The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-08-24

host on the piazza; once. when the
latter was leaving him at the door of
his sleeping-rcom.
"Who is the young lady?" he asked,
with one of his own impulses.
"She's Miss Herndon-Miss Marion
Herndon. She's"
The man on the door-sill did not
finisi, for he within lad hastily set
the lamp on tie table and stood staring
at him with an expression which
eau ed him to retreat below with the
barely-repressed opinion that TIL young
man with the magazine might prove
very good boarder, but he was afraid
he was little "off.
"Marion Herndon :"
Midway between a gasp and an
ejaculation, Howard Ralph sank into
the chair beside the table and took out
his cigaret les.
1t was a coincidence, truly 1t was
not strange that he should smoke up
the most of them ere he could COM
pose himself to sleep.
X x X
A coincidence indeed? He began
to realize it in the morning. So far it
had been a dream. a tumble; he had
come almost to believe the very words
he heard a fancy of his own. But the
scrap he came in contact with while
dressing forced it down OF him truth.
A letter in his pocket ending thus:
"Your obstinacv in regfrl to this girl ex-
ceeds my comprehension. What possible
objection is there to your making her ac-
ouantance? Because she has money would
it be impossible for you to fall in love with
he if you see fit not, are you obliged to
marry her?
81 have no patience with you Howard. /
know if you once saw Marion Herndon you
wou'd fall in love with her; AMI l wanted
yGu t. have he opportunity to win charm
ing wife ant-. fortune, al at once. Put
yorr chances are over now: she goes to-mor-
row, for the second time. to that absurd
pace in the mountains to fin husband,
rerchan" re, in some farmer who does not
dream she has cent"
He re-read it with mixed emotions.
This, then. was the end of the long
war he had waged with his ambitious
sister, his persistent thwarting of her
schemes for the past two months. He,
because his honest soul despised such
speculation, had vowed. finally, never
to look into the face of Marion Hern-
den so long as he should live. He
could but smile as he realized how
fate had tricked him and helped Mrs.
Marbury Bell.
81 know if you once saw Marion
Herndon you would fall in love with
her."
His eyes met the words again to rest
there somehow he could not endure
now those other daring ones. still, if
ever there was a prophecies in the
nineteenth century, it was this same
Marbury Bell. He was beginning to
fell certain awe of his elder sister;
he came suddenly to delight even in
her presumption: he was on the point
of according her full forgiveness, yea,
thanks, for her persistent schem.ng,
when
A merry, ripping laugh foated up
from the porch below. AS though it
were the most natural of things, How
ard Ralph went out and down the
stairs. He was face to face with Mar
ion Herndon ere he realized his own
presumption. But she did not mind.
he saw. delightedly; she was frolicking
with the deg and she looked up with
a blush, yet with smil'.
"Good-morn ng." she aid, and then
-" saw you on the train yesterday,
but did not dream you were coming
here" she added, frankly. Whatever
attracted you to st. Philips ?" was the
question plainly written in her face
He could not be taken bit aback.
wa' not intend ng to stop at st.
Philips" he stammered, "but-but /
did" he finished simply.
And l think y, u d d very sensi-
bic thing" she answered, merrily; she
seemed really to enjoy his odd con
clusion. "You will surrey like st.
Philips if You do not mind the quiet
| think there is no place 81 charming
on the earth. But, then, have special
reasons for liking such" She paused
abruptly, as though remembering she
was taking to-a stranger.
Her reasons flashed on him; she
liked st. Philips because she was free
from throng of su,tors she must, at
best, suspe,t 4; becarse here she might
nav oiO IiOh VI tIdl
some man loved her even though he
were the long-ncsed farmer she could
, never marry. And then suddenly his
own pc ition dawned on him. She
had h ard of him, 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 tc
her. The rea ization was unendur
able he could barely control himself
to renew pc lite conversation. What
3 should he do? Go to his host and beg
2 him to conceal his name? Quite toe
r ridiculous. Go away now, escape this
Z terrible dtnouement at any cost? He
4 could not-he would not
Howard Ralph was quite beside him
Y self as he went in to breakfast. But
| fortune favored him.
t Mr.. Rolfe, think you said you
D =