Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-05-04

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"You miss me2 You really miss
me ?" he cried, delightodly.
"Oh, unspeahablyp said Mary Dun
lap; and there was no coqnetry in tho
confession,
And shall You miss mo il go
away forever? For I must. 1t is i'm
possible for me TO stay where you are"
"Go away forever |" 1t came over
her all at once that then the world
would be desert. She turned ashen.
But if he could go, she should not let
him know. Every WE'LL" she said
coolly. 81 want to ask you something
before you go. Did you really, as Tom
says, lend James Macarthur ten thou
sand dollars when he came near failing
last spring?"
Is that all p he said. "That was q
trihe, and it makes no difference now
that / have lost nearly all the rest"
I" You have lost your money with
a rush OF pity.
"a great deal of it. But that was
nothing; he would have done as much
for me-"
Humph 7" said Mary.
Mary, I thought you"
"Cared for James McArthur2 Per-
haps did once, just as you cared for
Aunt Sophy. II did, the fire burned
to ashes"
"And you will not marry him ?"
"Why, he never asked me-
1.-THE fool |"
"There is only one person in the
world l would marry, and he declined
ono day to marry me, said Mary, archly,
and with sudden courage. And then
she trembled like poplar leaf, and the
tears welled up.
Mary" said Mr.. Popison, gravely,
changing the current with his words,
I" | shall tell your father that you have
proposed to mo, and that have nc.
cepted you
So gay, so bright, so happy, so beau
tiful was Mary Dunlap that evening,
singing, dancing, tripping here and
there, that every one felt she had re-
turned from an absence, and James
Macarthur left Bessie Travers side to
follow her. But there was something
about her that put her just beyond him,
a fine separating atmosphere, diamond
glaze. "Why did you never tell me"
said he. "that Bessie Travers was en-.
gagedT'
"Was II any affair Of yoursT'
"I suppose" he said, bitterly, cit
would be no affair of mine il you mar
ried old Popison tomorrow"
"Have you made il "a? p she cried.
And looking at him she wondered why
she bad ever quivered before those bold
black eyes, that high color, that mighty
manner Of his, great gladness filing
her heart to think OF the noble breast
she had to lean on, tho rest and comfort
OF her protector. And as she went TO
sing for some ono the new air, Dark
was the dAy and dreary the night"
james Macarthur felt as IL the earth had
opened little under his feet, and the
song we're written far him.
Perhaps II was because she had defied
him 30 that he pursued her now awhile
TO soc what il meant; that he stopped
an hour next morning on his way down
town that he came in at nightfall with
q headache for her to brew him the cup
OF tea she used 10 make; that for weeks
he hung about her, With his old ardor
kindled by that still rem TO manner of
hers, and his old silence enforced by
doubt II the fruit were as ready to fall
into his hand as he had thought. the
doubt and the remoteness enhancing
her value so that 1t began to seem to
him there was not another woman in
the world and he forgot money and
ambition, feeling at last that she out
weighed everything ho had ever val
ued, and he was made only the more
earnest by her preoccupations.
MARY" he said one noon, coming in
on some preteGt, bending over her ten.
derly, his eyes glowing, his voice soft
ening, 81 am going away tonight.
When come back, will you hear some
thing I have to say to yolT'
"No, indeed" she said, laughing
"You have nothing to.say to me either
then or at any other time, and / shall
not be here myself perhaps"
81 should think" he said, ''you we're
going to promise yourself to some one
else, II did not believe-if I did not
know--that you loved me. Is that 80 2
Marry some one eIsel" he cried. "I
should rise from my grave to forbid the
hanna 80