Page:An orchard princess (IA orchardprincess00barbiala).pdf/187

 clown! Sometimes I thought—she might care—in time."

"Well, don't give up now, man. When you see her again"

"That's just what I shan't do, don't you see? She asks me not to try."

"We-ell," said Hunter. "Maybe. But"

"And you've just told me that she's a girl who knows her own mind!"

"Yes, but no woman knows her own mind all the time," responded the other, oracularly. "Take the benefit of the doubt."

"I can't. Oh, there's no use trying to deceive myself. It's as plain as daylight that she doesn't care for me. I think I bothered her a good deal, perhaps bored her! The one decent thing that's left me to do is to respect her wishes. Oh, there's no use grum