Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-09-04


looked rather bored than otherwise, but
he was as smiling and shiny as ever.
She hardly greeted him when he ap-
peared, but she looked at him with all
the admiration she had ever felt for him,
intensified by her fear. He sat down
beside her, and elegantly crossing his
legs, began tapping MS highly-polished
boots with his bone-headed cane.
alfred" she said, crossing her
hands and looking at him straight in the
face, is it true that you are going to
get married directly?"
"Who's told you so?"
1t isn't any account who told; is it
true as you are going to marry Miss
Brooks because she plays on the piano,
and has money, and" The tears came
into her eyes, and her lips quivered with
anguish. "Oh, it isn't truel know
it isn't!" and she touched his hand in
her dismay, and looked up into his face
with all her hearts story written in her
eyes.
81 don't gee why it shouldn't be, and
SO there's the long and short of it. It's
no use making fuss about it, my dear
girl"
"But it isn't? it isn't? she said ap-
pealingly.
"Well, yes, it is true" he said slowly,
not daring to look her in the face; " 80
you may as well know it at once"
She stood up before him. "True! Do
you mean to say, Alfred, after all that's
passed between us, that you are going to
be married to some one else2"
az really don't know what you mean
by what has passed between u.s. You
really couldn't think l was going to
marry your
"Why couldn't I?'
"Well, don't wish to hurt your feel
ings, but consider the difference in OF.
positions. One walks out with pretty
servant girl, but one doesn't marry her"
"You are not a gentleman, as you
think yourself, Alfred Hill," she said
slowly. "Ycu are dressed like one, but
you are just bit of a clerk, not any
better than respectable girl like me |;
you are not gentleman. A gentleman
doesn't try to take girls good name
and win her heart, as you have DONE"
Mary often wondered that she fought her
battle as she did but she seemed to have
no feeling then, only to realize that
which would came hereafter.
"Pm very sorry that you let yourself
fall in love with me-" he said, tapping
his boot again. 81 thought you would
have had more pride, at any rate till you
were asked"
more pride! What do you take me
forT' she asked, her cheeks flushing.
Do you think I'd 60 out with one, and
talk to him, and let him talk to me as
you've done, if l hadn't cared for him ?
I've too much pride for that, and l
shouldn't be fit company for an honest
man if hadn't. And you know as
I've liked you, for you made me cay it,
and you know it; but it isn't you as 1
like, but the man took you for, and he
isn't here at all"
Well, Pm sorry you are disappointed
in your hope of lettering yourself by mar
rying above you, and think, after all
you've said, we'd better part"
"The sooner the BETTER" and she let
him 60, and then she sat down and al
most sobbed her poor foolish heart out,
and spent the bitterest hour of her life
beneath the trees from which the leaves
were falling. Suddenly she looked up
for Frankly; he was nowhere to be seen.
She called at the top of her voice; no
answer came. With a fear that dead
ened all other feeling she ran to and fro
in a wild endeavor to find him. She
asked the policeman at the gate; he had
not seen him. An hour passed in fruit
less search; and then, pale with fear,
and trembling in every limb she went
home to relate the terrible news. Just
as she got to the door she saw through
the gathering shadows Tom Dawlish,
and in his arms little figure, which her
her heart told her was Master Frankly.
al met this young gentleman as he
was running away to be a sailor, and
luckily brought him back"
Running awayl Why, how were
you going to get to the sea?'
al was going to walk there" said
Frankly stoutly.
"You would have killed your poor
mamma"
Mamma" asked Franky Poole the
next day; "would it kill you if ran
away to sea?"
Yes, dear, l think it would"
ooh! well, them" he answered patron.
isingly, Z" l won't"
1t was spring time again when Tom
Dawlish asked Mary question once
more. He had good situation, and a
prospect of rise; and he'd always been
daft on her; and he wanted to know if
she could love him. She looked up with
a face that had grown thin and pale, and
f,,Il nd 81 al