Page:Life's little ironies (1894).pdf/217

with him just vow that I was talking to such a false deceiver !’

“'What, you won’t have me, Hannah?’ says Tony, his jaw hanging down like s dead man’s.

“Never; I would sooner marry no—nobody at all!’ she gasped out, though with her heart in her throat, for she would not have refused Tony if be had asked her quietly, and her father had not been there, and her face had not been acratched by the bramble. And having said that, away she walked upon her father’s arm, thinking and hoping he would ask ber again,

“Tony didn’t know what to say next. Milly was sobbing her heart out; but as his father had strongly recommended her he couldn’t feel inclined that way. So he tumed to Unity.

“' Well, will you, Unity dear, be mine?’ he says.

“'Take her leavings? Not I!’ says Unity. ‘I'd scorn it!’ And away walke Unity Sallet likewise, though she looked back when she’d gone some way, to see if he was following her,

“So there at last were left Milly and Tony by themselves, she crying in watery streams, and Tony looking like a tree struck by lightning.

“Well, Milly,’ he saya at last, going up to her, ‘it do seem as if fate had ordained that it should be you and I, or nobody. And what must be must be, I suppose. Hey, Milly?

‘If you like, Tony. You didn’t really mean what you aaid to them?”

“Not a word of it,’ declares Tony, bringing down his fist upon his palm.

“And then he kissed her, and put the wagon to rights, and they mounted together; and their banne were put up the very next Sunday. I was not able to go to their wedding, but it waa a rare party they had, by all account. Everybody in Longpuddle was there