St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-10-08

man would marry for such motives
without making them very clear to the
man she married"
Bertha went back into her Stronghold
of silence, and thought steadily. Last
night George Archibald had asked her
to he his wife. and Tonight he w;IS
coming for his answer. What answer
should she give him Certainly she
did not love him. She had an ideal ut
her own as to what love wlS Il very
exalted ideal. Surely, if she loved Il
man, ii must bc that she would prefer
him to all the world-she would rather
have him, poor, than any other man.
rich, and she would he quite willing 10
toll and struggle for him. She was sure
that she felt none of this for George
Archibald. Her brother Harry WAS i'll
timitely dearer to her.
Her sister-in-law, Maria, was Il good
person. but tiresomc. She would Ger
tainly like to get away from Maria.
She was conscious of il love for a.dhori
ty; she would like to be lady para
HIouut in her own home. When il
came to George Archibald, she respect
cd him, certainly: but she respected
twenty other men aS much. He WAS Il
man of no mean att;innIcnts. and he
WAS rich. He was ten Years older than
herself. and rather finclooking than
othcrw Use. hnt not il girls hero, 10y any
means. She had been in his home often
when his mother who had now been
dead IL Year had shared il with him.
She knew how comfortable and we'll
appointed it WIS. What should hinder
her from being its mistress What,
indeed. Int the single fact that she did
not love George Archibald. and that.
without the home. she would never
think of being his wife The whole
thing puzzled her. She thought and
thought. until the Ion" June afternoon
wore away. Tea WIS over at last. and
il WAS almost time for Mr.. Archibald To
come. Bertha went up stairs and put
some last touches to her toilet. She
had plenty of that dainty hut innocent
vanity without which Il woman tnrget> :
how to charm. She WAS no beauty. but
she had Il good figure. Il clear, tine skin.
rather pale than othcrw i>c. and dark.
hluc-gray eyes. shaded 10y l;i>he> Il shade
darker than her dark brown hail. She
w;Is dressed in white. as suited the June
day. She fastened Il crimson rose in
her hair. and Il knot of them upon her
breast. The bell rang, and She Went
down TRANQUILITY.
Mr.. Archibald pur>uadcd her out INFO
the old garden. and there he asked hrr
over again his question of the night Ice
fore.
Il have thought all day." she said
''and at the end am NO nearer know
in" what ought to dn. Now You must
decide tor me. If loved N"u. that
would make ii very simple.
She WAS too much absorbed in What
she WAS SaNing in her honest desire /,
sci the truth and the whole truth faith
fully before him to notice his >uddcI
gesture and the look of pain that cam,
over his face a> she said those words
He did not speak till his voice wa,
thoroughly under his control. and then
he said. with Just an accent of inquiry
$50 YOU do not love me aI all >
Il do not think | do. If | loved Nnu
it would mean. wouldn't it. that pre-
tcrrrd poverty with You to pr">pcrit,
with any one clSc-that would like Il
share YOUR lot. whatever it might hr
I've asked myself if | felt like that. an,
| don't. If married You. know par
of the reason would hc that | Nigh
have Il home "t my own. that | NIGH
hc mistress instead of Il >iStrrin-law
hoInc with very kindly. but borne wit
all the same: and love must surely h
quite Il different matter from this moe"
oi calm reason.
"L,.vr must hc madness. N"u think
At least. tell me. d" ynu love ANY ON
else better than me
Il. Lii.
lcS>ly.
NO" she said. Il love no one else {;
all. and never have. 1t is queer. i>n
it, for have wanted to love all IN
life. and | am twcmtN-ciglt Nou know
Archibald WAS silent. 1t seemed tn;
she was putting her fate into his hand
Should he take her or leave her ! llo'
! could he intrudc his ardoI> upon TIN
woman. meeting him. as she said hen
, self. in Il mood of calm reason. and lit
u ing To his face his honest eyes full
! anxiety to ii" the thing that would /
IL best for herself and for him His irc
II thou"ht WIS hat he would not tax"
u stone for bread he would leave hr
II then. and there. forever. But aS ! S;il,
he loved her. and this great love coI
IL strained him. Surely. she too Wnul
l. feel it at last. and her GOODNESS woul
melt in its warmth. But he must NJ
h shock her with these Wild hopes IN
e longingS of his now. He answered Ii,
i rs quietly aS she herself had Spoken
: he almost TESTED with her.
" $50. if Nou took me. il would he
II choice of evils. Il preference of Gr"r:
II to Maria -
Il His tone set her at her ease. and 81
lS laughed mcrrily.
d Not quite 50 bad as that do iii
'e yor, and we must both have outgrov
u the ,layS of romance. Don't Nou thin
- so ~
lie did not answer, and she went ol
"'lt'S all for You To say. am II
II afraid. really. hut / should he hapl
: enough, and if you want me, known
!, Just how feel. could he Il good wi
~ To Won. think but if ycu want som
m thing that | can't give, why, | SIT;
=, moi blame you for saying 81. and goi
~ away"
- "lcs. want something that yon ca
-, not give" hc said hoaI Srly .'but t
4 trouble Is that no one else can give
n either. | have no choice. Bertha
you are willing to bc my wife. ynu Sh;
:, he"
She wondered that he did NOT kiss h,
in and she wondered, too, that he ",
IL away So soon. lSut she settled il in !!
H. own mind that his feeling WAS as co
l. rs WIS hers, and that hc had SIM
thought of her ;s IL suitable III d sen
er l,lc person to he the mistress of
h home. now that his mother had gu
he out nt it. Well. please heaven. :
he would make him Il good wife. and ma
A. that home happy. And she WAS