Daily globe., 1879-06-01

ters and presents by the next mail with
out word.
"He has heard all about the diamond,
and believes it." she thought. 1t would
be u comfortable arrangement if one
could cease to love the instant a lover
proves unworthy. but hearts are not fash
isned after that manner. When every
thought and motive of ones life is woven
up with those of another, one can not un-
unravel the tangled web all at once. can
other such shock will send me to the in
sane asylum" sighed Greta. But there
was another yet in store for her. Mr. Graf
ton had taken to dropping in upon her
after her days work. One evening he
said:
"Miss Greta, what if you should be
found guilty of this-this''
''If they should find me guilty! How
can they find an innocent person guilty Y
If took the diamond, where is it2'
Mr.. Grafton smiled indulgently. "Peo-
pie have been imprisoned, branded, ex-
lied, hanged, and quartered for sins they
never committed If you were guilty,
you would be more likely to escape: you
would have laid your plans"
Greta gave an involuntary sob: the
tears shone in her eyes. "And thereis no
one to help me-, she gasped thinking
aloud, rather than speaking to Mr.. Graf
| ton.
"Yes, yes, there is some one ready to
| l,o1 %o tha%
II will help you, if you will only give
me the right he petitioned.
"You, Mr.. Grafton? What right can l
give you? l don't understand
eff you were my promised wife All
my dear Miss Greta, don't turn away
your head disdainfully; hear me out
Mr.. Stoughton is under some obligation
to me; ifyou were my promised wife, ]
could write him. There would be nc
more said about the missing diamond
it would be accounted for in some natura
manner. You would be no longer sus
pectcd. No one could suspect the WON
an whom Thomas Grafton delighted tt
HONOR
"You-you are very kind. I thank
you; but I do not love you, Mr.. Grafton.
II don't ask you to love me. Of course
, you don't; the idea has never, perhaps
entered your head before. I only bee
that you will marry me. Love will come
sooner or later, as | deserve it at you
hands. And, my dear, Greta. what bet
ter can you do? Who will give you EN-
ployment, with his blight upon you
How will you earn you: daily bread?"
II don't know" returned Greta; s:hov
shall I, indeed? But, all the same, i
would be contemplate to reward you
unselfishness by merely marrying you 70
home"
"Only agree to marry me, and I viii
not quarrel with the motives,' he i'm
? plored.
What could Greta do? Her lover ha,
deserted her; her good name was tai
, nished. Without home, friends, OF work
, was 1t not the height of folly to refus
such way of escape? And yet hoy
could she love him? But might not on
, survive the luxury Of loving? Com
wealth, case, and position; vanish all illu
+: sions that make life sweet She begge
l a fortnight for consideration: somethin
might turn up to her advantage-the dis
r mond, for instance But the fortnigl
: passed, as fortnights will :; nothing happer
ed, except that Mr. Grafton, feeling conf
dence in the woman who hesitates, It
' furnished his parlor in blue satin and pal
gold, fitted up an apartment for his wife
e b0udoir like a suburb of fai1y lan(
bespoke the parson, the ring, and caterc
, "Do tellr' said one gossip to another
''Greta Loring's going to step into Glove
! and no mistake
! ''1t's powerful change for her I hes
Mr.. Grafton's always had a hankering #
) her. He told Mr.. Jobson any man coul
e marry any woman he set HI
t heart upon, if he'd only work ha1
$ enough, and wait like spider in h
/ WEBB
t II guess he got Greta for the askln!
t eh?"
l II dunno; there was that Sotherne WI
4 was sweet on her."
e II reckon that's blown over--only
young mans pastime. I'm surprised
l Tom Grafton, though, with all his al
1 and frills, with his family tree and h
t coat of arms, and his ancestors and h
Y money. How does he get over that lit
! affair of Mrs. Stoughton's diamond?
y s'pose he expects folks to visit his wi
e and ask no questions, once she's
e Grafton
d 'Law it's the way Of the world pre-
d ty face makes man forget trespasses an
r get rid of his judgment. It's no u
3. quarrelling with such things at our ag
r. Greta IL make fine lady, and mean
: pay my res poets at Grafton Place directl
q I'm just crazy to see the new fixing. I
1t just like to see how ia look in the bl,
e satin parlor."
o And all this time Greta had not eve
is consented. 1t is true, wealth and con
'r fort were allurring. She had told he
IS self that Providence would provide, an
IS how could she know but this was ii
J, very provision made for herr It wou
e be delightful, no doubt, to enjoy such
o establishment as Grafton Place. She r
a membered what visions of romance hs
r accompanied when she rambled throus
the quaint old-fashioned mansion, whit
er might easily boast haunted chambe
q through the halls with the s'dim religio
y. light" falling from painted window
E. gazed at the portraits of the dusty Grs
at tons; pushed aside the b,ocade hanging
II drank from the china that had outlivl
ii generations. She recalled the great mi
n rors that lined the walls, the silver ept
'd gne upon the side board heaped wi
le fruit, the flashing ivory of the piano, a,
le odor Of the hot-house flowers. And
+. might all be hers at word. Only
O. her say YES" and she might wear h