The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-09-19

1 saiu mdTf- NHefeupOu ESeiina sug
gested that her younger sister was
greedy little creature.
las soon as you've got your Gil o
diamonds. which won't take more thai
six months longer" suggested Mr.. Hall
'.you ii come back again
''Not exactly. have an idea of go
| ing up the country across the Zambesi
I've notion that / should like to max,
my way out somewhere in the Medi
terranean-Egypt, for instance, or Al
giers.
What!-across the equator? You't
never do that aliver"
Things of that kind have been done
Stanley crossed the continent"
"But not from South to North.
don't believe in that. You had better
remain at Kimberley and get more dia
monds."
"He'd be with diamonds like the boy
with the bacon, said the clergyman
when prepared for another wish, he'd
have more than he could eat"
ITO tell the truth" said John Cor
don, 81 don't quite know what should
do. 1t would depend, perhaps, on wha,
somebody else would join me in doing.
My life was very lonely at Kimberley,
and do not love being alone.n
''Ihen why don't you take wife?'
said Montagu Blake, very loudly, as
though he had hit the target right in
the bull's-eye. He so spoke as to brin =
the conversation to an abrupt end Ilr.
Whittlestatf Immediately looked con-
scious. He was a man who, on such
an occasion. could not look otherwise
than conscious. And the five girls, with
all of whom the question of the loves
of John Gordon and Mary Lawrie had
been fully discussed. looked conscious.
Mary Lawrie was painfully conscious !:
but endeavored to hide it, not unsuc-
cessfully. But in her endeavor she had
to look unnaturally stern-and was con-
scious, too, that she did that. Mr..
Hall, whose feelings of romance were
not. perhaps, of the highest order,
looked round on Mr.. Whittlestaff and
Mary Lawrie Montagu Blake felt that
he had achieved a triumph. Yes"
said he, 'if those are your feelings, why
don't you take a wifep"
lone man may not be so happy as
another" said Gordon, laughing. "You
have suited yourself admirably. and
seem to think it quite easy for man 10
make selection
Not quite such selection as mine,
perhaps said Blake.
Then think of the difficulty. Do
YOU suppose that any second Miss For
roster would dream of gong to the dia-
with me ?'i
Perhaps not" said Blake. Not a
second Miss Forrester-but somebody
else"
something inferior?''
"Wefl-yes: inferior to my Miss For
roster, certainly
''Ycu are the most conceited young
man that | ever came across" said the
young lady herself.
''And | am not inclined to put up
with anything that is very Inferior"
said John Gordon. He could not help
his eye from glancing for moment
round upon Mary Lawr.e She was
aware of it, though no one else noticed
it in the room. She was aware OF it,
though any one watching her would
have said that she had never looked at
him.
"a man may always find woman to
SUIT, if he looks well about him." said
Mr.. Hall, sententiously. "Don't you
think so, Whittlestaff?"
Il dare say he may" said Mr. Whit
tlestaff, very fatty. And as he said so
he made up his mind that he would, for
that day, postpone the task of telling
MIR. Hall of his intended marriage.
The evening passed by. and the time
came for Mr.. Whittlestaff to drive Miss
Lawrie back to Cookers Hall She had
spent most uneventful
period. as far as action or even words
Of her own was conoe rned. But the
afternoon was one which she would
never forget. She had been quite, cutie
sure, when she came into the hou sc;
but she was more than sure now At
every word that had been spoken she
mad thought of herself and OF him.
W ould he not have known how to have |
chosen fit companion,-onl for this |
great misfortune? And would she have
been so much inferior to Miss Forester? |
Would he have thought her inferior to |
my one? Would he not have preferred !
Ter to any other female whom the world |
lad at the present moment produced?
Dbl. the pity of it; the pity of it!
Then came the bidding of aiieux.
Gordon was to sleep at Little Arlesford
lat night, and to take his departure
" early train on the next morning. Of |
he adieuX spoken the next morning
We need take no notice, but only of the |
word or two uttered that night. Good
we. Mr.. Gordon" said Mr.. Whittle-
taft, having taken courage for the oc-
aston, and having thought even of the
ecessary syllables to be spoken.
''Good-bve, Mr. Whittlestaff. ard he
ave his rival his hand in apparently
friendly grasp. To those burning ques-
ions he had asked he had received no
Tord of reply; but they were Questions
Thich he would not repeat again.
Goodbye. Mr.. Gordon" said Mary.
he had thought Of the moment much,
ut had determined at last that she
Tould trust herself TO nothing further.
lie took her hand, but did not saw
-ord. He took it and pressed it for
loment, and then turned his face
way, and went in from the hall back
, the door leading to the drawing
pom. Mr.. Whittlestaff was at the mo-
lent putting on his great-coat, and
larry stood with her bonnet and cloak
n at the open front-dcor, listening to /,
word or two from Katie Forester
nd Evelina Hall. .'Oh, wish, l wish
might nave BEEN" said Katie For .