The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-01-04

he worked hi e,t &
7fenzy Of passion p :
called ethe next eve11E
was anything but a -
She met him with -,
ness and tenderneaas1e 6iani1er, bni
saw at once q change in Tim. After q
''good evening" that was anything bu1
cordial, much less lover. HE, he seated
himself meditating an attack |,=.s=s. ..s..s.
why. Stuart, ;Y0ll 0t.Well,' Z,
SAID Millicent; In q tone Of concern.
crossing the room toward him. :.
.sYes. | am well enough in body; but,
Millicent, want to know what gentle.
man you met last evening at half.past
eight O'Clock, at the corner of-and
- streets!''
81 met a gentleman last evening
why, Stuart, you must be dreaming.
l was not on the street last evening"
IL saw you distinctly. might think
| was mistaken but that scarf you
wear. which have so often admired.
and which you have said could not be
matched in the city, decided the mat.
ter. AS my promised wife, I think
you have right to tell me the truth.
! should not believe on hearsay, but
how can doubt the evidence of my
own eyes!"
All the tender interest with which
she had approached him died out of
her face and manner. She stood back
from him with anger in her attitude
and flashing eyes. "You seem to have
an exalted opinion of the woman YOU
have honored with the offer of your
hand" she said, with keen sarcasm.
II am glad you have shown your true
colors thus soon. It will save mistakes
in the future. I Irepeat, was not on
the street last evening. You have seen
some one who resembled me, no doubt.
AS to the scarf, there are oubtless
others in the wide world like it and
also, in the false glare of gaslight you
may have been deceived, but for you
to attribute any such doubtful action
to me, and then disbelieve my denial
of it, is insulting. Henceforth we are
two. You cannot wish continuance of
this engagement when you have so low
an opinion of me and even if you did ,
| assure you that I shall brook no in
suit from any man. Here is your ring, -
drawing it from her slender finger and
extendingit with naughty gesture.
''Remember, have taken the initiative
in this matter. You have not cast me
off,
He was puzzled. Could it be p0ssi.
bic that he had made mistake How
could he be deceived! But then she
had such an air of injured innocence,
and withal was so royal looking in her
burst of indignation that she seemed
better worth having than ever, now
that he was on the eve of losing her.
He made movement toward her with
the ring in his hand that he had taken
so mechanically from her moment
before.
"There must be some mistake" he
said, *'but I could have sworn to your
Identity. lose You, Millicent. love
you, have loved you dearly.''
But the wound to Millicent's se]f.re-
spect was too deep. She was painfully
sensitive. That Stuart Lindley should
for a moment suspect her of anything
dishonorable, or disloyalty to him, was
too much. Some natures will sacrifice
any feeling to pride. She was of this
sort. A lady by instinct and educa.
ton, through reverses she had been
forced to earn her bread. She had
come to the city a stranger, and sought
employment as a teacher of music.
She had won her way with all with
whom she came in contact, but her
connections were unknown, because
there were painful circumstances sur
rounding her past life of which she
did not care to speak.
Stuart's appeal was without effect.
81 cannot overlook this in you,'' she
said, meeting his eye, and reading
there that it would be hard for him to
lose her. '&You have wounded me too
deeply. Never come again to me with
words of love. They will be useless. -
y
Stuart Lindley took up aliterary pa.
per from the table OF the sitting room
where he boarded. His pulse gave an
extra flutter, as he caught the heading
of the leading sketch.
=. s3oa1 y, % Q, A PrR'oxAl-By Una Meet me
past eight, Wednesday evening. J. Ii. N.
There was the identical piece of
writing that he had read on the news.
paper scrap which had futtered out of
Millicent's pocket, on that; we'll reluem-
bered afternoon in August, FIVE weeks
ago. The words had burnt into his
memory. He recognized them in a
moment. He read the story. It was a
bright, witty, delightful sketch. and by
by the time he had finished, true so.
luton of the case flashed upon him.
''She wrote this story,' he solilo-
quized. II have heard it whispered
that she was inclined to be literary.
have been fool! She had, no doubt,
cut this from a paper to use as the
foundation to this racy story. Strange
that I should see lady that evening.
l don't think it was her, though it was
a singular coincidence. I must try to
see her once more and explain how the
Personal misIed me.''
He trod the familiar street and as.
cended the steps OF, the house where
he used to be 80 welcome, with a lat.
ent fear that he would not be able to
see her. He did not give his name.
but sent word that gentleman would
like to see Miss Silverthorne few mo.
ments. She looked somewhat surpris-
ed when he entered the parlor where
she sat reading, but received him with
cool politeness. Her manner did not
reassure him, but he put on as bold a
front as possible, and produced the pa.
per which he had brought with him.,
''You are the author of this story,
are you not r. Leg r.. :.zs. !: .]*:. {. .:,.,
A faint CLEAN Of color came into
her face as she took it from his hand
and GLANCED II fha familiar ,noefla Z. :