The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-18

No6l NtN oAAN AOOASN 0P VIVA q NAhSAt ~
with smile.
Good morning" she said, and then-'I
saw you on the train yesterday, but did not
dream you were coming here" she added,
frankly. What ever attracted you to st.
Philips" was the question plainly written
i'll her face.
He could but be taken aback
II was not intending to stop at st. Phil
ip's," he stammered, "but-I did" he fin
ished, simply.
And L think you did a very sensible
thing" she answered, merrily; she seemed
really to enjoy his odd conclusion. You
will surely like ST. Philips, if you do not
mind the quiet. | think there is no place so
charming on the earth. But, then, L have
special reasons for liking such -" She
paused abruptly, as though remembering she
was talking to-a stranger
Her reasons flashed on him; she liked st.
Philips because she was free from throng
of suitors she must, at best suspect because
here she might have the satisfaction of know
ing that some man loved her even though
he were the long-nosed farmer she could
never marry. And then suddenly his own
position dawned on him. She had heard of
MIN, of course; Mrs. Marbury Bell would
never scheme all on one side. She would
hear his name-hear it this very morning,
and then -
What had attracted him to ST. Philips
would be quickly revealed to her. The re-
ailzation was uncomfortable; he could barely
control himself to renew polite conversation.
What should be. do? Go to his host and beg
him to conceal his name? Quite too ridicu
lous Go away now, escape the terrible de-
nouement at any cost? He could not-he
would not.
Howard Ralph was quite beside himself as
he went in to breakfast, But fortune favored
him.
"Mr. Rolfe, I think you said your name
WASP was the remark to which he wickedly
nodded acquiescence. So the bliss of the
days was spared him-the near happy days
wherein they lived and strolled together up
the mountains heights and through the
pretty valley. For it was early season; they
were the only boarders vet arrived, and
somehow it seemed the most natural of
things to both that she should show him all
the familiar hooks, the fairest bits OF st.
Philips.
A three days rapture, every hour in which
he grew madden in love with Marion Hern-
don, and some blissful moments il dawned to
him that she did not dislike him-that is
she did not dislike the strange Mr.. Rolfe who
might not dream she was an heiress This
thought was the one bitter drop always in
the cup, and the sole restraint on a passion
which, save for it, could not have lived three
days unex pressed.
So he was bordering when came that un-
expected mail from hampton. 1t CHANGED
she brought it to him.
'You are brother of Mrs Marbury Bell?"
she asked quietly as she banded him the let
tiers.
1t was all over; he read that plainly as he
looked up in her face. 1t was naught to him
that moment her frank look of disappoint-
ment, the bit of real trouble she scarcely
meant that he should see, seeing that they
were to be strangers for evermore. Howard
Ralph was to be nothing to her, whatever
had been Mr. Rolfel
Plain, so PLAIN, and yet he could not blame
her. 1t was his own fault; he should have
been frank with her at the outset; she might
have believed him then. But how have
been frank without Decentralization?
What to dor She certainly would not be-
lieve him now. however eloquent his expla-
nation; strong as his passion, he strangely
shrank from it, The one thing was to go
away, to relieve her of his annoying pres
ence, and, perhaps, future day would
come
He could not; be would not The fiat was
eternal he told himself, and yet-what to
do? The miserable days dragged slowly; he
scarcely dared speak to Marion Herndon, and
she barely spoke to him. He rambled alone
these days; even the dog deserted him for
her. II was an exasperating situation, and
yet he could do nothing but wander up the
mountains heights and through the pretty
valley, wondering if she cared.
Did she? No. Always the same answer,
incorporating, prompt. That look of
hers was but the pain born of a fresh decep-
ton unnatural, nor strange More than
ordinarily he was realizing this that morning
he strobe up St. Phillips's mountain, desper-
ate, scarce looking where he walked-on, on
absorbedly till
His foot struck empty air; vision of rocks.
a blaekness, and he lay senseless on the eli #
below in the mystery betwixt life and DEATH
till suddenly what he fancied an angels wing
brushed his forehead and the faint music of
a voice fell on his ear.
Can it be that he is dead-eh, mol 1t can
not be- it must not be- l will not have it sol
Oh, Nero, good dog, go ana fetch them; go
ana bring help to me. Do you not see can
not leave my darling here; the only man L
l ever liked"
The voice faltered; the speaker started with
little shamed, desparing cry for the man
beside her mad opened his eyes, and was gaz-
ing at her a bit dazed yet with a growing
look of rapture which told how we'll he
knew.
''MarionT'
She could not even hide her face, this poor
Marion Herndon; forlfainr. vet stunned, as he
was, he had started up and clasped her hands
in his.
"You must not call me Marion, she gasped,
despairingly, "and you must forget those
words said | cannot help that said them,
and-and am glad you are not hurt; but
1 do not care if you do love me now; YOU
know why you came to St Phillips; because
-beeause-you gave in at last to Mrs. Mar
bury Bell; you--"
But she was talking between his kisses
now; he had taken her in his arms and was
fondling her-ah! so tenderly, but deliber-
ately, as though it were the most positive of
things. And she. strange girl, permitting it,
even while she spoke.
do you know why came to st. Philip's?'
he interrupted her.
She did not answer. She was too ashamed
of her own happy self to say any more to
him. He held her closer, while he told her
what the reader has already gucssed-of the
sweet face that he saw in the car that day;
the face that held his eyes that long journey
through, that drew him. despite himself, out
of the car after the little girl that owned it,
Md To, Loo, l. LII.