The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-07-21


fortune?"
Every farthing of it."
A beautiful light flashed from her eyes,
as she rose hurriedly from her chair, and,
crossing the room. laid her hand:lightly
upon Horace Margrave's shoulder.
$50 be it" she said, with a smile. 81
will forfeit the fortune. have hundred
a year from my poor mothers estate
enough for any woman. l will forfeit the
fortune, and" she paused for moment,
"andlmarry the man | love"
We have said that Horace Margrave
had a pale complexion; but as Ellinor Ar
den said these words, his face changed
from its ordinary dark pallor to a deadly
ashen hue, and his head sank forward up
on his chest, while his strongly -marked
black eyebrows contracted painfully over
his halfclosed eyes.
She stood a little behind his chair, with
her small gloved hand resting lightly on
his shoulder, so she did not see the change
in his face. She waited minute or two,
to hear what he would say to her deter
mination; and, on his not speaking, she
moved away from him impatiently, and
resumed her seat on the other side of the
large office-table.
, Nothing could have been more complete
in its indifference than Mr. Margrave's
manner as he looked lazily up at her, and
said:
"My poor romantic child! Throw away
a fortune of three thousand a year, to say
nothing of Arden Hall, and the broad
lands thereto appertaining, and marry the
man you lovel My sweet, poetical Ellinor,
may venture to ask who is this for
tunate man whom you lover"
1t seemed a very simple and straight-
forward question, emanating, as it did,
| from man Of business, many years her
: senior, her dead fathers old friend, and
, her own guardian and trustee; but, for all
that, Ellinor Arden appeared utterly UNI
able to endure it. A dark flush spread
: itself over her handsome face; her eyelids
r fell over her flashing eyes; and her lips
: quivered with an agitation she was pow
erless TO repress. She was silent for some
r minutes, during which Horace Margrave
r played carelessly with a penknife, open
D ing and shutting it absently, and not once
f looking at his beautiful ward. The elder
{ ly lady by the fireplace turned the crack
ling sheets Of the Times more than once
r during the short silence, which seemed
n so long
q Horace Margrave was the first to speak
"My dear Ellinor, as your guardian, til
& this very day possessed of full power tc
control your actions-after to-day, trust
still possessed of the privilege, though
? perhaps, not the right to advise them
!. have, l hope, some claim on your conf
- dence Tell me, then, candidly; as you
may tell a middle-aged old lawyer lik'
myself who is it you love? who is it whom
:, you would rather marry than Henry Dial
l. tom the adopted son your uncle?'
For once he looked at her as he spoke
she looking full at him; so it was thai
! their eyes met; long, earnest, reproach
full sad look was in hers; in his darkness
of gloomy sorrow, beyond all power o
:, description.
His eyes were the first to fall he wen
on playing with the handle of the pen
knife, and said
"YOu are so long in giving me candi
and straightforward answer, my dear CIR
=" that begin to think that this hero
:. of rather a mythic order, and that you
~ heart is after all, perhaps free. Tell M
Ellinor, is it not so? You have met s
t. few people-have passed SO much of you
il life in the utter seclusion of Parisa
lis convent-and when away from the con
nd vent you have been so protected by tn
IS Argus-like guardianship of your respecte
nd aunt-that l really cannot see how 20
can have lost that dear, generous heart
n yours. suspect that you are only tryin
"a 10 mystify me. Once for all, then, m
re dear ward, is there any one whom 20
a. lover Z.
ut He looked al her as he asked this deci:
Il. i've question, with a shrinking upwar
nd glance under his dark eyelashes--somt
he thing like the glance Of man who lool
IL up, expecting blow, and knows that Il
n. must shiver and close his eyes when tn;
IN blow falls.
m. hecrimson flush passed away from b,
NJ face, and left her deadly pale, as she sal
nd with a firm voice.
MOI
=. "No one?'
"No one!'
- Horace Margrave heaved a sigh of dee
:. relief, and proceeded in his former tone
entirely the tone of man of business.
"a VERY well, then my dear Ellinor, Sc
= ing that you have formed no prior attacl
cb ment, that it is your uncle's earnest r
re quest, nay, solemn prayer, that this ma
~. riage should take place; seeing, also, tn
3D. Henry Dalton is a very good YOU
man"
he Il hate good young men !" she said, i
ant patiently. "Dreadfully perfect bein:
:, with light hair and fresh colored cheek