Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-07-09
MARRIED FOR SPITE.
BY MARY KYLE DALLAS.


From the New York Ledger
"This is Lovers Lane" said Mr.
MARITIME.
"How romantic p said Miss Rutl
Wellington.
"Very," said Mr.. MARITIME. ado yol
know | always wonder how peopl
feel who are in love-spoony, yot
know, and all that sort of thing ?"
Miss Ruth said nothing. Mr.. Mar
tine had been behaving 80 very much
as though he were ia love with hel
that this remark startled her. |
startled her the more as she was il
love with him.
perhaps it is very pleasant" sale
Mr.. MARITIME. "Novel writer's pre-
tend it il; but if l was in love with ,
lady. don't think she would be thu
one should marry"
Poor Ruth.
81 thought" she answered, "that
that would be the very reason fol
marrying any one"
Then she was sorry she had spok'
en-.
Mr.. MARITIME shock his head. HI
was winding up the most agreeable
| Irritation he had ever had in his life
And he thought he read every feeling
in the mind of the fair girl-the cir
whose hand he had kissed only thu
night before.
mo" he said. Marriage is death
| to romance. | should choose wo
man who could be neglected withou
having her heart broken, | might q.
well tell you, Miss Wellington. You've
noticed Miss Howard; the bell of the
season, think one might call her
| She is to be my wife IN October"
II did not even know you Were
| acquainted, she said, stopping tC
pick a flower.
"No, Clara is a sensible girl; she
said to me, Ralph, this 10 our last
free summer; don't bother me by play
ing the engaged lover. It's bore
Sol haven't"
mo; don't think you have" said
Ruth, struggling her shoulders with
laugh.
"rm going to get out OF it easily
enough, after all - said Mr.. MARITIME,
TO himself.
And the girl at his side was won
deripg the while how she could live
through this, and how she could keep
him from guessing how she felt.
al can do it | ,oiU do it," she
thought. off it is not trde | can
make it a truth, that | am also en-
gagged. He sha'nt think my heart is
broken"
Then she spoke
1--WE have been flirting dreajfnlly
for a couple of engaged people,
haven't we ?"
Mr.. MARITIME looked into her face,
and his own flushed. Heaven knows
what right be had to be piqued, but
he certainly was.
"I'll never trust any one again, ="
he thought to himself "What a good
thing for me that | wasn't in earn
est"
81 hope the happy man has not a
Jealous temperament" be said.
"Why p she asked, demurely.
After all, she came off triumphant;
that is, outwardly. The heart that
bad loved so blindly, loved on still,
after a fashion. The sweetness was
gone, but sweetness is not al Of love.
Worthy or unworthy, true or false,
she could not wean herself from her
love for him 10 an hour.
We will not follow her. We will
linger awhile in Lovers Lane, where
another couple stand upon the spot
Ruth and Mr.. MARITIME had just left.
One is a gentleman, young, hand
some, fair and tall; the other the belle
of the season, Miss Clara Howard.
"Miss Howard, we are alone for
the first time to-day" he says; 81
have something to tell you, and |
must tell you now. l have known
you but little while, but love"
"Mr. Maldon, | hope you are not
going to bo foolish r. cries the belle.
II don't really know what | do to
make the gentlemen so silly, Pm sure
it's quite provoking. | suppose |
ought to have told you before that |
am engaged. You know Mr.. Mar
timer He put this ring on my hng-
err. Haven't you noticed that | wore
an engagement ring 2"
| don't know what influence was
abroad in Lover Lane that day, but
somehow the very same thought that
had filled RGth's mind when she COM
pretended Mr.. Marines treaehery
now flashed into Mr.. Maldon's. He
knew he bad been purposely led on
to this point, and that the belle was
enjoying the situation. Wounded
vanity is stronger than any other
feeling in most bosoms. His arose at
once to aid him.
eyes, | noticed the ring" he said
looking full into her face, and fibbing
outrageously; "yes, / suspected what
you tell me, though didn't know
the man; but what l wanted to tell
was, that though | had known you o
very little while, | ielt tempted to
take you into my confidence, and tell
you about pretty girl who-wears
a ring of mine. You know, | think
her the prettiest little darling Gv,
ing"
Miss Howard stared at him. The
serious truth, ~ love you, and you
have trified with me" would have
fill her with exulsation. This false
story which, if it had been true, wouId
have made Charles Maldon as con
temptible as herself, mortified her.
"The prettiost little darling living
That's a good deal to say even fol
an engaged man. Who is she ?"
:"Oh, you don't know her, and since
you ale notinterested, I'll not bestoW
my confidence besides, here are
some people coming
As be left her at the hotel door, ht
4 l. "a