The Magnolia gazette., 1883-03-29

] y 0lNc
such q strong liking FOR her without re-
garding her with much deeper feelings
than those of friendship
Il knew you would take the usual
view OF the case. She is handsome and
an heires+ am poor. but eligible in
some respects, and the efore want to
marry herr tell you no such thought
has ever entered my mind. NV feel
ings ior her are those Of poor man
who falls in love with a painting which
he never dreams OF possessing. Why /
crave to be near her is because she is the
living portrait Of one who still holds
my heart. -
4 "Do you mean Lucy Smith%'
= Yes; all the time | am with Miss
4 Cuthbert it is Lucy / am thinking
a out; il is Lucy's hand which seems
70 touch mine; and that alone gives her
/ the power OF fascination she possesse =
/ over me, and at the same time banishe,
/ every thought of any other relation shin
/ than that OF friend
1T seems to me that you are play
+ ing the part OF a sort of modern Pyg-
/ malion, only you have found your q Al
atea ready-inade. OF good flesh and
bone. and do not see how YOU can
avoid transferring your affections from
the absent one to her very substantial
/ present shadow
The two are very distinct in nv
own mind when | am not beside Miss
Cuthbert; but when / am beside her I
+ can only distinguish Lucy, and vet |
am somehow aware who it is am ad-
dressing, 20 as to observe the necess
iormalities. Can you solve the prob
lem2
No, it is much too hard nut for
me 10 crack, said Arkwood, smiling
quietly; land | see it is not a case in
which YOU require my assistance. You
will lind he ans ser yourself BY mar
rying her some day
Impossible was the decisive re-
sponse
Nothing of the kind. You can not
60 on loving shadow in such very
pretty and substantial form as Miss
tuthhert more especially if she hap
pens to think about you at an
There is no danger Of that said
Maurice. Struggling his shoulders; "for
have never felt myself so awkward in
any one presence as in hers, and
know what very poor figure ! must
cut in her ewes under such circum.
stances. But do not wish to be other
wise. y
Exactly" and Mr.. Arkwood en-
phasized each syllable. looking at
Maurice the while with curious
twinkle in eyes. "Youdo not wish
i to be otherwise, and yet you have
thought about it, or else you could not
know that you did not wish / /. The
SYMPTOMS are very marked indeed"
You are mistaken, Arllwood: ! am
not deceiying myself in this matter, and
when | become aware OF any change in
my feelings | shall certainly cease to
visit Hollyford." :"
And what might she think Of
that?n
"She! II never occurred to me
that she would think about it at all.
Probably She would be glad enough
to have seen the last of tiresome vis-
itor y
"But she does not think YOU tire
some; in fact. she is rather Interested
in YOU and | know it, 70. sh, told me
so herself"
"1he interest can be nothing more
than that which she might take in
any one who was intimate with her
father
Something more than that, | am
certain. Understand. / don't say she
in love with you; only that she is inter-
ested in you. She knew that you and
were a good deal together, and beso ore
suspected that she had any special
place in your thoughts, the act that she
took every opportunity OF questioning
me about you set me a.thinking. She
did il very cleverly, and without the
least shade OF mere inquisitiYe iess.
ANY one vino had a kindly regard for
YOU might have asked the same ques
tons, and would have re eived the same
answers; but any one would not have )
persistently turned the conversation up.
on the SAME subject | am not am
bilious TO shine as q talker, especially
with women but | can not say that felt
iiattered when | discovered that the
only way 10 obtain her attention was to
talk about you. My word for il. Won
have only to go in and con luer There
did not mean to say this to YOU but
nonsense begets nonsense, and SO YOU
have made me commit what might al
most be called a breach OF confidence.
On my soul, you look so gloom ust
now, that ! wonder such bright, clear
sighted creature as she is would
bother her head for moment about
such a morbid, slow-wittei fellow rs
you are"
Maurice got up and paced the floor
with dull expression on his face and
an inward look in his eyes. Presently
he halted before Arkwood, who sat
silently smoking and watching him
"H felt sure that Your conviction
WAS correct | should fpel SatisGnd that
you had said enough to make me find
reasons for an immediate journey to
Jericho that being the mbo to which
trouble ONE people are usually con-
signed. But the trip will not be neces-
sary. for know the lady has too much
sense TO care about me or TO misunder-
stand me. And cannot love her"
Prove it then" said Arkwood.
I'm any way you please.n
1.-The test is an easy one. We shall
ha tnnea ba, all 10