DOI article:
Gilbert, Henry: An early chapter
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.38746#0180
176 An Early Chapter
you girls weren’t so nice we shouldn’t be so conceited. It’s your
fault.” He thrilled at his own daring before the provoking look.
“ How do you mean, nice ? ” she asked, with little wrinkles
round her eyes and lips.
“ Well—jolly and—and pretty.”
“ Oh,” she said, with a little laughing cry, her race flushing.
“ What sauciness ! to dare to say that to any one ! ”
“Well, it’s the truth ! ” said the lad, bolder in the sight of her
pleasure.
She laughed, prettily confused, looking at him ror a moment
and then dropping her eyes, her face all warm.
“I think we’d better say good-bye,” she said. “I shall never
forget this.”
She held out her hand, and retained his.
“Tell Alf I really can’t meet him to-night. But I’ll think
about it. After all when we go away, I shan’t see him ever
again perhaps. You will tell him, won’t you ? ” she asked, softly,
with a curious, dilated look.
“ Certainly,” replied the boy.
She drew him by the hand quickly and kissed him on the lips.
He started back, glancing about, and looked at her coldly, then
seeing her defiant, shamed face he half laughed.
“ Whatever are you doing, Kate ? ” he asked.
“ That was for Alf,” she said.
“ But I can’t give it to Alf! ”
She laughed merrily as she closed the wooden gate. She stood
leaning over it, and looked at him with bright eyes.
“ It was for you then.”
His eyes chilled as he thought of the appearance of unfaithful-
ness to Winnie if he did not in some way discard the caress.
“I wish you hadn’t done that,” he said.
“Oh,
you girls weren’t so nice we shouldn’t be so conceited. It’s your
fault.” He thrilled at his own daring before the provoking look.
“ How do you mean, nice ? ” she asked, with little wrinkles
round her eyes and lips.
“ Well—jolly and—and pretty.”
“ Oh,” she said, with a little laughing cry, her race flushing.
“ What sauciness ! to dare to say that to any one ! ”
“Well, it’s the truth ! ” said the lad, bolder in the sight of her
pleasure.
She laughed, prettily confused, looking at him ror a moment
and then dropping her eyes, her face all warm.
“I think we’d better say good-bye,” she said. “I shall never
forget this.”
She held out her hand, and retained his.
“Tell Alf I really can’t meet him to-night. But I’ll think
about it. After all when we go away, I shan’t see him ever
again perhaps. You will tell him, won’t you ? ” she asked, softly,
with a curious, dilated look.
“ Certainly,” replied the boy.
She drew him by the hand quickly and kissed him on the lips.
He started back, glancing about, and looked at her coldly, then
seeing her defiant, shamed face he half laughed.
“ Whatever are you doing, Kate ? ” he asked.
“ That was for Alf,” she said.
“ But I can’t give it to Alf! ”
She laughed merrily as she closed the wooden gate. She stood
leaning over it, and looked at him with bright eyes.
“ It was for you then.”
His eyes chilled as he thought of the appearance of unfaithful-
ness to Winnie if he did not in some way discard the caress.
“I wish you hadn’t done that,” he said.
“Oh,