Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-03-13

looking much fatlgued
He smiles sunnily enough, however,
the moment his eyes catch sight of
Marion.
"With whom on earth have you been
having that mad racer" she asks.
A man I've met two or three times on
the river, and known he was aching to
race with me-" Malcolm answers. "This
morning l felt like something serious,
and we fixed on the stretch between our
first gate and Meddowe's Bridge won
by half length, but il was tough work
I'm not what l used to be at Oxford,
Marion"
"You are not what / am usually accus-
toned to see YOU" she makes rapid com
ment "You are horribly pale, and
don't draw your hand away, sir--you
tremble like leaf"
He has 10 take Marion's arm, this ath-
letic Malcolm, before they reach the
piazza. While sinking into chair, after
they have entered the sittingroom, what
| he manages to say is almost gasped rather
than spoken:
Brandy-hask here in my coatpocket
right side"
A moment later Marion has found the
flask, and is pouring the brandy between
his blush lips. 1t almost instantly rouses
him.
1T was my own fault" he smilingly
explains, while Marion kneels at his side,
holding one of his soft, large hands be-
| tween both her own. was completely
out oftraining, and might have been sure
such spurt as that last would have used
me up in my present condition" At this
moment there is the sound of a steady,
decisive step in the outer hall. "That is
your father, Marion; or DO / fail to rec
ognize his martial tread? Let the old
Major come in and welcome this very in
teresting young invalid"
But Marion suddenly turns her head
springs up, dropping his hand, and hur-
ries to the door.
GO away, papa, dear" she cries.
"Don't come in herei" Her voice has
the ring in it of a strong blow on silver
She pushes the door shut, and rapidly
locks it. Then she turns again, and with
excited eyes, and a pale, quivering chin
looks toward Malcolm's chair.
1t is empty. He has risen, and ssares
at her with most penetrating scrutiny.
His voice sounds stern and hard as he
begins: -, .,,....,,... MI. .
Why is your father not to enter this
room? You have tried my good nature
Z
past week on so, with your oddities and
crOtchets; but to everything there be-
longs limit, and no human patience
should think OF bearing this queerness
much longer"
When he ends, Marion is standing with
her back against the door, has drawn her
brows together, and has made her lips
meet in one resblute, rigid line. Then
she speaks, each word being hurried out
with hot speed, and in tone of marked
hardness.
"Doar bear it any longer. You know,
Malcolm, what l told you when you first
asked me to be your wife. | said, No,
no; not if my love were tenfold what it
is But you won me over; / yielded at
last. Well, you begin already to weary
am ready to do SO here ana now.
For answer he springs toward her, and
seizes her in his arms. If you are ready,
Marion, am not, and never shall be. |
was wrong to speak SO harshly; forgive
me. But, Marion, if, as | have more than
once believed, there is some sorrowiul
secret of which | know nothing, why not
! tighten its burden, love, by letting me
share it with you?"
His warm lips kiss her cheek, where
the great tears have begun 90 show them
selves. For slight time Malcolm only
4 hears her sObs, while her graceful head
! droops lower, lower, till its brow meets
| his shoulder.
"Tell me-" he whispers, very softly.
! Her sobs increase.
! "Tell me-" he ilerates, so family that
| she Just hears him.
"NO, no." she eXclaims, tremulously,
81 will not tell you. But | have not said
there was any secretg" she quickly inter-
rupts herself, flushing hotly to the roots
of her blue-black hair. Malcolm knows
it is useless to plead longer, after that.
"Was ever such saint as Malcolm ?"
Marion muses., that same afternoon. "To
think of his having answered that wild
TRADE OF mine only with kissesr'
The next ten days or so glide along
smoothly. Finally Malcolm comes over,
one morning, with the most troubled of
demeanors. He has Joined the Major
and Marion on the piazza, and sits be,
tween them, with eyes fixed studiously
on his right boot, and with his cane inn
patiently tapping it. There has been q
little silence, to which the Major has
given a certain character, as one might
say, by several meditative whorls ofcigar
smoke.
Suddenly Malcolm exelaims, looking
up with earnest eyes upon both Marion
and her father:
:" have been having rather unpleasant
times at home-in fact, worse than that
Major, mother thinks that you and Marion
are treating her very badly indeed. She
called here nearly fortnight ago, ant
there has been no return-visit yet
Mother is proud woman, Major, but ;
woman of clear judgment. She feels now
that every hour increases the slight whicl
is being offered her"
The Major has sprung from his chail
and seized one of Malcolm's hands just a
that last word is spoken. MY dear boy
he cries, nothing could be further from
either Marion's or my own thoughts thar
to offend so charming a person as you
mother. We shall take pleasure in pay
ing her a visit this afternoon"
That afternoon the visit is paid. Tht
Major improves upon the good impres
sion made at his own and this lady's frs
meeting. "The man is superb" she tell
Malcolm, in her august, law. giving way
81 never saw such mingled breeding
ease, wit, and manliness. Your fathe
must meet him. | suppose that it viii
only be proper for us to have u Dime
next week Edred Gawtrie is coming VI
again, you know, and there are the Curl
engs and then from the hotel we nigh
get Mr. and Mrs. Everard."
/ Malcolm says nothing.
, Just three days later, Mr.. and Mrs
, Hurst call upon Marion and the Major
The dinner invitation is then given. Their
is no refusing it, as Marion oyerwhelm
/ ingly feels, with the beaming face of MI
Hurst before her, so like the face O
, Malcolm, the son whom he adores
! She promises that both she and he
! father will go to dine at the IIursts' mex
+ Thursday, but she does SO with every in
tcntion of subsequently breaking tn
promise.
f That afternoon Marion sees Malcolm
and announces to him:
Papa and | are not.going to dine a
your house on Thursday"
. "Then you will mortally offend m
} mother" Malcolm cries, with anger. 4"
, think see how it is. You wish to shu
Edred Gawlrie."
Poor Marion clutches at this one sue
L.,