Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-08-31
"Dart, Maitland, Dart & Co. -

partner, away In India now-each one
represented by that sign was perfectly
aware that great alteration had been
growing in himself ever since Col
CoDyngham and his daughter had been
living in Highborough. The strong bank
walls no longer limited his hope and am.
bition. Beyond them stood revealed a
home of love, and case, and sunshine,
brightly possible; and in this future the
only mission of the good old bank was 10
furnish the home with luxury
1t was winter night. The bank win.
dows were bolted and barred, the great
books were locked in the trusty safes,
and the manager was asleep up stairs,
with his blunderbuss beside his bed. But
in his brilliantly-llghted drawingroom
at home the senior partner sat alone-a
striking-looking man in his evening dress,
with the hot-house flowers fading in his
coat. The room had been filled with
guests up to this time, but now Mr.. Dart
sat alone before the fire, buried in a
thought which deepened minute by min.
ute, until the door was opened, and Wal.
ter Maitland re-entered the room he had
but lately left.
" l could not help coming back" he
said, beginning hurriedly to speak, as If
the words forced themselves from him in
his nervous haste. "There is one thing
about which l must speak to you tonight
about which have wanted to speak to
| you a long time. / feel"-he was lean
ing against the chimney piece opposite
his friend and looking with intense
scrutiny into his quiet face" that
have been dreaming dream which a
word of yours could at this moment dis
| pei. Tell me of greater kindness than
your silence, though the kindness is sure
TO be the motive of that. Tell me at
once, Dart. 1t cannot be very pleasant
to you to sec my anxiety. You are far
too good a fellow to feel pleasure in
that"
"What am TO tell your" inquired
Maurice Dart, without meeting his COM
panion's eyes
Surely you know. said to myself
that when / met Isabel here in your
house tonight would find out if nv
fears were we'll grounded; and if could
not discover ! would ask you for the
truth before left. Dart! end this wear
ing suspense on me. 1t has been grow
ing all these months side by side with
my love, and has become unbearable at
last"
Maurice raised his head now and met
his companions anxious, questioning
eyes. 81 am glad you have spoken,
Maitland" he said al have guessed at
your anxiety while l have felt my own;
and l have often wished to break the
silence we have held on this one point.
fancied you had something to tell me.
h,,N I
enter the room"
" Indeed, no." exclaimed Walter with
his usual frankness. "I wish to Heaven
had. / wish | dared to say that Isabel
had given me encouragement enough to
make me even hope. And l could not
ask her TOTO love me while l felt that
you knew how useless it would be-"
" do not know" returned Dart, his
words sounding very slowly after Wal
ter's eagerness, yet all his self command
failing to hide their new ring of hope.
" Isabel has never heard word of love
from me. She is gentle and kind and
winning always; but l cannot read be.
yond
" To me, too, she is bright and pleas
ant always" put in Maitland, restlessly;
4" and can discover nothing more. l |
fancied you could put me out of one
phase of this uncertainty"
"And you are very glad to find can.
not" said the elder partner. And then |
their eyes met with smile which was
strangely wistful for such strong and
manly faces.
Dart" said Mr.. Maitland, "you are
the elder man-the richer-the better,
too. You shall speak first. Do it as
soon as you can"
Seniority has no claim in such case
as this, !" said the senior partner. "We |
can wait"
81 can wait no longer" put in the
younger man, impatiently. "Anything
will be better than this suspense. Why |
on earth should we wait? Isabel knows
us both thoroughly now. She knows
that we are both too old for this love
of ours to be anything but deeply ear.
nest. She knows enough of us and of
our positions to make her decision easy
to her. So let us know the worst, or
best. You have the right to speak first"
will not take it," said Mr.. Dart,
speaking more quickly than he had yet
done. Let us write. Let us write D
together"
A few minutes silence while Walter
thought this over-leaning his head on
Jhe arm which rested on the chimney
piece.
" Let that be decided" urged Maurice.
= We will write tomorrow. Let her re-
'eive the two letters together, that she
nay think of us together. Promise me
'our letter shall be ready for to-morrow's
)ost,"
PROMISE" said Maitland, raising his
lead again. Thank you for this ar