The Argosy — page 157: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

142 HES eee By Mary GRACE WIGHTWICK, AUTHOR OF ** Mrs, CARR’s COMPANION.” - H! Hal! Iamso sorry! I never thought of such a thing !” “T should think you might have known when a fellow was in earnest I’ve gone on with no end of other girls before, but this is the real genuine thing. You must have seen all the summer how I’ve worshipped the very ground you trod upon. Look here !” Hal dived into the recesses of a coat pocket somewhere near the region of his heart, brought forth a small paper package, and extracted from it a sharp fragment of white rock. Hester Conway looked on with interest. ‘Quartz, isn’t it?” she asked gravely. He nodded. ‘“‘ You remember the picnic on Barricane Beach? You picked that up and gave it to me because it ‘was a bore to carry, and I have kept it ever since.” Involuntarily Hester broke into a merry laugh, for she knew that impetuous Hal had been in love fifty times before, and would be fifty times again. But for the moment he was desperately serious, and Hester, repenting, grew suddenly grave again. “Oh! Hal! how I wish it had been something better worth keeping, and more—more comfortably portable. Pray throw it away, and let us forget all this nonsense.” “Impossible!” Hal stalked gloomily along between the high banks of the shady Devonshire lane where the two were walking, and looked moodily at his boots. ‘“ I’m nota fellow to fall in love one day and out the next, Hester! You must have a heart as hard as this stone, or you’d listen to me more kindly.” A look of distress came over her sweet face ; she stopped and laid a hand upon his arm. ‘ Dear Hal! forgive me for laughing. You chose such a funny keepsake! But, indeed, I can’t give you any other answer.” “Not if I try again next year? I come of age next year.” ‘“No, Hal; I could never think of you in that way.” "Then there must be some other fellow !” ‘“‘’To account, of course, for my refusing anyone so extraordinarily fascinating as Mr. Hal Lester!” Hester answered, laughing again ; but Hal was quick to perceive that she flushed to the very brow. Huis face fell. ‘Well, I must make the best of it; but I envy that other fellow his. good luck!” Hal sighed heavily, a sigh strangely out of accord with his sunny face, and the short silence which followed brought them to a turn in the long lane where the paths of the two branched -apart—Hester’s, by a grass-grown bridle-road, whose unkempt hedges EGomicbooks.co