to-morrow."

"I did not mean to imply--" began Betty, coloring.



"Of course not. But tell me about yourself. Is it not rather dull and lonesome

here for you?"



"It was last winter. But I have been contented and happy this summer. Of

course, it is not Philadelphia life, and I miss the excitement and gayety of



my uncle's house. I knew my place was with my brothers. My aunt pleaded with

me to live with her and not go to the wilderness. I had everything I wanted



there--luxury, society, parties, balls, dances, friends--all that the heart of

a girl could desire, but I preferred to come to this little frontier



settlement. Strange choice for a girl, was it not?"

"Unusual, yes," answered Alfred, gravely. "And I cannot but wonder what



motives actuated our coming to Fort Henry. I came to seek my fortune. You came

to bring sunshine into the home of your brother, and left your fortune behind



you. Well, your motive has the element of nobility. Mine has nothing but that

of recklessness. I would like to read the future."



"I do not think it is right to have such a wish. With the veil rolled away

could you work as hard, accomplish as much? I do not want to know the future.



Perhaps some of it will be unhappy. I have made my choice and will cheerfully

abide by it. I rather envy your being a man. You have the world to conquer. A



woman--what can she do? She can knead the dough, ply the distaff, and sit by

the lattice and watch and wait."



"Let us postpone such melancholy thoughts until some future day. I have not as

yet said anything that I intended I wish to tell you how sorry I am that I



acted in such a rude way the night your brother came home. I do not know what

made me do so, but I know I have regretted it ever since. Will you forgive me



and may we not be friends?"

"I--I do not know," said Betty, surprised and vaguely troubled by the earnest



light in his eyes.

"But why? Surely you will make some little allowance for a naturally quick



temper, and you know you did not--that you were--"

"Yes, I remember I was hasty and unkind. But I made amends, or at least, I



tried to do so."

"Try to overlook my stupidity. I will not give up until you forgive me.



Consider how much you can avoid by being generous."

"Very well, then, I will forgive you," said Betty, who had arrived at the



conclusion that this young man was one of determination.

"Thank you. I promise you shall never regret it. And the sprained ankle? It



must be well, as I noticed you danced beautifully."

"I am compelled to believe what the girls say--that you are inclined to the



language of compliment. My ankle is nearly well, thank you. It hurts a little

now and then."



"Speaking of your accident reminds me of the day it happened," said Alfred,

watching her closely. He desired to tease her a little, but he was not sure of



his ground. "I had been all day in the woods with nothing but my

thoughts--mostly unhappy ones--for company. When I met you I pretended to be



surprised. As a matter of fact I was not, for I had followed your dog. He took

a liking to me and I was extremely pleased, I assure you. Well, I saw your



face a moment before you knew I was as near you. When you heard my footsteps

you turned with a relieved and joyous cry. When you saw whom it was your glad



expression changed, and if I had been a hostile Wyandot you could not have

looked more unfriendly. Such a woeful, tear-stained face I never saw."



"Mr. Clarke, please do not speak any more of that," said Betty with dignity.

"I desire that you forget it."



"I will forget all except that it was I who had the happiness of finding you

and of helping you. I cannot forget that. I am sure we should never have been



friends but for that accident."

"There is Isaac. He is looking for me," answered Betty, rising.



"Wait a moment longer--please. He will find you," said Alfred, detaining her.

"Since you have been so kind I have grown bolder. May I come over to see you



to-morrow?"

He looked straight down into the dark eyes which wavered and fell before he



had completed his question.

"There is Isaac. He cannot see me here. I must go."



"But not before telling me. What is the good of your forgiving me if I may not

see you. Please say yes."



"You may come," answered Betty, half amused and half provoked at his

persistence. "I should think you would know that such permission invariably



goes with a young woman's forgiveness."

"Hello, here you are. What a time I have had in finding you," said Isaac,



coming up with flushed face and eyes bright with excitement. "Alfred, what do

you mean by hiding the belle of the dance away like this? I want to dance with



you, Betts. I am having a fine time. I have not danced anything but Indian

dances for ages. Sorry to take her away, Alfred. I can see she doesn't want to

• frontier [´frʌntiə] n.国境；边疆；边界 (初中英语单词)


• wedding [´wediŋ] n.婚礼，结婚 (初中英语单词)


• dignity [´digniti] n.尊严，尊贵；高官显贵 (初中英语单词)


• everyone [´evriwʌn] pron.=everybody 每人 (初中英语单词)


• despair [di´speə] vi.&n.绝望 (初中英语单词)


• submit [səb´mit] vt.使服从；使忍受 (初中英语单词)


• hunter [´hʌntə] n.猎人；猎狗；猎马 (初中英语单词)


• reckon [´rekən] v.计算；认为；估计 (初中英语单词)


• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)


• platform [´plætfɔ:m] n.(平)台；讲台；站台 (初中英语单词)


• barrel [´bærəl] n.(琵琶)桶；圆筒 (初中英语单词)


• gravely [´greivli] ad.庄重地，严肃地 (初中英语单词)


• admiration [,ædmə´reiʃən] n.赞赏，钦佩 (初中英语单词)


• amazement [ə´meizmənt] n.惊愕；惊奇 (初中英语单词)


• costume [´kɔstju:m] n.服装(试样)；女装 (初中英语单词)


• strangely [´streindʒli] ad.奇怪地；陌生地 (初中英语单词)


• slender [´slendə] a.细长的；微薄的 (初中英语单词)


• graceful [´greisfəl] a.优美的，流畅的 (初中英语单词)


• sensation [sen´seiʃən] n.感觉；轰动；轰动一时 (初中英语单词)


• firmly [´fə:mli] ad.坚固地，稳定地 (初中英语单词)


• curiosity [,kjuəri´ɔsiti] n.好奇；奇事；珍品 (初中英语单词)


• partner [´pɑ:tnə] n.伙伴 v.同….合作 (初中英语单词)


• partly [´pɑ:tli] ad.部分地；不完全地 (初中英语单词)


• delightful [di´laitful] a.讨人喜欢的 (初中英语单词)


• learning [´lə:niŋ] n.学习；学问；知识 (初中英语单词)


• deserve [di´zə:v] v.应受；值得 (初中英语单词)


• excitement [ik´saitmənt] n.兴奋；骚动；煽动 (初中英语单词)


• wilderness [´wildənis] n.荒地，荒野 (初中英语单词)


• sunshine [´sʌnʃain] n.日光，阳光 (初中英语单词)


• motive [´məutiv] n.动机；主题 a.运动的 (初中英语单词)


• unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)


• conquer [´kɔŋkə] v.征服；克服；抑制 (初中英语单词)


• postpone [pəust´pəun] v.延迟；搁置；延缓发作 (初中英语单词)


• forgive [fə´giv] vt.原谅，谅解，宽恕 (初中英语单词)


• allowance [ə´lauəns] n.津贴；配给量；考虑 (初中英语单词)


• overlook [,əuvə´luk] vt.&n.俯瞰；忽略；观察 (初中英语单词)


• extremely [ik´stri:mli] ad.极端地；非常地 (初中英语单词)


• hostile [´hɔstail] a.敌方的，敌意的 (初中英语单词)


• permission [pə´miʃən] n.允许；同意；许可 (初中英语单词)


• previously [´pri:viəsli] ad.预先；以前 (高中英语单词)


• haughty [´hɔ:ti] a.傲慢的，高傲的 (高中英语单词)


• colonel [´kə:nəl] n.海(陆)军上校 (高中英语单词)


• temptation [temp´teiʃən] n.引诱，诱惑(物) (高中英语单词)


• hearty [´hɑ:ti] a.热忱的；强健的 (高中英语单词)


• appreciation [ə,pri:ʃi´eiʃən] n.评价；感激 (高中英语单词)


• distinguished [di´stiŋgwiʃt] a.卓越的，著名的 (高中英语单词)


• everyday [´evridei] a.每日的，日常的 (高中英语单词)


• enjoyment [in´dʒɔimənt] n.享受；愉快；乐趣 (高中英语单词)


• thankful [´θæŋkfəl] a.感激的；欣慰的 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)


• learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)


• accomplishment [ə´kʌmpliʃmənt] n.完成；成就；才艺 (高中英语单词)


• singular [´siŋgjulə] a.单一的；非凡的 (高中英语单词)


• contented [kən´tentid] a.满足的；心满意足的 (高中英语单词)


• nobility [nəu´biliti, nə-] n.高贵；贵金属性 (高中英语单词)


• melancholy [´melənkəli] n.忧郁 a.忧郁的 (高中英语单词)


• compliment [´kɔmplimənt] n.敬意 vt.赞美；祝贺 (高中英语单词)


• joyous [´dʒɔiəs] a.充满快乐的 (高中英语单词)


• finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)


• exclamation [,eksklə´meiʃən] n.喊(惊)叫；感叹词 (英语四级单词)


• merriment [´merimənt] n.欢乐 (英语四级单词)


• genial [´dʒi:niəl] a.愉快的；和蔼的 (英语四级单词)


• bridal [´braidl] a.&n.婚礼(的) (英语四级单词)


• wonderfully [´wʌndəfuli] ad.令人惊讶地；奇妙地 (英语四级单词)


• composure [kəm´pəuʒə] n.镇静，沉着 (英语四级单词)


• acceptable [ək´septəbəl] a.可接受的；合意的 (英语四级单词)


• vaguely [´veigli] ad.含糊地，暖昧地 (英语四级单词)


• unkind [,ʌn´kaind] a.不客气的；不和善的 (英语四级单词)


• densely [´densli] ad.密集地；浓厚地 (英语六级单词)


• expressive [ik´spresiv] a.有表现力的 (英语六级单词)


• hunting [´hʌntiŋ] n.打猎 (英语六级单词)


• unprecedented [ʌn´presidentid] a.空前的 (英语六级单词)


• rebuff [ri´bʌf] n.&vt.拒绝；漠视 (英语六级单词)


• amends [ə´mendz] n.赔偿；赔罪 (英语六级单词)


• liking [´laikiŋ] n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 (英语六级单词)