Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-10-16
CHAPTER XIV.

Mr. wHITTT.ESTAFF is GOING OUT TO DINNER.
THERE'S an invitation come asking
us to dine ut Little Arlesford to-day"
This was said soon after breakfast by
Mr.. Whittlestaif to Mary Lawrie. on
the dav after Mr.. Gordon's coming.
Il hin we Hsgo.n
Gould rounotleave me behind?'
Ely no meaps. / want you 10 become
intimate with tie girls. who are good
but Mr.. Gordon is there"
Exactly. That is Just what / want
It viii be better that you and he should
meet each other. without the necessity
of making scene" From this it may
be understood that MIR. Whittlestaff had
explained to Mary as much as he had
thougfIf necessary of what had occurred
between him and John Gordon, and that
Mary answers had been satisfactory
to his feelings. Mary had told him that
she was contented with her lot in life,
as Mr. Nhittlestaff had proposed it for
her. She had not been enthusiastic !;
but then he had not expected It. She
had not assured him that she would
forget John Gordon. He had not asked
her. She Lad simply said that if he
We're satisfied-so was she. 81 think
that with me, dearest, at any rate. you
will be safe Il am quite sure that |
shall be safe" she had answered. And
that had been sufficient
But the reader viii also understand
frml this that he had sought tor no an
8 slVer TO those burning questions which
John Gordon had put to him. Had she
loved John Gordon the longest? did
she love hixn the best? There was no
doubt q certain scautious selfishness in
the way IN (Which he had gone to work.
And vet Of General selfishness it was
impossible to accuse him. He was will
ing to give her everything to do all for
her. And he had first asked her to be
his wife. with every observance. And
then he could. always protect himself ON
I TIE plea tha5 he was doing the best he
could for her His property was as
ssured-in the three per cents, as Mrs.
Baggetts had suggested; whereas John
sGordon's was all in diamonds. How
frequently do diamonds melt and come
TO Hethings They are things which a
ansean cars in his pocket, and lose
or gf-e away. They can not-so
Thought Mr.. Whittlestaf-be- settled in
4 the hands CT trustees, or left to the
- charge Of an executor. They can not
be substantiated. Who can say that,
when looking to a lady's interest, this
bit ofssrIasS mag not come up instead
of tkst precious stone? John Gordon
might be a very steady fellow; but we
have only his own word for thatH-as
Mr.. Nhitilestaf observed to himself.
There could not be a doubt but that
MIR. Whittlestaf himself was the safer
8 stat OF The TIVE on which a young lady
might lean. He did make all these eS-
cuses for himself. and determined that
they were of such a nature that he
might rely upon Them with safety.
But still there was pang in his bosom
"a silent secret-which kept zon whis-
periEg TO him that he was not the best
beloved. He had. however. resolved
steadfastly that he would not put that
question TO Mary. If she did not wish
sodeclazs her love, neither cid he. 1t
: wasa pity, a thousand pities, that 1t
should be so. A change in her heart
might, however. take place. It would
come to pass that she would learn that
he was the superior staff on which to
lean. John Gordon might disappear
- among the diamond-fielas, and no more
De }seard of. He, ut any rate, would do
his best for her, so that she should not
: repent her bargain But he was deter
mined that the bargain. as it had been
struck should be carried ont. There
fore. in communicating to Mary the in
sitation which he had received from
Little Arlesford, he did not. find it
. Necessary to make any special speech
N answer TO her inquiry about John
She. Ilu.ierstood it ali, and could not
n her yeJ heart pronounce . iHdgg-