The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-07-15

on WIN certain IOucnes VI passion That
can never, under any circumstances.
fail somehow TO impress woman.
at seems unnecessary, 80 far As l
am concerned, to say love you, and
yet know l ought to toll you-n0t
how much. for that would not be posi-
bic, only u lifetime Of devotion can
prove that. But love you, l want
you for my wifeyou will not say INC
nay"
And then, Muriel put little Flossie
gcatly down. AMI thon siO al up before
him. pale. trembling, Disconnected
mortified.
"Mr. Strctton. cannot tell you how
awful this is 10 me. For your dead
wifc's sake | will consider 1t unsaid;
for this child's sake. will forgive it.
But | cannot remain under your roof
another hour"
For answer. he took Flossie's hand
and led her to the door, telling her to
run and play somewhere. Then he
turned the key. and walked back to
Muriel. standing still.
| Miss FcntOn, can understand your
intentions Us well ~ though you had
| spoken them to me. You dislike and
-lcspise me. you have not the re-
hottest idea Of marrying me. you are in
love with man whose name IL Cyril
| VcrnOn-all tho same. knowing all
these undeniable facts. in the face Of
all. have asked you to. and l intend
you shall marry me-"
| A strange sensation of his power, her
helplcssness crept vaguely, yet terrify-
ingly. over her.
..Becausc." he went on. his voice
softening into tenderness and pity.
'whcn have told you. first, that al
ready . gossiping public have spoken
of your stay here since my wife's death.
and that | have it from indisputable
authority that, on last Wednesday,
| Mr.. Vernon was married to Miss Cor
don-I think you will be wise enough
| to ut least think of it, and discreetly
decide in my favor"
She walked weakly::to the chair sho
had previously vacated, and almost fell
upon il crushed rs nearly to death as
human hope and human life ever
wcxe crushed. Not-and ID hurt her to
\ realize it amid all that tempest Of an
/ HuISil-uOr 81 IuuCt tuts CkucA SOcotP
had sullied her pure name. her consci-
entious duty-actS, as-that-Cyril was
married. Cyril false!-her one hope
and happiness gone. to (which she had
chung SO Loyalty in all the dark days Of
these past months.
The room seemed to whirl round and
round, q green darkness suddenly in
volved her, she saw Mr.. Stretton step
suddenly toward her as she felt herself
sliding suddenly off the chair. in such
deadly. dizzy faintness. And then
When the quiet-vOiccd. gentleman
| nered nurse told her, three weeks after
| wards, that it had been hand-in-hand
struggle for life with her, Muriel was
bewilicrcd and amazed. and in the days
| that followed when remembrance and
realization asserted themselves, she
wondered why she had not been left to
| die.
Mr.. StrettOn never came to her room,
but unfailingly, each morning, sent his
message, and bouquet Ut rare flow
| erS.
And-as Muriel grew slowly back to
health, and Mr.. Stretton renewed his
resOlute attentions, there wore times
when her heart and courage failed her.
| and through weakness Of body and
| brain, she let herself drift along with
| the current that was too strong for her.
Until she was we'll enough to insist
| upon being taken to her own little I'M
homelike lodgings.
And then, one evening when Hubert
Strctton came and urged his suit in
passiOnful. resolute way. that somehow
terrified her, she-said him yes, for
very desperatiOn's sake, and agreed
that when he came q week later. she
would be ready TO go to him-only. he
must give her the whole week. and not
see her once.
He left her at ten o'clock in the eve
ming. and the instant the door closed
on him, she rushed TO her room and
lost not an instant in dragging her
clothes down from her wardrobe. and
hastily, frantically plunging them in
her trunks. her cheeks alternately pal
| ing and flushing under the excitement.
"Only a week-Only short week to
get AS far as can from him--where he
| can never, never find me! But-will
he not find me wherever 20? Am l
safe. 50 long rs tread the earth. from
q man so desperately persistent as hep''
BY daylight she was ready. and
while Hubert StrcttOn was drinking his
coffee lcisurely in dressing gown and
slippers. Muriel and her luggage were
ut the station waiting-n0t for the ex-
press due in three minutes, but for her
fate.
But-for Cyril Vernon. who stepped
out OF q carriage as the long train
steamed in, fair young girl on his
arms, with eyes like wood viOlets and
hair like spring sunshine.
He instantly saw Muriel. and walked
rapidly up TO her. his eyes alight. his
,nlsOme face flushed with delight.
"This is indeed o pleasant surprise.
Isa, this is my old friend OF whom you
have heart so much. Miss Fenton. my
very dignified and charming auntie-
Mrs. Vernon. nee Gordon"
And Muriel bowed, and took the fair
| creatures hand, and in the one look
she gave Cyril, he read the agony OF
fear and the awful mistake she had be-
lieved oil those months when he was
abroad, hourly thinking OF her, and
wondering. fearing why his letters
never, never were answered, until he
had heard, long before. from Mr.. Street
toms own lips that Muriel had gone to
Scotland to her fathers people.
| 1t was only the work of second to
| give young Mrs. Vernon in charge OF
the friends who had come to meet her,
| and to return to the train with Muriel,
and, as it rushed on, to hear all the
sad. pitiful story.
Shall ! tell you what I intend you
sha' 'O?''
II. aid it with a masterfulness and
passiL eteness that thrilled her to her
.'This shall he our wedding tour: my
darlingp" and he said it softly and
eagerly rs he looked in her passiOnful.
happy eyes. 1--WE will be married at
once, Murfel-a special license will
overcome all difiiculties--and we will
return in time for me to present my
bride to Hubert StrettOn when he comes
at the end of the week. DO you know,
though, sweet" and he bent his head
little nearer her, ''that, richly as he
deserves the fate in store for him, yet
feel sorry for the disappointment he
will sufferp"
And the look Muriel gave him from
her bonny eyes was enough TO make
his heart thrOb just as it did.
| A week laier-but Hubert Stretton
did not go to claim his bride, for Cyril
had previously sent him word or two
with q marked copy Of Muriers mar
riage notice. rlr.r
And so the tangled skeins were
smoOthed, and love reigned at last In
two fond hearts.
The London Telegraph. referring to
the late Robert A. Alexander. founder
OF the celebrated stock farm of Wood
burn in Kentucky, says: sit is we'll
known that the Alexander family Is
lineally descended from Lord Stirling,
j a,d n Il l,al;auod that n Mr. A I Al.