The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-04-27

81 suppose" he said, inquiringly,
" the relatives, in that case, would come
forward and take the boys?"
What relatives?" 1 replied. 81
never heard of any,"
Why, good heavensl Bruce" said
the wretched lover, ga man can't be ex-
pected to marry all those boys with
Mary?"
ct seems hard" 1 rejoined. "You
might put them in an orphan asylum"
MacMurray began actually to muse
over this idea, and declared he would be
willing to give something toward their
support by a charitable institution of
this sort.
Whether he made known this liberal
ity OF intentions to Mary, or that she
was prompted by some other feeling,
there came note to McMurray shortly
after, releasing him from his engage
ment, and declaration on Mary's part
that her future was indissolubly linked
with her father and the boys, and that
she could not reasonably expect nor had
she any inclination to marry under these
circumstances.
1t was noble letter, and stirred Mac
Murray's passion to the dregs. | trem-
bled when L saw him run his hands
through his hair distractedly, and heard
him declare that he'd do any thing rath.
er than give her up.
IL tell you what FL do, Bruce" he
said; "Pll effer to take Jamie-confound
the brat / always hated him. he has a
way of getting under everybody's feet
that I'll cure when / have the charge of
him; but Pll take the little cub for the
sake of getting Mary. A man will do
most anything for a woman that he loves,
Bruce. But that's the extent of my
offer-that's all Pm willing to do"
| told him it was nobly generous on
his part, but it seemed that Mary disa-
greed with me. She not only refused his
offer, but declined to have any further
in the matter.
"And now," said Mansfield, when /
went up to see him that night, cher
whole future is blasted because of this
Quixotic idea of devotion to me and the
Mansfield was bolstered up
in bed, Jamie was asleep in a crib near
by that l had sent up three days before,
and Mary was busily sewing. They had
only saved the garments they wore, and
her dear face already had that care-worn
appearance that lacerates the heart loyal
enough to share every pang. at cuts
me to the SOUL" continued Mansfield,
to see Mary deliberately put aside, for
the sake of me and the children, the hap
piness of lifetime"
"The misery, you mean, papa" said
&C lxy fnA IL, Il l.
escaped marrying such selfish, mean
wretch"
Her eyes sh6ne so, and her whole face
was so glorifed with intensity of feel
ing, that could scarce help crying out
at her beauty.
Tut, tut, Mary" said Mansfield,
you cannot reasonably blame man
for not wanting to saddle himself with
a hulk like me, and horde of half
grown boys. You cannot blame Mac
Murray. [ am miserable wreck, and
the boys are none of them out of the
way. You could not expect, Bruce, a
rational man, however he might love a
woman, to marry her under these circum-
stances"
"Not rational man, perhaps" I said,
and my blood was all in a glow, the
words slipped to my tongue withoutany
volition of my own" not a rational
man, perhaps; but suppose a mailman
should offer to do such a thing-and he
must be a mailman to hope for the fe-
icity-suppose / was fool enough to
think that Mary would marry me under
any circumstances; suppose that | had
worshiped her for years, and that she
was dearer than ever to me now in her
devotion to you and the boys; and sup
pose that whether she marries me or not,
she is but the one woman in the world
for me-"
"God bless my soulw cried Mansfield,
leaning forward and clasping his hands
"can this be possible? Mary,
Mary, don't speak just now child. Take
time to consider this noble proposal of
our friend, to whom / am under unlim-
tied Obligations man in a thousand,
Mary; the tip of his fnger-nail worth
the whole miserable body of such a rep
tile as McMurray. Take time, Mary
take a week"
Take a year," | implored; and as /
went over to her, and got down on my
kuCSS DtoluC ACI loW CudlI, l. tIculDlcU
like man upon the scaffold. The nee
die shook in her fingers; the muslin
futtered out of her hands upon the floor
=" Mary, Mary" I begged, ike coward
that | was, "don't take from me the
sweet uncertainty; let me wait an eter-
nifty. In the meantime, I'll take
jamie" | added, for he was awake and
whimpering. Poor Mansfield fell back
upon his pillow, and lifting the child to
my heart, | sat down by the bedside.
Suddenly two soft arms stole around my
neck outside of Jamie's. Mary's warm
cheek was pressed to mine.
"Take us all, +" she whispered every
one of us, please" And | did, God help
ing me.
Mansfield began miraculously to mend
from that moment, and took the head of
his department in less than year. One
of the boys is in the counting room al
ready, and another one will be among
the goods as soon he can leave school.
Mary and [ will never have a child
nearer to us than little Jamie. Every
thing prospers with us, and the only
thing that troubles us just now is how to
properly heat the house we are build
ing up in Westchester county. What
wanted to say was, that if anybody
knows of heater that will do the bust
ness thoroughly without exploding, I'd
like to communicate with him.-Har-
per's.