114 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



April 



her again and teil licr how much pain 

 she was causing Frank by her silence. 

 Macpherson had grown very fond of his 

 companion within the last two sessions, 

 and in liis own blunt, good natured way 

 would have done almost anything to 

 save hiiQ trouble or pain. 



"Don't fret over her, Frank," he 

 said, laying his hand on his shoulder. 

 "You will see her soon, I'm convinced 

 of that, and then you will laugh at all 

 your f ea rs and doubts about her. ' ' 



And Ross' despondency, as usual, 

 gave way before his friend's cheerful- 

 ness and unfailing influence. 



^ » & * » * * 



That night Walter Macpherson, after 

 his classes were over, went round in the 

 direction of where Lily had told him 

 she was staying in the hopes of seeing 

 her. It was beginning to get dark as he 

 sauntered slowly along toward the gates 

 of the park, where he had met her the 

 previous evening. He had almost given 

 up hope of meeting her, when he saw 

 her slim figure come slowly toward him 

 with a book under her arm. He stopped 

 and raised his hat. There seemed an im- 

 usual glow on Lily's fair face as she 

 gave him her hand. 



"I have been enjoying the park and 

 a book all afternoon," she said. "We 

 seem destined to meet, Mr. Macpher- 

 son. " 



"I was in hopes of doing so," Walter 

 said in his blunt way, looking from his 

 great height at her gracefully poised 

 head and soft blue eyes, which looked 

 almost black in the gathering dusk. ' 'It 

 is too late for you to be wandering 

 about alone. But since we have met I 

 want to have a talk with you. Let us 



take a seat in the park for a short time. " 



Lily turned with him, and they sat 

 down on an empty seat near the park 

 gates. After a moment's silence Walter 

 said abruptly: 



"Frank tells me he has not seen you 

 since you came to town. Miss Wilson? 

 Forgive me for interfering, but is that 

 not rather unfair? He is makiug him- 

 iself quite miserable over not hearing 

 from you. ' ' 



"Does he kiiovv- you have seen me?" 

 Lily asked, her face, which had been 

 flushed a few moments ago, gradually 

 growing pale. 



"No, I have not told him," Macpher- 



son answered. "I know it is quite unin- 

 tentional on your part, Miss Wilson, for 

 you could not do an unkind action, but 

 you are causing him great pain. I can- 

 not bear to see him unhappy. He and I 

 are like brothers, and I know you will 

 excuse me for pleading with you pn his 

 behalf. You cannot have any reason for 

 ti'eating him like this, and he does not 

 deserve it. I believe he woiild cut off 

 his right hand sooner than cause you a 

 moment's pain. " 



Lily sat quite still for a few minutes 

 after Walter had ceased speaking. He 

 looked at her in surprise. She seemed 

 different from the bright, vivacious girl 

 she used to be. Had she really intention- 

 ally kept her address from Frank? Wal- 

 ter had never thought of this before, 

 but had put her conduct down to care- 

 lessness. 



At last she raised her head and looked 

 at him in the dusk. 



"What do you wish me to do?" she 

 asked in a low voice. 



"To see Frank at once and put an end 

 to his anxiety and unhappiness, of 

 course. Surely, Miss Wilson, that is 

 what he might naturally expect from 

 his future wife!" 



Lily turned on him suddenly and laid 

 her small white gloved hand on his arm. 



"You ask me to do this?" she asked 

 passionatelj'. 



A curious thrill ran through Walter's 

 arm as she touched him. 



"Yes," he answered steadily, "I ask 

 you to do this. Surely it is the mode of 

 action your own heart would dictate?' ' 



"Oh, " Lily said in the same low, pas- 

 sionate tone, "you will force me to 

 speak plainly and humiliate myself to 

 the dust! Have you not seen that the 

 bond between Frank and me has become 

 intolerable, unbearable to me — ever 

 since — I — met — you?' ' 



The last words were almost a whis- 

 per, but Walter heard them. His heart 

 gave a wild throb, then almost ceased 

 to beat. Whut undreamed of, unheard 

 of thing had happened? Walter Mac- 

 pherson had )ione of that vanity with 

 which some men are so plentifully en- 

 dowed, and he had never thought of the 

 possibility cf any woman falling in love 

 with him. And Lily — careles.s, beauti- 

 ful Lily! For a moment he thought he 

 must have dreamed that she whispered 

 those last words, then as he saw her 



