Iron County register., 1882-04-13

come back. I've never in all NV life
been ten miles from Penruth, but I've
read about places"
.Do you care for reading, thenP'
ssI used to when l was girl; our
parsons wife had me great deal with
her, and lent me books, and VIII was fond
of reading in winter evenings. !" There
was silence, and then Mary said, quite
calmly. ssWil was the man was TO
marry. Hes dead.n%~S - =
sYou talk of when you were GIRL"
Vincent said, dashing into words to save
himself from some embarrassment =
"you are young enough now."
Turned two-and-tyenty. l don't
feel young"
"You've gone through a great DEAL
he said, in a low voice, tender with
sympathy. .s..- .F..e
prised gratitude; she was entirely un-
used to such sympathy, and it moved
her deeply. Her composure left her and
her under lip trembled.
ssOh? have, 1 haveH' she said, in a
voice deepened by her emotion. &C How
kindly you speak to me; who told you
about it p''~ ..I..
Your. mother and others, and your
self-I saw you before"
She blushed deeply. 'Where?''r
.Down in the little cove there, under
that cliff. I saw in your face that you
had suffered" VE5"TFfrl n ff
E She turned away her head, and put
one hand over her eyes. 81 didn't
know" she said, just above her breath.
81 never saw you. Don't talk OF it
now.n
sSit down here by me on this rock,
Mary Trevarroch, and listen to me for a
minute. I want to talk about myself,
and you are to be so kind as to attend
and try not to think it a bore" - K
Mary's straight, black brows contract
ed little with q somewhat uneasy and
puzzled expression. ss 1t won't bother
me, sir" she said, in slightly confused
tone, ss but can't see what it can have
to do with me.'' ... uts 5u .-
ssIt has only to do with two people,
and you are one of the two. The other
is man who sets up to be an artist, but
who has never and will never make a
great thing of art; a man of over forty,
who is getting gray, and who never had
any good looks at the best, who is not
up to anything very particularly. but is
not bad fellow to live with. He came
down into Cornwall last month in an
aimless sort of way, drifting about like
yonder seaweed, and while he was there,
one day he saw-what believe he had
been looking for all his life-a girl, who
got possession of him, heart and soul.
She is very beautiful, very, very beauti-
full. But that isn't all-that isn't half.
She is perfectly unconscious of herself,
which adds a glorious nobility to her
beauty. She is simple, and frank, and
true. / know she is; [ see it in her
eyes. She has a pure soul and noble
heart. Mary, what has she to say to the
poor fellow who loves her? Mary, my
beautiful darling, look in my face and
say!" -
a pale, cold, changed face was slowly
turned to him, and her voice said, in low
and trembling tones:
"I don't rightly understand you, sir.
I'm only an ignorant girl, and l sup
pose you are speaking out of joke.'
s'You dare think nothing of the sort,'
Vincent returned, passionately; a sud
den touch that was almost like fierce
ness totally transforming his good-tem-
pered face for the moment. t'What
right have you to insult me by such
supposition? Dare one jest when ones
life is at stake?" - t-s.t
"You want me to marry you?'' Mary
said, slowly, and with a sudden cold
apathy of tone. The badness of the
words struck upon him, in the glow and
romance of his feelings, painfully and
jarringly. GE. - +.+
60 Yes, want you to marry me-" he
rather bitterly, s'if that is the
way you put it. want you to know
that love you-love you passionately,
Mary Trevarroch." ---.s.- .-.-..
"Mr. Randall" she said, with her
eyes still on his, and sudden color
coming into her pale face, "I'd like you
to understand me. I loved Will PEN
. "A
eyes, know,' he said, sadly, look
ing down at the sand at his feet.
cay, but that's not all. love him
now, though he is-dead-somewhere
out there" and she stretched her arm
out toward the sea. 81 never have
cared for any one else, and l never can.
When he went down L said good-by to
everything that makes a
girl like her life. I've been sick of
mine nigh upon two years, but I've
on someway. It's very good
of you to speak like this to a poor ignor-
ant girl like me, but it'll be the best for
you to 60 away and forget me quickly.
Go away from Penruth and find some
lady to love you.' Then the tone which
had been almost harsh changed to gen.
tleness; she took his hand and kissed it.
s'God bless you! YOU'RE good, good
man. 1 wish was a lady and free, and
I'd love you, and try to make you hap
py. Idon't want to lose the memory"
She cried, with vehement emphasis. 81
love it better than anything. It's the |
best of me. 1 can't part with all have !
left of the time was happy. Oh, Twas
happy, though | was poor and ignorant
as I am now; there was all the differ
ence-alI the difference" AS she spoke
she broke into passionate crying, and
before he could answer her she was on
her feet and turning her face in the, G-
rection of the land. He did not attempt
to follow her; dreary sense of the
hopelessness of the moment, something
almost like dread of the determined re- |