The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-25

he will succeed in the end"
"He willnot, he shall not, Mrs. Bushe!"
answered Crosby. "Thank you; but in
deed l would not chance places with
Barrett If he were three times as rich us
he is. 1t would not answered. all. You
don't understand me now, but you will
some day. And you really think Sir
George has made up his mind so strong
ly? There are other minds besides Sir
Georges. And If l chose could make
him change his"
"Then wonder that you DON'T said
Mrs. Bushe, Justly regarding this as a
piece, e,of Irish bravado. Seriously, though,
| do feel very friendly towards you, and
l think it.is-a sad pity that you have
set your heart on this. You astonish me
little, too For surely it would hardly
be prudent in you to think of marrying
"a girl like dear Letitia, too, who has no
idea of the value of money, or anything
else. know what it is to be young and
and romantic" Florinda went On, slight
ly bending her head. "No one can en-
ter into the feelings of young people
more than do, or know better how the
the widest foolishness seems the only
good and right and necessary thing. I
have always been afraid of this--your al
lowing yourself to become attached to
Letitia. Sir George, l think, ought to
have considered it too. Nothing so nat
ural; yet unfortunately, you see,
nothing SO hopeless. Unless by some
magic art you could, as you say, make
Sir George change his mind"
"Ah WE'LL" said Crosby, who had lis
tened to her soft voice very patiently,
II am not at liberty to say much, but
this will say: l shall never ask lady
to do anything wild or foolish in marry
ing me. Could this Barrett affair be
put stop to for six weeks or SO, do you
thinkY
Mrs. Bushe was slightly startled by his
manner in asking the last question; he
looked up 80 suddenly, as if a new idea
had flashed across him. She thought
the poor young man was little touched
in the brain by the imminent loss Of Lett
| tia.
t"I hardy see how it could be-" she
said. "What good would that do, except
putting things off a ittle~
Crosby did not answer this.
"What would Miss Monkton herself
say to me, do you Think" he asked pre-
sently, with another quick lock.
"Dear me-" said Florinda, coloring. 81
really can't answer that question"
"But everything depends on that, you
know" said Crosby. ~ know at least
from you, and from. herself last night,
what she thinks of Barrett. Now what
does she think of meT' ...
| As Crosby's good angel-I think it was
he-would have it, the drawing room
door was lust then opened rather quickly,
and Letitia herself came in. All her
brightness had desert d her. She walked
across the room, with heavy eyelds low
cred, took up screen, and sat down by
the fire.
"What were you talking about~ she
said, as the two who were there already
fell into a rather awkward silence.
II will tell you," said Crosby, his voice
trembling little. ~ was asking Mrs.
Bushe for little encouragement, which
she has hardly given me; yet can't
keep silence for want of it. | WIS asking
her what you thought of me. Now ask
YOU"
Captain Crosby, for shamep stam-
mered Florinda.
It is doubtful whether either of them
heard her.
"What I think of youp' said Letitia,
looking at him as he stood beside her,
with the smile that faded alive again in
her eyes. "l think you--hardly need ask
that We are very good friends, are we
notW
~ hope so," said Crosby. "But
want something more. / can't talk of
being good friends with the star that
must rule nay whole life, when l see its
light on the point of being extinguished
forever for me. Will you let me tell
you how I admire, adore you, and what
agony it gives me to hear of such plans
for your ..
He spoke low and very earnestly.
Poor, dear Lettia, wildly conscious of a
happiness almost too great for her, and at
the same time of the deep, black gulf of
impossibility between her and it, rose up
from her chair with little cry, knelt
down by Florinda, and hid her face in
her lap. To Mrs. Bushe the moment
was agonizing; her duty to Sir George in
conflict with her sympathy for these two,
touched beyond expression by Letitia's
movement, by Crosby's appealing eyes.
"Will you not give me any answer"'
he said, after one long minute of silence
during which Florinda bent over the girl
with her arms clasped round her.
20, what am l to say~ whispered
Letitia,; but to this Mrs. Bushe could
give no response. ...
Crosby waited moment, and ther
said:
CAS- to what you will say to me,
must leave that to yourself. I should
like you to say to your father, I can moi
make this marriage you have planned fol
me; you must let me marry the man
love-Gerald Crosby"
| Letitia lifted up her lovely face then
and, still holding her cousin with one
hand, gave the other to him with a looL
that told him all he wanted to know.
UYas - che sai1