The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-07-16

Wibiout It's clilrils, WHtn ohe coiheb Io
know them"
- think it would take me long time
find them ont" said Minnie, with little
laugh. She was wondering how she
could give the conversation less imper-
sonal turn, for she felt that very soon
the tumultuous inner emotions must
burst through the outer crust of com
posture.
There was little pause. Mr.. Quorn-
ham leaned back in his chair, rather
YEARLY; Mrs. Pierrepoint tapped the
ground impatiently with her foot. She
had meant To be cautious, to lead up the
denouement very slowly and carefully,
feeling her ground Mt every step; but she
had miscalculated her own strength-she
could bear the silence, the GOODNESS no
longer; she must set mt rest the wild de-
sires and terrors raging in her bosom.
For moment she buried her face III her
hands; then, clasping them tightly TO-
gether and looking straight mt the young
man, she spoke in clear, high voice:
daresay you are surprised ut seeing
me here to-day, Franz, after all that has
happened. If it We're to any other than
yourself, to any one less great and noble,
| should not have come. / have been
very cruel, very wicked-but remember
i was young and inexperienced. Oh,
Frank, wont you forgive me? won't You
give me back what you offered me once
and threw away SO blindly?
You were willing then to take my worth
less self, now l offer You my worthless
self and all have"
Frank Quomham sprang 10 his feet,
the delicate nostrils quivering, the pale
cheek glowing for All instant with pink
flush.
Minnie Pierrepoint, too, had risen,
and stood exactly facing him; but when
she saw that swift action of his she came
nearer and looked up into his eyes;
sudden thrill of pain, and dread, ans joy
passed throught her-she spoke quickly,
to stay the words on his lips:
"Frank, dear, / cant help being rich!'
She stood with flushed, untitled face,
and extended hands; her breath came
and went; there was a half-smilc Oh her
parted lips, and a great tear gathered in
her eyes, which rolled down her cheek.
Frank QuOrnham did not hesitate; the
flush had faded from his cheek, his
whole face was white, even to the lips;
but there was no faltering in the low de-
liberate voice:
"Mrs. Pierrepoint," he said, "let
there be- no misunderstanding between
us. l hope l should not be guilty of
that form of cOwardice which sacrifices
the happiness Of two lives out of fear OF
the worlds Judgment. But there is a
barrier between us greater than any diff
ference of station could have raised up.
Once | trusted you, believed in you, was
ready to shape my life for you. BY your
own act you destroyed that faith; of
faith i'll other things, which you nearly
destroyed, / will not speak. am deeply
grieved that this should have happened.
can appreciate the generosity of your
offer, but l cannot accept it..
She stood like statue before him, her
hands still extended, her face uplifted
toward him; the joyful tear Oh moment
ago lay Oh her cheek, the smile was fro
zen Oh her lips, but the cheek was ghast-
w pale, there was no color in the full
lips. She felt as if some one were stab
bling her, and her heart blood was flow
ing, drop by drop rs she stood.
He had spoken quite gently, quite inn
personally; but the scorn, whose ex-
preston lie had been SO careful to re-
| DltSS III "oiucy octIhctt toh-
veyed to her with all the more force by
some subtler means; she felt paralyZed
by it; suddenly her own acts and mo-
tives stood before her in all their miser-
able smalmess, she seemed to feel dimly
ut something greater and nobler, to see
a great gulf stretching between herself
and this man, gulf never to be SPAWNED.
When Frank ceased speaking, there
was pause; he stood with head thrown
back, and eyes fixed straight before him;
Minnie's arms dropped nervelessly to her
side, her head fell OH her bosom, she
made n few steps to the door; Frank
came forward and held it open for her as
she passed through; the folds of her
dress touched him, and she felt his
breath on her forehead in the narrow
doorway, but she didnot lookup.
Back, back through dirty, crowded
streets, to stately mansions and pleasant
, parks.
For ever and for ever! She had re-
ceived her sentence, and there was no
, reprieve-a rentless though impalpal-
ble force held them apart; there was nc
hope.
On, no; were the hungry women
crowding and pushing ut the stall, fierce
ly eager for the cheapest bits of foui
meat more pitable than this lady lean
; ing back III her luxurious carriage, with
! the demons Of despair and self-contempt
gnawing at her heart?
She could see the long years stretch
l ing before her, and for the first time she
realized what she had forfeited, and hel
l heart sickened as she came within sigh
of her great house, and thought of thu
emptiness of all her splendOr and he
Z wealth without love.