Climbing down, however, I had a surprise. For a man was just below, and

I nearly put my foot on his shoulder in the darkness.

"Hello!" he said. "So it's YOU."

I was quite speachless. It was Mr. Beecher himself, in his dinner

clothes and bareheaded.

Oh flutering Heart, be still. Oh Pen, move steadily. OH TEMPORA O MORES!

"Let me down," I said. I was still hanging to the latice.

"In a moment," he said. "I have an idea that the instant I do you'll

vanish. And I have somthing to tell you."

I could hardly beleive my ears.

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"You see," he went on, "I think you must move that Bench."

"Bench?"

"You seem to be so very popular," he said. "And of course I'm only a

transient and don't matter. But some evening one of the admirers may be

on the Patten's porch, while another is with you on the bench. And--the

Moon rises beyond it."

I was silent with horor. So that was what he thought of me. Like all the

others, he, to, did not understand. He considered me a Flirt, when my

only Thoughts were serious ones, of imortality and so on.

"You'd better come down now," he said. "I was afraid to warn you until I

saw you climbing the latice. Then I knew you were still young enough to

take a friendly word of Advise."

I got down then and stood before him. He was magnifacent. Is there

anything more beautiful than a tall man with a gleaming expance of dress

shirt? I think not.

But he was staring at me.

"Look here," he said. "I'm afraid I've made a mistake after all. I

thought you were a little girl."

"That needn't worry you. Everybody does," I replied. "I'm seventeen, but

I shall be a mere Child until I come out."

"Oh!" he said.

"One day I am a Child in the nursery," I said. "And the next I'm grown

up and ready to be sold to the highest Bider."

"I beg your pardon, I----"

"But I am as grown up now as I will ever be," I said. "And indeed more

so. I think a great deal now, because I have plenty of Time. But my

sister never thinks at all. She is to busy."

"Suppose we sit on the Bench. The moon is to high to be a menace, and

besides, I am not dangerous. Now, what do you think about?"




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