The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-05-01
He KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
BY ANTHONY TRoLI,oPE.
CHAPTER Ii.
ContinRed.1

tar than all the world,-l do, indeed"
As soon as he had commenced his pro-
testations he became profuse enough
with them, and made strong attempt
to support them by the action of his
hands. But sheretreated from him step
by step, till she had regained her chair
bythe, tea-table, and there she seated
herself,-safely, as she thought; but he
was close to her, over her shoulder, still
continuing his prOtestatiOns, offering uD
his VOWS, aud imploring her to reply TO |
him. She, as yet, had not answered him
by = word, save by that one haifterrl.
fed exclamation of his name. "Tell me,
at any rate, that you believe me, when
assure you that love you" he said.
The raom was going round with Dor |
othy, aud the world was going round,
and there had come upon her SO strong
afeeling of the disruption Of things in
general, that she was at the moment
anything but happy. Had 1t been pos
sible for her to fud that the last ten
minutes had been a dream, she would at
this moment have wished that ii might
become one. A trouble had come upon
her, out of which she did not see her
way. To dive among the waters in warm
weather, il very pleasant: there is moth
ing pleasanter. But when the young
swimmer first feels the thorough INNER
sion of his plunge, there comes upon
him strong desire to be quickly out
again. He will remember afterwards
how Joyous it was; but now, at this mo-
uent, the dry land is everything to him.
SO it was with Dorothy. She had
thought of Brooke Burgess as one of
those bright ones of the world, with
whom everything is happy and pleasant,
whom everybody loves, who may have
whatever they please, whose lines have
been laid in pleasant places. She
thought of him as man who might
some day make some woman very happy
as his wife. To be the wife of such
man was, in DorOthy's estimation, one
of those blessed chances which come to |
some women, but which she never re- |
garded as being within her own reach.
Though she had thought much about |
him, she had never thought of him as a
possible possession for herself; and now
that he was offering himself to her, she
was not at once made happy by his love.
Her ideas of herself and of her life were
all dislocated for the moment, and she
required to be alone, that she might set
herself in order, and try herself all over,
and find whether her bones were brOk-
en-. "Say that you believe me-" he re-
peated.
az don't know what to say" she whis.
pered.
"Pl tell you what to say. Say at once
that you will be my wife"
81 can't say that, Mr.. Burgess"
''Why mott Do you mean that you
cannot love mep
IL think, if you please, I'll go up to
Aunt Stanbury. 1t is time for me; in
deed, it is; and she will be wondering,
and Martha will be put out. Indeed, /
must go up
"And will you not answer meT
81 don't know what to say. You must
give me little time to consider. don't
quite think you're serious"
Heaven and earth y began Brooke.
And I'm sure il would never do. At
any rate, | must go nOw,-l must, in
deed"
And so she escaped, and went up to
her aunt's room, which she reached at
ten minutes after her usual time, and
before Martha had begun to be put out
She was very civil to Martha, as though
Martha had been injured; and she put
her hand on her aunts arm, with a soft.
caressing, apologize touch, feeling con.
scious that she had given cause for of
fence. What has he been saying to
you y said her aunt, as soon as Martha
bad closed the door. This was q CUES
tiOn which Dorothy certainly could not
answer. Miss Stanbury meant nothing
by it,--nothing beyond sick woman's
desire that something Of the converse.
ton OF those who were not sick should
be retailed to her; but to Dorothy the
question meant so much! How should
her aunt have known that he'had said
anythingi She sat herself down aud
waited, giving no answer to the Ques-
ton. II hope be gets his meals. COM
fortably," said Miss Stanbury.
IL am sure he does" said Dorothy, in
6nitely relieved. Then, knowing how
important it was that her aunt should
sleep, she took up the volume of Jeremy
Taylor and, with 50 great burden-oR
her MUD, she went oH painfully and
distinctly with the second sermon ON the
Marriage Ring. She sIrove valIantly to
keep her mind to the godliness of the
discourse, so that it might be of some
possible service to herseli; and to keep
her voice to the tone that might be of
service To her aunt. Presently she heard
the grateful sound which indicated her
auhts repose, but she knew of expert
snee that were she to stop, the sound
and the sleep would come to an end al.
50. Fer whole hour she persevered,
reading the sermon of the Marriage Ring
with such attention to the Sodly pripci.
pies of the teaching as she could give,
with that terrible burden upon her
mind.
Thank you, thank you; that will do.
my dear. Shut it up, said the sick
woman. "I1stime now for the draught."
Then Dorothy moved quietly about the
ROOM Il and did her nurses work with
soft hand and soft touch aud soft tread.
After that her aunt kissed her and babe
her slt down and sleep.
III go on reading, aunt, if you'll let
ms, said Dorothy. But Miss Stanbury,
VINO was not a cruel woman, would have
no more OF the reading, and Dorothy's
mlns was left at liberty to think of the