New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-06-22


course they will send to look for us at
once. Will you take my enforced COM
panionship for little longerp'
'You are sure they will find us before
night?"
'.Sure? Of course, am quito sure.''
But even rs lie thus cheered her he
felt how feeble was his hope. They
might discover their boat, drifting at
sea; they would suppose them to have
been oyertaken by the storm; they
might search for them along the shore,
but the sea ran very high, and to send
a boat to the Gull Rock would, perhaps,
never enter their minds.
The afternoon hours dragged on; the
sun sank in blaze OF glory; the even
ing shadows dcepcncd to darkness.
Vera shivercd.
care you cold? Are you hungry?"
Sir George asked.
..Not very,'' she answered. ''Poor
Mrs. Calverton! she will be SO anxious
about me-"
"And in tho midst of your own dis
comforts you can remember hers. What
an unselfish child it is! But you are
shivering, you arc cold. Oh, how help
less / am to aid you! 1t will be al all
nights stay, after all, l am afraid. II
you will lie down in our newly-discov-
ercd cave. I will keep watch here at the
entrance"
She crept in as he suggested, but
sleep refused to come at her bidding.
Tired, and cold, and hungry, the long
hours of the night seemed interminable,
and it was a very pale, wan face the
daylight showed.
''Poor little girl!'' exclaimed Sir
George, in answer to her good
II owe you some amends for this. Vera,
what can offer you, dear? Mypoor
miserable self? That is asking you to
make double sacrifice. But could you
make it, darling? Would you, for loves
own sake?''
'You-you don't mean itr' Vera re-
piled. ''You are sorry for me now,
and you have forgotten that you are
rich and q man of the world, and I
only
''Hush, darling. I ask you to be rich
but in one thing, and that in q wealth
of love for such worthless fellow, who
has begun to show what care he can
take of you by leading you into such
scrape. Vera, I don't deserve such
happy fortune, but will you come?'
and he opened wide his arms.
Then she forgot her hunger and the
cold as she let him clasp her close
against his heart.
Just then loud halloo startled them.
A boat was seen dancing on the waves.
1t was the long-lookcd for succor.
Mrs. Maskclayne and her daughters
were just coming from late breakfast
as Sir George and Vera entered the
hotel. Mrs. Calverton, with tears in
her bright eyes, sprang forward to en-
brace her little friend, but with
decided shrug of disapproval. Mrs.
Maskclayne passed on.
That afternoon Vera was lying upon
the sofa in Mrs. Calverton's sitting room,
by the window opening on the balcony,
when she heard some one utter her
name.
'.He actually told his aunt, mamma,
that she must be prepared to lose Miss
Rivers in the autumn, for she had
promised to be his wife,
''Of course! What else could he do?
Poor fellow! am sorry for him. Only
yesterday he announced to me his
tors; but with such intriguing designs,
how could he escape them? He felt he
had seriously compromised the girl, and
the only PREPARATION was an immediate
offer of marriage. But for my part
shouldn't ut I'LL wonder if she had set
the boat adrift hcrself.'
Vera hid her burning face in her
hands.
How dreadful it all was, yet how nat
ural! Sir George did not love her, then.
He had offered her his hand through
chivalric pity, and shc-she had ac-
cepted it, But it was not yet too late
to retrieve her error. Though her heart
broke, she would ut once release him
from his forced bondage.
Hurriedly rising, she wrote a few
blurred lines, which she addressed to
him; then. laying her head upon the
table, sobbed out some of her hearts
bitterness.
It was quito dark in the room, when
the door softly opened, and Mrs. Cal
verton's voice spoke her name. She
quickly raised her head.
II have great favor to ask of yOu,"
she said. II want you to let me 60 at
once-to-night. have written this note
to Sir George, breaking off my engage
ment with him. Give it to him when
am gone-he will understands
"But he will not understand! Vera,
what docs all this mean?''
Mrs. Ca(verton wisely slipped, un-
perceived, from the room, while he who
entered with her crossed to Vera's side.
She proudly drew herself to her full
height.
| ''You addressed me this morning, Sir
George, with a motive most honorable,
but l did not quite realise that it was
honor ut the sacraiice of heart. Yester-
day you had determined never to mar
~. To-day, because my name, through
q series of unfortunate circumstances,
has been made the target for malicious
remark, you feel that you must offer me
the only PREPARATION in your power. +
l believed that you loved me, but know
ing now that I mistook pity for love,
honor for heart, give you back your
freedom, and ask you to let me hide my
humiliation in forgetfulncss.'
''Vera, am l mad, or are you? Ex-
plain yourself
She told him then what she had
heard, but ere she had finished, spite
Of her resistance. he folded her tight in
his arms.
my darling,' he whispered; "did l
come SO near losing you through a
wicked, designing old woman? Do you
know what have learned in the past
twenty -four hours? That could not live
| my life without you. I love you with
the one strong earnest love of my man
hood. sought you for that loves sake
only. I will give you up but for one
reason, and that, that my love is not
returned. Look me in the eyes dear;
say, George, do not love your and
will go away out of your life, and
trouble you no more. Dare you speak
these w0rds?''
But in the darkness only silence
answered him, as he bent his head and
kissed her on the red, fragrant lips.
So, after all, they steered their life