Middletown transcript., 1883-04-06


! DR.. Matthews was neither, and h
| knew it.
" A beautiful young man is a well
: spring of delight he answered, affa
, bly,.
} He is more than that-he is hon
est ~ replied Miss Van Arsdale, calmly
"You wouldn't catch him making Low,
!, to his cousin for her money!
Perhaps she has none ~ he sug
gested.
There is something, (" she went on
loftily, ignoring the stones he was
throwing at her idol" there is some
thing in being loved for ones self alone
and he loved me from the very first-it
was at Morrison's picnic though
might have been a scrub-girl for all he
knew or cared"
You look so very like scrub.
girl, /" he remarked, after a slow invent,
ory of her slim muslin figure, with its
bunch of roses tucked in her belt and a
big single one in her knot Of golden-red
hair.
=" And to this day''-triumphantly-
che does not suspect that l have sin
gle penny"
Another inventory Of the big milky
pearls screwed in some heathenish fash
ion halfway up her ears, of the bangled
arms and jeweled fngers-Miss Van
| ArSdale was barbaric in her love for
shining things-and then DR.. Matthews
shrugged his shoulders and turned to-
wards the door.
81 don't wonder you love so noble a
creature" he said, lightly, though
there was panied look about his eyes,
if only Miss Van Arsdale could have
seen it. "He must be quite as green
and fresh as the vegetables Of his own
raisiDg.''
LoUe him - she exclaimed, in such
utter amazement that he turned to look
at her, and, having looked, crossed the
room till he came quite close to her
chair.
"You say that as if you hated him !;
and yet you mean to be his wife"
"Why not ?'' she asked, defantly.
He is a good man, and after being
deceived once"-Miss Van Arsdale hes
itated, lowered her eyes because she
could not face what she saw burning in
those others, and then brayely picked
up her words again-"I was so much
obliged to him for loving me for my
self, that am afraid 1 said Yes, and
Thank you,' too! l suppose"-un-
finchingly ought to be brave
enough to stay single and go in for suf-
frage, and wish now l could, because.
do you know, it makes me sick when 1
think of my future George and his do
nestle virtues absolutely i'll. !"
"Then you want doctor immedi
ately,'' said her cousin, making
praiseworthy effort to appear as disin-
tereSted as the occasion seemed to re-
quire. don't suppose you realize it,
Minerva, but you are showing yourself
up to be a very foolish sort of girl
worse than that, for you may break the
heart Of an honest man when he finds
out for himself your silly reason for
marrying him."
:" have tried to find some excuse for
myself -pathetically just like peo-
pie hunt up shelter in a storm-but l
can't find any. 1 did not use to mind
being foolish until poor dear pas good
ness showed me up in my wickedness.
Indeed, mean to be good wife, but |
just k''-darting to table (old Eng |
lish), opening with vicious haste an
album lying upon it, and thrusting it |
under his -"just look at that pict-
ure, and tell me if girl Of any taste
could be expected to adore the orig
inal ~
"George Miller y exclaimed DR..
Matthews.
"George Miller Y gasped Miss Van
Arsdale.
DR.. Matthews banged the album on
the old English table. Miss Van Ars-
dale sank bank in the japanese chair.
"Look here, Minerva" he went on,
in a quick excited voice, II am speak
ing to you as a cousin-mind that
your fathers sick, and there's
no one to help you out Of fix but me.
If that scoundrel said he knew nothing
of you, he lied. For heavens sake,
don't 60 on like that. He wanted me
to introduce him to you three years
ago, and 1 wouldn't. You believe me,
don't you p
els there no truth in the world,
then p she asked, lifting her head pres
emily in wistful sort Of way.
You don't mean to pin your faith
to cad like that ?'' he said, in fine
ulSgIiSl. L lO hOlIu 10 1ulI VI ulCIl
who would love you without caring a
continental for your bank account.
You did not, . she said, simply.
$50 your friend said"
Amanda Jones my friend The
mean. deeeitful - And I don't care
if you spend every cent I've got in the
world, john"
Minerva, . remarked DR.. Matthews,
severely, "perhaps it would be proper
in you to wait till ask for it,
She had not long to wait. By the
time Society came home she had mar
ried her rather oldish cousin, and was
painting him very green plaque with
some very red art on it by way of CRATE
full thanks.
And when, at last, Society found out
the cause of Mr.. Van Arsdale's illness,
it loudly asserted that it always knelO
Minerva Van Arsdale would ruin her
father sooner or later with her foolish