Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-09-23

ClldtCu lN lLlls hlhll. llC llh0l dlNuNS bCIn
favorile with women, and TO Mabel, from
becoming his admirer, she grew To be eager
for his coming, heartsick at hls tarrying,
jealous of his smiles on other women. Ii
could mean but one thing-love for Alexis
Wyllard, the deepest depths Of misery for
John Howlaud, the grand, great soul who
had been so maghanimous, 80 trusting, who
was so true.
A month after the trio had net, Alexis
Wyllard told her, in cOurtly, gentiemanly
tones, with his pleasant, smiling eyes look
ing at her pale, beautiful face, that she had
in her power To make him the happiest in
the eworld-would she be his wifef And Ma
bel, standing there in the dusk of the dim
lighted parlors, with luxury and elegance
all around her, listening 10 the second pro-
pOsal OF marriage that had been told TO her
girlsh ears, could not help contrasting the
last with the tirst-AleXiS Wyllard's calm,
passionleSs tones with John HOwlands
eager intensity, that sWayed every power
of her nature before his own strength. A
sudden trembling weakness came over her
in the silence that lntervened between his
question and her anSwer-a silence In which
no voice told her that II week previously
Mrs. Forestan had told Alexis Wylard that
if he cared for Mabel and wanted To marry
her she would dover her magnitiCently.
Nor did any subtle feeling warn her against
the strangenesS of tins calm, gentlemanly
offer, for all she mentally conuasted it
with the fire and ard0r of another. 1t never
occurred TO her that Alexis Wyllard did not
love her for herself. She had not the re-
motest idea of her golden value III his eyes
she only realized, with thrill of excited
delight, that for her would be forever gone
the old-time drudgery and fight with gen
teel poverty over the epoch of turned
dresses and darned gloves. For she fully
Comprehendcd, in that moment of waiting,
that, after all, 1t had not been genuine out
and-Out love she had thought she felt for
him
She knew now that he had fascinated her,
infatuated her, and yet-yet, i'll the very
face of that knowledge, with almost a sob
on her lips as she thought of John How
lands face and voice as they looked that
December night under the stars; as she re-
membered that farewell embrace and the
fierce hot kiss he pressed on her quivering
lips, she deliberately made up her mind
that. rs Alexis Wyllard's wife, she would
continue in this revel of gayety and enjoy
ment, which without she felt she would die
of stagnation. And so she raised her dark
eye and smiled, and dropped them beneath
her white, blue-veined, silky lashcd lids
again, and Alexis Wyliard Was answered;
and lie kissed her lips and thanked her for
her priceless gift to HIM.
D',rap,1- F,,,,r Iatar xr-bo,, ., RI
of diamond engagement ring was 50 ne
and exciting to her, while she was in the
first flush of glory of realizing all that her
future life would hold in the way of the
worldly lights that was sweet as honey on
her lps-twenty- four hours later when she
WaS sitting alone in Mrs. Florestan's par
Tor, q servant showed John Rowland, in
all his glad heart in his eyes at sight of the
girl he loved, for sight OF whom he had
so famlshed that he had to seek her, if only
for a look ON her sweet face.
"Mabel, Mabel don't blame me for
coming; | could lot stay away! have
only come for a glimpse of you, my darl-
ing. She grew white to the very lips.
'John don't speak so-loud she added,
as if it were an after thought. And and
all the girls wonderful courage uprose,
and she determined to tell him at once his
coming could avail him noihing-"J John,
you mustn't call me-such names, fort
never can be. Look at this! !"
She almost thrust her engagement ring
IN his face, her dark eyes wearing such
look of mingled woe, Defiance love, and
brave recklessness. He ganceu from the
70 HEyith
unnaturally quiet that its dead white agony
terrified her.
''Oh, John, don't ~
His low, steady tones interrupted her as
keen blade separates flesh, and hurt her
nearly as mortally. Answer me this:
Have lost you9"
She covered her face with her icy hands.
He saw her shiver from head to foot.
"Answer me. Mabell'
His authority commanded her as though
she had been wayward child arraigned in
judgment.
Yes"
She whispered it with gasp; she knew
now how she worshiped him, this lover
who had turned to judge.
'And answer me this: Did you ever
love me?"
His voice quivered; he was one of those
self-contained men who suffer long and
awfully before the world or the woman
they love knows of it.
John Oh, John!''
1t was enough. she admitted the whole
of her ambition, that all of her weakness, in
that impulsive cry.
Except that his face grew whittier, and
deeper undertone of agony crept into his
voice, he made no sign as he went on,
slowly, positively.
eyes, | see-I understand; and thank
God | am saved from making woman my
wife who could ever have been so false TO
herself as you have BEEN" She heard him
leave the house; she heard some one in the
room which was only separated from the
parlors by portieres of gold brown velvet.
She sat there several minutes, cold, suffer-
ing such dumb accuteness of anguish as she
never had dreamed could cone ner-the
pain only woman who deliberately
crushed her best emotion, wh1 has been
colby scorned, can feel.
And then Mr.. Alexis Wyllard came in,
slowly, gracefully, quietly, as he always
did, and walked up to her. And, had her
eyes not been covered with her cold fingers,
she would have seen the stern, contemptu-
GUS look on his handsome face-thls gen
tleman who did not hesitate moment in
proposing to marry her for her money
value, but who, miss Vawn, " he said,
pleasantly, decidedly. 81 regret to be OBJ
liged TO tell you | was very awkwardly