The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-09-16
IN THE DARK.

Z" cannot see what possesses you,
Ervinc, 10 act as you do |" complained
Mrs. Giancy. "You know very well that
you will never have such another oppor-
tunity TO secure a rich husband Here
is Mo- gan Ine'nham nll cnt and dried
to your hand, iich and agreeable and
handsome. l must ray never raw n
handsomer man. And not creditable
rival in the way, for neither your cousin
nor Vashti Short can hold candle to
you in point of beauty"
"Well, mamma, aud il don't want
Mr.. Morgan Jngrahamp' said Ervine,
indolently, without raising her eyes
from her novel.
"Don't want Mr.. Morgan Ingraham
Then who on earth do you want ?" in
accents of despair.
I'm not sure that want any one-to
marry. am only just twenty, and as
strong and healthy as an orthodox
young plebeian should be. I suppose
it is not Imperative that should have
husband I" Ervine answered, calmly,
still, to all appearances, deeply inter
ested in her book.
"Well, suppose quite differently.
What do you think your aunt invited
you here for but to get husband ?
Certainly not for love of either you or
/. She hates us both. And she con-
siders, as she distinctly told us, that
she will have quite done her duty by
us, now that she has educated you,
when she has given you one season in
society under her prestige and chance
to make match"
Mamma, am extremely obliged to
Aunt Jerome for my education, as I
have told her; and mean to put 1t to
such use as to pay her back every cent
she expended on it, as I have not told
her, but she will find out some day. AS
for her invitation here, 1 accepted it be-
cause thought / might as well have
one little taste of life before settling
down to sober realities and hard work;
but to marry at her command, or any
ones else, I have no intention Of do
ing"
"No intention of marrying? Then
what are you intending to do, may I
ask?" questioned Mrs. Grancy, in q
passion. 81 suppose we are both to
go to the poorhouse p
"Not at all. Your income ia the
same as it ever was-sufficiently large
to enable you to live comfortably.
shall make no demands on it. 1 intend
to work for my living" Ervins said,
firmly, turning page slowly and de-
liberately with her strong white hand.
"Work for your livingl" with fine
scorn. "And what do you expect to
do?"
Really, mamma, l have not decided.
But Mr.. Ingraham would not lie likely
to refuse me, do you think. position
as saleslady, or, perhaps, cashier, in one
OF his numerous establishments, were
to apply?"
"Ervine you try me beyond all en-.
durancel For heavens sake put down
that book and let us talk sense You
can marry Morgan Ingrahaus if you try,
and you mustl"
Miss Grancv threw asids her novel
now, and stood up, revealing her strong,
shapely young figure at its best.
Mamma" she commenced, proudly,
81 am quite willing to talk sensel
have talked sense from the first. Don't
you suppose Mr.. Inerahami knows that
/ am poor and have been asked hero to
entrap him-becauso he is rich.into a
marriage? Has Aunt jerome lost any
opportunity of letting hin know the
true state of affairs ? Havu you lost any
opportunity Of Throwing me at his head ?
Let me tell you-once for all-that
will not marry him That hate him
That / will not marry any nan, Just be.
cause he is rich, and you AMI Aunt Jer
ONE desire it. l will not go lower my
self" And with this violent outbreak
Miss Ervine Grancy walked out of the
room assigned to herself during her stay
atJerome Lakes, and out into the coolest,
shadiest. most secluded depths of the
great park that inclosed the noble old
mansion.
" 1t is shame!" she cried, throwing
herself back downward upon the yield,
ing moss, and folding her white round
arms across her flushed face, "that ]
should be flung at Morgan Ingraham as
Morgan Ingraham filings his bait at the
fishes in Aunt Jerome's lakes But
then"-after n pause" it is my own
fault. I had no business to come here
and let myself be placed in this hu-
initiating position. II L had only gone
to work Immediately would never have
seen Morgan Ingraham, and he would
never have had a chance to despise me.
Despise me Yes, despise me, who am
ten times more beautiful and more in.
telligent than Vashti Short and Adella
Jerome, who may yet smile on him and
force their society upon him as they
please, since they are rich and cannot
be accused of fortune-hunting Well
! will rectify my mistake--I will go
away tomorrow. No one shall prevent
mep
Having made this rash, but, perhaps,
not quite unwise resolve, Miss Grancy
fell to musing; and she was just on the
borders OF Sunderland when voices
aroused her. She had not been aware
of her proximity to one OF her "Aunt
Jerome's Lakes" but, in fact, among
the evergreens. not twenty feet away,
lay one of the deepest and most seclu-
ded of the pretty sheets of water which
gave its name tn the fine old estate.
And, evidently, some one was robbing
it of fish.
Diamonds I should say so p ex-
claimed one of the voices, energetically
"But, then, it shows the old mans
sense to invest in those. You see, dia.
monds can always be disposed Of to ad.
vantage. Just take them out of theiI
setting and there is nothing to betray
their former owner, or that they have
been used, and you can get full value
for them"
"That's fact ! I'd rather-By Jove
there's fish for youl What fun this
| isl"
"Poachers I" thought Miss Grancy
"Pll walk back. 1t must be neal
archery time"
But there was not much excitement
in archery that afternoon. The faii
contestants had no audience. Presently
two carriages full Of new guests rolled
up to the great porch, and Adella ant
Miss Short threw down their bows
Ervine put few more arrows in tn,
gold, without half-trying, and then com
menced to gather together her equip
ments.
| UWhv ston so soon Miss Grancv p