The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-11-08


have come"-something choked he
for moment, and she paused
"come to tell you I am tired of a
this-this secrecy which I hate, thi
half and half engagement which i
ieverything or nothing according t
your caprice, and which merel,
makes me feel a humbug, and give
you the right to make me wretchet
by your jealousy and your fllrta
tons, your temper and your love-
yes, by your love; for if you did no
love me a little, or pretend to do so
1 should never let you have you
own way-never have cared for YOU
as l have DONE"
"Ha0e done, Maize! Don't YOU
care for me nowg'
"That is not the question, "she said
coldly. "What 1 was saying comes
to simply this: 1 am weary of it all,
weary and heartsick, and I want to
Iput an end to it,
'In fact, to break your engage
ment and leave me. Oh! Maize,
Iyou don't, you can't mean thatl"
His voice, his eyes, those brown,
bright, beautiful eyes, so wonder
fully facinating when they would,
were full of passionate reproach; but
lshe never looked at him. The small,
lgray-glOved hands never trembled as
Ithey toyed with Jacks silky ears.
The dull lustre of her dress, gray
also, lay smooth and unrufied over
the shapely bosom. Only she said
in the same quiet tones:
'FYou told me it was not an en-
gagement when we began it, that
we were both free to decide as we
pleased"
'.And you have decided to fling me
away; you are tired of even the
shadow of bond to Il poor devil
with nothing but his love to give
you. My God! Maize, you can't be
so base, so heartless; or if you
are"
"If am, l should think you would
be better without me" she answered
steadily, though the gray silk was
heaving now stormily enough; and
Will Travers saw it, too, for he
caught both her hands in his and
cried out:
@Mazie, you are not 1 don't be-
| Ilieve it. You are too noble, too true,
too good. Oh!Mazie darling. if you
knew how love and worship youl
1 know 1 did fiirt with that little
chit of a girl last night; but what
will 'you have? A man isn't a saint,
and when a girl Aiugs herself at his
head"
"That's right, Will. It is so gen
ltlemanlY, so honorable to excuse
yourself to one woman at the expense
Of another. There! I beg your par
don. I have no right to comment on
your words, and what is the use of
going on talking when there is re-
| ally nothing to be said-but good
Iby"
"Mazie! Maize! what would you
have me do?'
"Have you do2 Nothing"
"What have 1 done, then? At least
tell me that. You won't make me
believe Il know you too well) that
you would cast me off for one idle
1irtation?"
"No, not for one," she said grave
lly, "nor yet for ten. In themselves
they are harmless enough; but if
you cannot keep true to me before
marriage, you would never do so
afterward; and, VIII, I am not weak
or patient when trifed with. No; if
the pleasure of an idle Irritation, of
whispering pretty speeches and
b. .inging bushes into pretty girls
cheeks is greater to you than the
preservation Of your own honor and
peace of mind, we are better apart.
What would you say, what would
you think, If 1 acted as you do?"
"Women are different from men,
he muttered, half apologetically.
eyes, 1 suppose they are. Atany
rate you and l are so different that
we could never be happy together
No, Will, it's not the Irritation only.
1t is the want of firmness, the want
of energy and purpose, the selfish
for it is selfish weakness which ru-
ins your whole life, let's you put
aside ambition, duty, and even hon
or, and keeps you idling on shore
while younger men are passing over
your head-for what? A few more
weeks and months of proftless
pleasure"
"You are plain enough now, God
knows; and devilish hard on me,
| ltoo," replied her lover, haughtily IN
his turn. "Any other woman might
have hesitated before blaming me
for not exiting myself on a three
years cruise, when it was my love
for her which kept me here. But
you are so cursedly rigid. One
might as well have a stone for a
wife as you. Fool that 1 was to
have ever fancied that you had any
womanly softness or tenderness in
youw
at was a short-lived folly" she
answered, the utter steadiness of her
tone freezing his wrath even as it
aroused it. "Go6d-by."
She held out her hand, and he
took it, but only to half crush il in
| both of his as he cried, "Mazie, do
forgive me; 1 never meant what 1
said; 1 think I'm half mad; but I
will do better if you will only stay
with me. I'll speak out to your
step-mother to-day, though l know
she will say No. and so do you
don't youF'
81 think so; yes" The girls face
had grown even whittier than before,
and her breathing came hard and
quick.
"Then what can 1 do2 wish to
God I were a rich man, for your
sake; but 1 will apply for a ship to-
morrow. I'll never rest till 1 get
my promotion. I-Mazie, darling,
don't look like that 1 know I said
the same year ago; but I do mean
lit now. Maize, won't you believe
me? Won't you be mine stillP'
Whittier and whittier still, and the
bosom rising and falling in quick,
heavy throbs, like the waves of a
great ocean: but the answer come