The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-07-28

as not to see for myself what good, true
girl you are. my darling? AS for my
uncle"-he said meeting her gaze frankly
III am sorry to vex him, for the old
man has been good to me; but do not
propose to sell myself for Woodvale.
No; if I may have lay Little Buttercup,
| shall have all 1 want On earth"
She drew herself away from him sud
denly with shy laugh, and then sprang
to her feet.
"You mean to intimate that I shall
prove handful"
He had risen too. He was standing
before her pale with his earnestness.
'Do not trife with me" he said. can
swer me. It is no jest to me"
81 am not trifiing" gently, but not
making any movement to put her hand
in his, outstretching for it. II am not
trihing, but 1 cannot answer you yet.
You must see your uncle first. Then l
will answer you.
"But surely"
She did not wait for him to finish. AS
on the first day, she brushed hastily
among the alders which closed round
her, leaving Ralph alone.
He did not lnger there. 1t was but
little later when he stood in the Wood
vale library, and started the old man out
of a curious looking folio he was porting
over.
II have come to tell you. Uncle Gill
bert" the young fellow said abruptly
81 am going away to Woodvale. am
soon to say good-by to you, doubly sorry
if it vex you-but I must be going"
"Going away the old man leaned
back in his chair, and took off his spec
tacles as If he could read the young one
better without them. "Wbat is the
matter, Ralph? What has happened?
Going away? When?"
"When you please" said the other,
with short laugh. 81 am afraid it is
the only way can please you now, sir.
The fact is''-ste mmering little, and
then angry with himself for TT am
not ashamed of it, Uncle Gilbert, though
1 am sorry to vex you-but tue fact is,
mean to marry (if she will have me)-
little village girl of this neighborhood;
and can't stay any longer under your
roof, under false pretenses, you thinking
that I mean to please you in this matter
of my marriage"
He had gone straight on to the end,
apparently unheeding of su Ii common
tarv on his words as the old mans sur
prised and angry gestures, and his list
less sinking back into the chair, might
make. But he had not really been I'M
heedful; there was troubled look in his
ewes that showed that he had not lost the
meaning of one movement.
81 thought that something would go
wrong!" cried the old man, feebly. Il
had misgiving that should have spoken
81, <ba {srct Rnt ~ NOT
be too late now. Ralph, you have not
had altogether an English education;
YOU are not bound down by insular
prejudices?"
Ralph did not know what to answer to
this; he stood leaning against the
chimney-piece, waiting for the sequence
of this preamble 1t came hurriedly and
nervously.
"You must often have heard, when
abroad of marriages al ranged by the
heads of families, and you must have
known that they often turn out more
happily than so-called love-matches.
Now, have marriage in mind for
YOU"
| For very amazement, Ralph forgot to
interrupt, save by gesture, which the
old man disregarded, hurrying on:
my own. was love-match-yes, you
start at that; you did not know l had
been married. It was before 1 went
abroad; soon after your father s death.
We did not resemble each other, we
two brothers; but I was like him in
this, that l too fell in love with girl
lowly born, and married her. Butt
don't know how it was with your
fathers marriage, Ralph; mine did not
make me happy. Perhaps the fault be-
gan with me, be went on moodily;
"perhaps it was that did not come ont
boldly, as my brother did, but feared to
tell my father, and trusted to bringing
matters round. But meantime my poor
Matty died-her life had been spoiled
too, for it was her vanity which had
made her pleased ut being courted by q
fine gentleman, as it was her pretty face
which had attracted me. She left me
child-a little girl, whom had to en-
trust to her kindred-good, homely folk
in a distant county, who had no clear
idea of the identity of poor Mattie's hus-
band, but were willing to undertake the
charge for Matty's sake, and liberal re-
muneration. You see now, Ralph, he
went on, looking earnestly at the young
man, "why sent for you to come here.
always meant to tell my father OF my
marriage, that he might see how both OF
his sons were on the same footing; but
| III -.L:1~ 7 ck,11 uniting IL off.