went out together. Aftor this she only hoard ot Emerson a interval, somotimos from his sister Lottie, sometimes from the Ilo.itlis. And now and then she mot Fred Ijonthall, whoso manner to hor was quite altered from tho timo of his friend's accident Alnmt this time hor mother insisted on Joan taking iron, and not being satisfied with tho result of a course of that tonic, she tried stool. Joan said nothing, but took hor doses with amtholio resignation. Two months passed, and Mrs. Kenust had prosoriliod plenty of open-air exorcise. Joau lint infrequently sent little notos to Lottio asking for her oompany. .... ... . At t 1 i II I Ono day in the middle oi Hoptomiior, l,,e mwt 0,ll"H, for her and asked her to accompany her to III village. Lottie was in low spirits. " Did your brother toll you of tho trick ho played mo hero?" asked Joan, pausing at tho woll-romontliorod spot on the hill. " He dressed up as a loggar ami fol lowed me." Lottie had heard nothing of the incident, so Joan re. oountod it "Ah I That makes matter more clear to me," said Lottie, a she slipped her hand through her friend's arm. " xou nave not lorgivou mm ir is j" girl." Joan mado no reply to this, but her lip curved Into a smilo that was not easy for her friend to understand. "The house is so gloomy now," sighed I'ttk " It seems a though Kano would never recover his old light- hoartodnoss. Mamma is always grioviug over lit dis figurement; and p I quit rioii now, Kano never make him laugh as ho us.! to. I do my lj, and Fred come In vory often and trie to cheer us all np; but in spito of all wo do, tho poor boy k so thin and dispirited -and tho doctor say ho will never I letter unless ho gnta over those dreadful attack of dm pression." " Poor Iottio! " aid Joan, tondorly, a llio gin a voice liMAino tearful. " My happinoM l all clouded." she wnt on, after a pause. " I onoo thought that if Fred were to ak mo to Im his wife I should bo too happy to live. And thing have turnod out so differently! Ah, Joan, I used to b aojealoiwof you. II used to follow you every where, aud wa only civil to wo. Everyone uimhI to run after .... .1 1.1 11.. t insula lwl I you. Wuo would navo iui;ugi - -should bo engaged first! " "Phyllia engaged!"
