The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-02-12

"Then-then you will consider it."
Consider it, Certainly. And 1sup.
pose you WILL"
Certainly shall. But the trial that
one of us must be put to will be severe
one"
"Yes, undoubtedly" returned Willis,
calmly. II was about to say that my
SELF"
The two men exchanged glances. Mas.
sau, trained to the task of commanding
himself, felt that to say more would be
dangerous. Still he forced smile into
his anxious face.
Il will not ruin your pretty picture
there BY interrupting you any further,"
said he. II will 60 on and take my
walk"
Every well, and I will go on with my
painting"
"And-and," added the rector, stepping
away down the slope, I'VE agree to think
the matter over, do we?'
Eyes, we agree to think the matter
over" replied Willis.
Another week passed by. In it Willis
showed no mercy to Nassau. He opened
his ports, as it were, and declared himself
to all who cared to see.
With his strong voice, erect and ener.
getic bearing and glowing eye he habit
ually over-rode the simpler and gentler
man, and yet he gave no cause for an out
break. Where Nassau would have been
content to sit in quiet beside his sweet
mistress, Willis talked graceful sentiment.
Where Nassau would have p0ndered and
have answered gravely, Willis had some
thing decisive to say. Nassau was salts
fed to avoid prominence in manner and
language, but Willis always appeared in
the van, and beside each other they were
as gray and crimson.
Alice now forebore to speak with
Nassau. His pain became insupportable.
Willis still laughed and sang, and his gay
| voice and handsome presence still filed
the eyes of the father.
Finally, Alice fled from the garden
when Nassau, one afternoon, suddenly
entered it. The escape was precipitate;
yet, as she disappeared, she turned full
upon him gaze of indescribable mean
ing.
Nassau's soul rose in arms.
Then he went to search for Willis. He
was intent upon making one more appeal
to him.
He fastened first to the old domicile.
He found no one there. 1t seemed that
Willis had gone into the woods an hour
before with his easel and boxes.
well, but is not the doctor in his
study?"
mo, sir; he is in the lower garden. I
heard him say that he was going over
near the White Hill Pit to see if there
were any trees there that he could trans
plant"
But Miss Alices"
''She has gone out, too, sir. She has
gone tor walk, I think"
"Alone?"
eyes, sir, alone She asked me in
which direction her father had gone, and
she followed him."
"And is she we'll today"
"She is pale-very pale"
Here there was a pause.
Then Nassau inquired for the direction
that Willis had taken.
Hill, too, sir. think he told Miss Alice
he wanted to paint"
Nassau departed on his search. He
walked for an hour. Still he found no
traces of the man he sought, or, indeed,
of either of the three.
He became anxious, and he hurried.
He had an indefinable distrust of the cir
cumstances which had brought Miss
Alice and Willis to the same place. He
dreaded that he should find them to-
gether.
Another halfhour passed by. He de-
scended rapidly steep incline, and
passed dense thicket, and was about to
keep on down into the valley, when, on
turning his head to look to the right, he
beheld Willis seated before his easel.
He was alone.
Nassau turned about and walked to.
ward him.
They exchanged salutations.
II am glad that have found you," said
Nassau. ~ was searching for you"
"Really! Then in that case am glad
that you have found me-"
II wish to speak of serious matter"
every well.'
ut is about our relations to each other,
and to Miss Alice"
1.-THE old subject, eh:" said Willis,
lightly.
fyou please to call it so, yes" re-
turned the other"
"Wellr'
II wish to say barely, and without any
preface, that I am convinced that Miss
Alice, in her own heart, still belongs to
me, and not to you"
"That is conviction worth the having
at least for you. But what do you
mean?"
II mean this-I mean that what l have
observed in the past two weeks has as
sured me that Miss Alice has been forced,
by her love and regard for her aged faith.
eI, to seem acquiescent in plan upon
the contamination of which he has set
his heart"
"Come, come; what do you mean?"
cried Willis, with frightening color.
"Your manner assures me that you I'm.
derstand exactly what mean!'
II take it that you insinuate that Miss
Alice has been deceiving met"
II insinuate nothing Of the kind-par.
don me-"
1t was Nassau's turn to redden.
II say I believed that you have been
deemed by her father to be more fitting
husband for her than I, and that she has
followed his inclination in favoring you,
rather than her own"
"That belief is not only absurd, but it
Is insulting. 1t is insulting to all of us
to Miss Alice, to her father, and to my
self"
"On the contrary"
"What do you found your belief uponf"
demanded Willis, rising from his camp
chair. "Whst grounds have your What
has ever happened, to make you"
II knOso it." interrupted Nassau; IL
know it, because I have received
many proofs Of her love for me
before you came here; and, mas
much as know that she is as
sincere and true as woman ever was,
cannot admit a suspicion that her consid-
Grafton for me could be quickly and total
" displaced by consideration for another
person. You must be convinced as I am
convinced that she does not love you, but
that she loves nae; that it is the agony of
her inward contentious between her heart