The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-10-24

| "You had spoken to me about her, -
said Mr.. Whi.tlestaff
mo doubt I had. When found
| that you had given her home, and / I'D
made yourself. as it were. father to
| her"
81 had not made myself her father.
nor yet her mother. ! had loved her,
as you profess to do"
"My profession is at any rate true.'
81 dare say. You may or you
mayn't; I at, any ratio know nothing
| about it"
why otherwise should have come
home and left my business in South
Africa? think you may take it for
granted that love her."
:" 1 don't care twopence whether you
do or DON'T said Mr.. Whittlestaff.
'.It's nothing to me whom you love. l
should have been inclined to say at first
sight that a man cropping in the dirt for
diamonds wouldn't love any one. And
even if you did. though you might break
your heart and die. it would be nothing
to me. Had you done SO, should not
have heard of you, nor should l have
wished to hear of YOU"
There was an incivility in all this OF
which John Gordon felt that he was
obliged to take some notice. Theirs
was a want of courtesy in the man s
manner rather than his words, which
he could not quite pass by. although he
| was most anxious to do SO. 81 dare say
not" said he; "but here am, and here
also is Miss Lawrie. l had said what !
! had to say down at Alresford, and of
course it is for YOU now to decide what
is to be done. l have never supposed
that you would care personally for me. "
"You needn't be so conceited about
/, yourself"
II don't know that am" said Cor
don. except that man can not but be
little conceited who has won the love
of Mary Lawrie."
"You think it impossible that should
have done so."
Eat any rate did it before you had
seen her. Though l may be conceited.
l am not more conceited for myself
than you are for yourself. Had l not
known her, you would probably have
engaged her affections. / had known
her, and you are aware of the result.
But it is for you to decide. Miss
Lawrie thinks that she owes you debt
which she is bound to pay ii you exact
| it.''
Exact itr' exclaimed Mr.. Whittle-
staff. There is no question of exact
ingm John Gordon shrugged his
shoulders. 81 say there Is no question
of exacting. The words should not
have been used. She has my full per-
mission to choose as she may think fit,
and she knows that she has it. What
right have you TO speak to me of exact
ing?"
Mr.. Whittlestaff had now talked him.
self into such passion, and was ap-
parently SO angry at the word which his
companion had used, that John Gordon
began to doubt whether he did in truth
know the purpose for which the man
had come to London. Could it be that
he had made the Journey merely with
the object of asserting that he had the
power of making the girl his wife. and
of proving his power by marrying her?
"What is that you wish, Mir. Whittle
staff?' he asked.
"Wish! What business have you to
ask after my wishes. But you know
what my wishes are very well. 1 will
not pretend to keep them in the dark.
| She came to my house, and l soon
learned to desire that she should be my
wife. If know what love is, do love
her still. She is all the world to me.
have no diamonds to care for; l have nc
rich mines to occupy my heart; l am
not eager in the pursuit of wealth.
| have lived melancholy, lonely life til
, this young woman had come to my
table-tiu 1 had felt her sweet hand
upon mine--till she had lowered around
me, covering everything with brigh
sunshine. Then l asked her to be my
wife, and she told me of you"
''She told you of me!"
Eyes; that she. would think of 70,
always. But she did not say that sh,
| would always love you. And in tn,
same breath she promised to be m,
wife. was contented-and yet no
quite contenteG. Why should she thinl
of you always? But believed that il
would not be so. ! thought that if
were good to her 1 should overcome
her. 1 knew that should be better II
her than you would be"
"Why should not be good to her?'
There is an old saying OF young
mans slave and an old mans darling
She would at any rate have been m,
darling. 1t might be that she would
have been your slave"
"My fellow workman in all things
"You think so now; but the man al
ways becomes the master. If yor
grove!ed in the earth for diamonds, sht
would have TO look for them among The
mud and slime
Il have never dreamed of taking he
to the diamond fields"
at would have been so in all othel
pursuits.
'.She would have had none that shs
had not chosen" said John Gordon.
..How am to know that? How an
l to rest assured that the world woulC
be smootn to her ii she were your Great
ure? l am not assured-I do moi
know"
.'Who can tell, as you say? Can
promise her sue ession of JOYS if sht
be my wife? She is not one who will b.
likely to look for such life as that
She will know that she must take the
rough and smooth together
There would have been no rough
with me-" said Mr.. Whittlestaff
81 do not believe in such life," sale
John Gordon. "A woman should not
wear stuff gown always; but the sill
finery and the stuff gown should follow
each other. To my taste, the more
there may be OF the stuff gown and thu
less of the tinery, the more it will be te
my wishes"
Il am not speaking of her gown. II
is not of such things as those that l an