Daily Republican., 1883-06-28
A NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.


BY MRS. CHARLOTTE M. sTANLEY.NcKENNA,
eff only you were poor--if one of us
had any money, and means, / would
say yes, dear Herbert, and fight the
fight of life with you bravely. But, as
it is, what hopes have we? l should
but drag you down p
$50 you refuse me -" The man s
voice was harsh and bitter. You
think the speculation would be a losing
one. Truly, old Mr.. Miller would be a
better match he has money, and, as
the saying is, one foot in the grave
You might soon be q rich young wild
ow. So much for woman's love and
disinterestedness | thought better of
you, Miriam Grey, but lam mistaken
that is all -
His hand was on the door, when her
voice stopped him.
"You are indeed mistaken cruelty,
Herbert-it was of you l thought not
of myself. ! don't know what you
mean about Mr. Miller. But just con-
slider our circumstances. You are a
tutor I, a poor governess we have
nothing but what we earn. How could
you support the expansive"
He interrupted, still more angrily:
"That is for my consideration, l
think. am not a man to take respon-
sibilities upon me which am unable
to fulfil. You have refused me-all is
at an end between u.s. But, if l had
chosen to buy with money what love
alone should win, you would surely
have been mine. For your information,
learn that my rich uncle of whom you
have sometimes heard me speak, died
in California two weeks ago, and has
made NE his heir. did not ask you
to be my wife until my future was as
sured, you see. But all is over now.
A C ;rrse upon false hearts, that meas
ure love against gold Goodbye, for
ever -
Again his hand was on the door, and
again she stopped him. She loved this
man as her life to part from him at all
was hard enough, but to part from him
in anger was uncomfortable.
"You have misunderstood me-" she
said, striving for self-control. " Your
wealth, now, is greater barrier than
was poverty,"-here her emotion chok-
ed her, she paused a moment and then
went on again. "We have known each
other all our lives, Herbert, and have
been always friends oh, don't let q
sudden misapprehension change it all !!
Can we not still be friends ?"
"No, false heart Friendship be-
tween you and me would mean a re-
newal of the wiles and arts by which
you so long have led me on, and taught
me to believe you loved me l might
woo again, and be accepted, perhaps
now | am no hypocrite. There is
no friendship where there is no esteem.
You and are strangers henceforth, and
forever p
So they parted. Driven asunder by a
Observation-Disclosures assund er,
through long years, by circumstances
and by pride.
81 never married, because the one
only man whom ever loved misunder-
stood and left me-" Miriam Grey said
to her friend, Mrs. Roberts, a wealthy
widow with whom she was visiting
some three years later. We were
poor IN those days, very poor and 1
had seen. in my own family, the evils of
grinding poverty. 1t was for his sake,
for love of him, | refused to follow the
dictates of both our hearts and marry
without means. He thought me mer-
Oh, Heaven, how can man
the woman who loves
him 50 Wealth had come to him, un-
known to me, hut it made only an addi-
tional barrier now. Independence
came to me, too, at last, but too late.
But I, being "a woman-oh, the differ
ence, Rose! shall carry my love and sor-
row to the grave. shall live and die
single for his sake-no other man will
ever replace my old, most unjust lover,
Herbert Staines.
"Herbert Staines!" :" repeated Mrs.
in surprise. els it for him
that you wear the willow? He is no
rich any longer, dear Mirry; he is one
of those whose fortunes were swept
away by the recent great bank failures.
don't know which particular bank
has ruined him, but the papers said he
was ruined
Miriam was standing before her, pale,
wi h clasped, imploring hands and tear
full eyes.
$50 with me to him, Rose. My
darling my darling! He is in trouble,
and can help him. His losses may re-
unite us even yet, for-oh Rose, I have
loved him always"
An hour later one of those strange
surprises that come upon us suddenly
sometimes in life, overwhelmed Herbert
Sraines. The woman whom he had
loved and lost so long ago, but never
ceased to regret and mourn for, was
shown, almost unannounced, into his
private office.
"Herbert p
Miriam Great Heaven y
That exclamation of surprise and
was wrung from him, and
then he had almost mechanically taken
her outstretched hands and led her to
chair.
But she was highly excited, and..set
all formality aside; before he was pre-
pared for her she had slipped from the
chair and sank upon her knees before
him.
"In the name of our old friendship
our old love--as some atonement for the
grief | have borne through all these