Little Falls transcript., 1883-09-28
WONDERFUL i DISCOVERY.

WUNUEkf'tJtl DlStIO VERY.
Such . wedding. No brio idesmasds, no
music, no breakfast or reception! i declare
| should not Ieel as il I had been married.
exclaimed Marion Wllloughby. throwing
own elegantly -appOinted Drawing and
drawing oH tue delicately tinted gloves
which served as q finish Is the exquisite
Partisan toilet .S.z n .s8S5 81.
There was only one other occupant Of
the room, man, tall and handsome, stand
ing with one hand resting lightly on the
back OF her chair. She did not glance up
as she spoke, or note that Chester Thor
ley's face had lost its color. 81. I, Z n #ss
| You are speaking of Miss Maryine's
wedding?" he said. There is one essen
tlal to most marriages you have not enum-
Grated in your list Of things lacking. Was
love wanting, too?" - T.. sHl....- s.s
"Oa, no! l believe she loves him. She
certainly must do so to an almost absurd
extent: They are to go to Housekeeping in
ANAL flat in an unfashionable locality up
town, where he must be away from early
morning until quite o'clock. He occupies
some salaried position-clerk in bank, I
belleve-and she a girl who might have
married anybody"
~AO.Aoo' AhOOA Ocss5Ih106 AO IAdL, NAdAAOA,
came the firm, quiet answer. Even
clerkship is not always to be found, aud I
would rather break stones in the street
than live on money acquired dishonesty or
doted out Of charity, though in such case
would ask no woman to share my lot. =
This looks like breaking stones, does il
not?" she laughingly answered, letting ner
own jeweled fingers close over the mans
| hand where it rested-a hand whose shape
betokened it's aristocracy, and which was
| white and soft as woman's.
At Ler light touch his strong frame
quivered. He bent and let his lips rest an
| instant caressingly on her hair, for the girl
| beside hin was his aft need wife.
1T could break stouss though, dear; and
don't know but that it would make Of me
better man. Suppose lost my money,
Marion? Suppose it were all swept away
| from me- in On hour, and / had position
| offered me- a position which would enable
me to live but very humbly, very much as
your friend is gong to hve-tell nae what
! you would do?"
"You are only talking to try me, Chester,
place, it is entirely oat of reason; for even
were it so, papa. you know, is very rich.
and our home could always be with him."
Il have said to you, NJ .rion, that would
rather starve than eat the bread of charity.
Therefore, putting this possibility aside
tell me still what you would do.
Her fingers relapsed their grasp upon his
hand. Was there significance in.the action?
He smiled bitterly as he saw it. His face
was very pale now. Except that he still
atood behind her chair she must have no.
ticed it.
"You are utterly absurd this afternoon.
Chester" she replied, petulantly. Have
not just told you that Edith Marvine's
| wedding was more like funeral than q
wedding, and though presume shall one
day have to attend my own funeral, it will
| not, I assure you, be as voluntary agent.
Have you nothing moro agreeable you can
find to say to me?"
! The man shook off certain something
which seemed to envelop him in an almost
invisible cloud, and he answered with the
| old, courteous grace which suited him so
we'll and had made his power with women
almost proverb.
| Money always seemed to belong to him
by an inherent right. 1t was so natural
that he should be rich. No one could have
imagined Chester Thorley poor. He knew
80 we'll how to expend his wealth. He
! gave it SO generously, yet without osten-
| tation, that no man envied him it.
Yet he knew half hour later, when he
left his farewell kiss on Marion Willough-
! by's beautiful lips, that il was farewell to all
his hopes and happiness.
The blow had already fallen. He was a
ruined man, with scarce 4 dollar he could
call his own-he who had had no wish un-
gratihed money might procure in all his
| through no fault Of his own, though there
was feeble comfort in that There was
comfort, however, i'm the knowledge that
he owed no man. and that he might start
| afresh in the world with no burden on his
broad shoulders or his conscience.
True, there was deep wound in his
heart. He had loved Marion so we'll that
to give her up was to voluntarily renounoe
J Gods sunlight. But all her life had been
spent amid luxury. Il was to her neces-
| sity. Deprived Of it, she would fade and
droop; and better any lot than to watch her
struggle, and know that he had brought it
upon her.
! Besides, she had made her choice. To
her wedding meant flowers, music, friends,
tho toilet of the bride. The future, the
communion of two hoarts, the solemn re-
sponsibilities incurred We're but secondary
considerations.
4Good-by, my darling!" he said, as they
parted; but when she added, "Until to-
morrow" he answered neither yea nor nay.
Tomorrow" the world Knew that Ches-
ter Thorley's ship had gone upon the rocks.
! Many of his business associats would have
held out to him 8 helping hand, but firmly
and kindly he refused every offer.
| He wrote Marion few lines, recalling to
her mind ,ne conversation of the day be-
fore, and releasing her fro" her VOWS tS
him.
"If any good fortune comes to me-" he
concluded; "you shall hear,of is. If am
silent, you may know it is because my life
is wrapped in silence and shadow. Bless
| you, darling, for the light you have cast up
on it! 1t will be like looking into heaven. |
dare not see you again. tested my strength
to it's full yesterday. God grant that some
better man than may win you. TO love
you better is not within his power. Nor
must you think I blame you that you shrank
from sharing the pew life upon which en-
ter. Flowers cannot live without sunlight.
Even as spoke knew your answer.
only wanted to be sure that made no mis-
take in Interpreting the best course for your
happiness.
And then, with few more warm, pas
sionately, living words of farewell, the let
| ter closed. VI .3'. '.....
| Two years PASSED. and the little world
which had known Chester Thorley so we'll,
knew him no more. He had entirely dis
appeared. It we're as though the sea had
opened and swallowed him up.
| Marion Willoughby was Marion Willough-
by still. If she suffered, she made no sign
but those who had seen the one sparkling
stone, which had been the pledge of her
| engagement to Chester Thorley, noticed
that she wore it still, and theirs, yet more
marrow watchers observed that always, when
| she entered a crowded room, she would take
d hasty glance about, as though expe citing
/ to find some one not there.
| She was yet but twenty two, a belle and
I q beauty still. The third winter of his ab-
sense she went West to spend several weeks
with an aunt.