The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-05-17

$50 that's all over, and | am free again, and
we can go homo tomorrow" said Mary, when
she had read the letter twice, feeling as light
hearted bird.
The lawyers letter came in due course, at
testing the genuincness Of the recent will, and
Mary began to think whether she should at
once return England, Or, as it was the height
of the summer travel a little first, now that one
burden, at least, was removed which had made
travelling, and all things else under the sun a
WEAKNESS. But, to her surprise, it was Frau
lein who now cast obstacles in the way. There
was this reason and that reason why they could
not possibly leave Neuenthal at once, and when
Mary overruled them all, poor Fraulein waxed
fearful and nervous, and had headaches, till
Mary, perceiving some mysterious cause, prom
ised to stay ga little longer" in the spot which
she had almost begun to hate as prison.
1t was very wearisome to her, however she
was longing for home, and rock and flood bore
to her the aspect of jailers. She had wandered
alone one afternoon to the edge of that chasm
where we saw her first. The new path was
made the workmen were all gone there was
silence but for the voice of the river. Fraulein
was at home with the headache. Again Mary
wore that same white dress in which her grace
full figure showed so well, and the soft plaits of
her brown hair were rich in shadow under her
simple hat. young pedestrian of the true
British type, a sunny-haired, frank-eyed NOR
tai, who came swinging down the river side,
thought that he had never seen a picture
more pleasing or more welcome to his eyes.
She did not raise her head at his footstep until
he stood close behind her, stopped, and said,
softly:
"Mary!"
She started and looked at him, trembling.
In sense of loneliness, the tears had been
ready before, and now they came brimming
over.
could you?"
There was no one to see how he soothed
her, nor how glad he was to have her in his
arms at last, nor (truth to telD how glad she
was to be there. But when the surprise and the
crying were over, Mary felt that she was forsak-
ing all her principles, and began to gather back
some shadow of reserve.
~ was startled" she said. "You should not
have come like that. have given you no rea-
| son."
"Look here, Mary" said Tom Derby, in a
! straightforward, manly way that there was no
withstanding, ~ want to know what it is that
has come between us. l knew letters would be
of no use, so came to find you at the firstmo
ment had my holiday, just to ask that one
question"
ashamed of her wretched wisdom.
81 love you, and l do believe you love me,
and what hinders us from being happy"
! No answer.
~ have been thinking and thinking day and
night and all l can think is this, Mary-that
into you, and taught you to believe | was look
ing after your money. Was that it Be hon
est and true with me, Mary"
"He used to say SO, certainly" said Mary,
bending her head low over flower she was
pluching to pieces. "He said 1t was the way
of the world"
at may be the way of the world, but it il
not my way" he answered, earnestly perhaps
trihe pained but not offended. "Do you not
know me better than that? Iwish your money
were at the bottom of the sea, if it is to stand
between u.s. Money is a good thing in itself
but it is confoundedly bad thing if it is tC
part two people who love one another"
The last dying spark Of Mary's wo4ldly wis
dom shone out in her next speech.
"It cannot do that now, Tom. A new viii
has been found, and Mr.. Manton has left hi
property to the heir, after all, to keep up tn,
estate"
Sand you are as poor as IL church mouse p
She nodded. Tom threw his hat into tn,
air.
"Hurrah Then that is all right. You won
mind a snug cottage at Twickenham or some
!, where, where we can be as happy as turtledoye
on my five hundred year. Heaven bless tn
old gentleman and his second will !"
Mary turned upon him beaming, yet thor
oughly ashamed of herself. She felt sense o
rest and deliverence, and as they walked HON
at last he talked blithely of that Twickenhan
cottage she reserved mention of her annua
three thousand which still remained, that b