The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-05-04
CHAPTER Xxx.
is THE PROBLEM SOLyED2


cit is her own free, unprompted re-
quest, and l certainly think you have
no alternative but to comply with it."
That is your way of putting it, but
she must have been influenced by what
you said, or she would never have
thought of sending such pressing mes
sage to me, after what occurred only the
other day, and knowing that l must be
aware of her engagement.
q can say nothing on that head 1
have brought the message simply be-
cause / wish to serve two friends"
Il ann obliged to you for all the kind
ness you intended; but 1 should have
been more grateful, Arkwood, if you
had not meddled so much in my "ffairs "
For the next week give you license
to be as disagreeable to me as you may
find relief in being. / am not going to
be hurt by anything you may say in
your present humor. l knew that the
idea of being called to her would startle
Won, and know that as soon as YOU
have cooled down you will own that l
have acted the part of a friend-and a
most thankless part that often is, as you
are teaching me-"
Il can not help feeling that it would
have been best for all parties if you had
left things alone"
May be; but if / have been med
ding, as you call it,it has been because
the ordinary expressions of friendship
have assumed that form. There was
nothing obtrusive in my accompanying
Colonel Cuthbert and his daughter
home after O'Bryan had been acquitted
for you know my acquaintance with
them has not been interrupted. There
was nothing unusual in the fact that
the conversation should turn upon the
scrape her old companion had got into,
or in my telling how much interest you
had taken in the CASE
.-But it was not necessary to 90 on
to tell her about my efforts to discover
Lucy-it was not necessary to show
what an absolute fool / am"
II don't know that such was the re-
suit of my conversation; and at any
rate you need not be afraid that 1 was
sentimental or that she is likely to be
so. She simply says there is an explana-
ton due to yOu-that it can only be
properly made by her own lips, and
that, fearing that she may lose
strength or courage to make it if there
is delay, she begs you will grant her
the favor to come back with me; and /
say: Come alongr'
but what is the good of it?"
How can tell? She seemed to me
to be much disturbed and 1 promised
that you should grant the favor she
asked And SO, again say: Come
along. There is nothing very dreadful
in a few minutes interview with
pretty woman, even if you. have once
protested to be desperately in love with
her,"
"Professed! echoed Maurice, bitter
ly, II wish it had been only that"
lit is my opinion she would cordially
reciprocate that.wish.''
Very well, i shall GO; but 1 hope
there viii be no Mysteries or nonsense.
L 60 simply because ] do not wish to
think hereafter that / wilfully did any
thing to give her pain
His face became hard and dark; his
movements quick and decisive.
There is no yielding on his side,
whatever there may be on hers"
thought Arkwood, as he watched his
friends gloomy countenance.
On the way to Kensington, Maurice
was silent; he felt very cold. He was
going to see her again, and, instead of
the pulse bounding with joy, he had the
sensation of being numbed from head to
foot.
No good could come of this meeting;
it was only another tug at his heart
strings; surely this times they would
break. He did not see what she could
possibly have to say to him, unless Ark
wood in his mistaken kindness had
persuaded her-or suggested-thet she
might still have the power to rouse him