Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-23
Linnie had led with the capricious Mis-.

exaggerated every deed of real kindness
and IN her gratitude forgot the petty
wrongs, the senseless tyranny, and the
unjust burden of responsibility imposec
upon her young lite.
"What have 1 not done for you, Me-
linda? Are you deaf that you stano
there like a stone idiot and never answer;
Will you marry Mr.. Gilmour, Or will you
refuse him and let your poor old sick
aunt lie here and die of despair and
poverty?'
And then the sobs began to come, and
she pleaded as only such a woman fol-
such cause can plead.
90, be merciful my dear child. II
will save my life, and it will be bless.
ing to you. MIR. Gilmour is an excep.
tionably fine man, and once his wife you
would want for nothing.
And thus she persuaded and expostu-
lated, until the girl almost yielded quite
"Surely Erie Warford has nothing to
do in causing you to hesitatc9"
"Everything," answered Linnie.
"Melinda, I am ashamed of you," cried
her relative, reused into fury of sham
dismay. "Have you no self respect that
you still care for one who has treated you
1nfamously?"
"He may be dead, aunty"
dead What silly lunatic YOU are tc
be sure Erie may have rich grandfath.
er, whom he will find it profitable tc
please in marrying. But it is profound,
ly evident to me that when the young
man left you he did not intend to return
He is just the sort of man to amuse him
self in Irritation Of this kind. For
gracious sake don't let Mr.. Gilmour sus-
pect anything of it,
The girl turned, her dark eyes atire and
her delicate checks af1ame.
81 shall tell Mr.. Gilmour," she en-
phatically declared; "and then it he still
desires me for wife will marry him.
She had scarcely uttered her sudden
decision when her elderly sutton came.
The gentleman looekd curisusly doubt,
full and anxious. Perhaps his old heart
was not an icicle after all
"Then I can never hope that you will
love me?'' he observed, after listening to
what Linnie had to tell HIM of Erie Wei
ford.
She turned upon him her proud, still,
white face
Under that impassive mask she
thought that to the day of her death she
could carry passion haunted heart.
Begging your PARDON" she replied
was not this to be business transaction
only?"
He smiled at the ready response.
(which we must discuss and arrange
in a sure and proper way" he said, and
made his departure only half pleased.
Shortly after various and costly articles
for superb feast were sent up to the lit
tie room.
eve shall have our Thanksgiving din
ner," said Mrs. CARL delighted, and that
night her dreams were those of the graft
fed and self-satistied.
Not so the young girl who lay by her
side; for Linnie was wretchedly sleepless
and rcmorsefully miserable, and all night
through the dusk Of the chamber her lily
flower cleaned just as ghostly white as
he rown troubled face.
Thanksgiving morning! And the merry
bells poured out their peals on the sweet
crisp air. Beautiful women in furs and
velvets and diamonds passed by to the
palaces Of worship, or the mansions of
feasting. And yet everywhere, even with
IN the sound OF those gleeful bells, thou
sands of hungry innocents shive1ed with
cold, and thousands Of homeless men and
women could say with the prosecuted
one: "The foxes have holes, and the birds
of the air have nests, but the son of man
hath not where to lay his head"
wonder II the world is ever so thank
full for the good it has done, as for the
good it has received?
Linnie thought bitter things that
morning. All her life she had been
hampered and fettered, and now she was
football of a destiny that it seemed i'm
possible to avoid.
Much as she esteemed Mr.. Gilmour,
she shrunk from such soulless union
with him as she would have done from
any other thing that desecrates woman
hood.
Cursed be the social wants that sin against
the strength of youth!
Cursed be the social lies that wrap us from
the living truth!
Over and over again Linnie quoted
this anathema from "Locksley Hail.
marveling if ever she in the life to come
should be strong and brave enough to
drug her memories"
The Thanksgiving feast, that she had
scarcely tasted, was over, and her relative.
taking her siesta in an easy-chair, when
Mr.. Gilmore came. Linn1e shivered as
she saw him.
my dear child, do you repent vet
of your promise?" he asked her kindly.
"A promise is to me a sacred thing,'
she replied, evasively.
"Granted. But were Erie Warford
still liv1ng?"
"He has broken his vows to me-" was
the laconic response.
"Perhaps so. Perhaps he is living,
and is true. Perhaps he is on his way to
you even now"
She struggled to her feet and fixed
her startled eyes upon his face.
'You have something to tell me, what
is it," she cried
For answer, the gentleman opened the
door and admitted Earle Warfo1d.
II have brought my grandson to call
upon you Miss Linnie," he said.
But the girl heard nothing except her
lovers fond and passionate words, and
saw nothing but his dear face, so un-
changed and true.
"You forget yourself, Melin d." OBJ
served Mrs. CARL, greatly shocked
"You are Mistaken retorted Mr.
Gilmour; "she forgot herself when she
allowed you to direct her judgment and
her heart. She would have gone to the
alter like a lamb to the sacrifice after
you had convinced her it was her duty
You would have sold her to me that you
might live in idleness and self-indulg.