Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-10-06
IN THE DARK.


Mrs. Grancv. "You know very well
that you will never have such another
opportunity to secure rich husband:
Here is Morgan Ingraham all cut and
dried t, your hand, rich, and agreeable
and handsome. / must say | never
saws hvndsomer man. And not a
creditable rival in the way, for neither
your cousin. nor Nashti Short can hold
a candle to you in point of beauty"
"Well. mamma, and if don't want
Mr.. Morgan Ingraham ~ said Ervine,
indolently, without raising her eyes
from her novel.
Don't want Mr.. Morgan Ingraham !?
Then who on earth do you wantY' 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 plebian should be, | suppose 1T
is not imperative that should nave
husband 2" IRVINE answered, calmly,
still, to all appearances, deeply inter-
ested in her book.
"Well, suppose quite differently.
What do you suppose your aunt IN
vited you here for but to get husband?
Certainly not for love Of either you or
T. She hates ne 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, and
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
| have told her and / mean to put it
to such use as to pay her back every
cent she expended on it, as | have not
told her, but she will find out some
day. As for her invitation here, | ac-
cepted it because | 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, | have no intention
of doing"
"No intention of marrying? Then
what are you intending to do, may |
ask ?" questioned Mrs. Grancy, in
passion. II suppose we ore both to 60
to the poorhouse I"
Not at all. Your income is the
same rs il ever was-suilciently large
to enable you to live comfortably. |
shall make no demands on it. | intend
to work for my living Ervine said,
firmly, turning page slowly and delib-
erately with her strong white hand.
Work for your living !" with fine
scorn And what do you expect to
do?"
Greatly, mamma, | have not decided.
But Mr.. Ingraham would not be likely
to refuse me, do you think, a position
Is saleslady, or, perhaps, cashier, in one
Of his numerous establishments, were |
to apply?"
"Ervine, you try me beyond all en-
dulapce ! For heavens sake put down
that book and let us talk sense You
can marry Morgan Ingraham ifyou try,
and YOU must y
Miss Grancy threw aside her novel
now, and stood up, revealing her strong,
shapely young figure ut its best
mamma" she commenced, proudly.
" | am quite willing to talk sense ! |
have talked sense from the first Don't
you suppose Mr.. Ingraham knows that
| am poor and have been asked here to
entrap him because he is rich--into a
marriage? Has Aunt Jerome lost any
opportunity of throwing me at his headY
Let me tell you--once for all-that |
will not marry him That hate him
That will not marry any man, just be-
cause he is rich, and you and Aunt Je-
rome desire it. will not so lower my
selfp And with this violent outbreak
Miss IRVINE Grancy walked out of the
room assigned to herself during her stay
at Jerome Lakes, and out into the cool
est, shadiest, most secluded depths of
the great park that enclosed the noble
old mansion.
at is a shamel" 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 Iugraham
as Morgan lngraham hings his bait at
the fishes in Aunt Jeromcs lakes. But
THEREAFTER Il pause-''lt is my own
fault. had no business to come here
and let myself be placed in this hui
initiating position. If | had only gone
to work Immediately | would never
have seen Morgan lngraham, and he
would never have had chance to de-
spise me. Despise me, Yes, desplse
me. who am ten times more beautiful
and more intelligent than Nashti 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 nay mis-
mke--l will go away tomorrow. No
one shall prevent me"
Having made this rash, but, perhaps,
not quite unwise resolve, Miss Grancy
fell to musing; and sine 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 to the fine old estate,
And, evidently, some one was robbing
it of fish.
Diamonds. / should say SCI" ex-
al, ;y, nna Of +bn x.niCnS 1ly