The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-07-16

Iaid, too well to give herself such lib
erty. He should be to her as though
he had never been. She would force
herself to forget him, if forgetting lies
in the absence Of all thought. 1t was
no more than Mr.. Whittlestaf had
right to demand, and no more than she
ought to be able to accomplish. Was
she such weak simpleton as to be un-
able to keep her mind from running
back to every little personal trick OF
one who could never be anything to
herp HE hasNgone foreverr" she ex-
claimed rising up from her chair. "He
shall be gone; l will not be martyr
and slave to my own memory. The
thing came and is gone, and there is an
end of it." Then Jane opened the
door, with little piece of whispered
information: please, miss, q Mr..
Gordon wishes to see you" The door
was opened little wider, and John
Gordon stood before her.
There he was, with his short black
hair, his bright, pleasant eyes, his mas
terful mouth, his dark complexion, and
broad, handsome, manly shoulders, such
as had dwelt in her memory every day
since he had departed. There was
nothing changed, except that his raj
ment was somewhat brighter, and that
there was look of prosperity about
him which he had lacked when he left
her. He was the same John Gordon
who had seemed to her to be entitled to
oil that he wanted, and who certainly
would have had from her all that he had
cared to demand. When he appeared
before her she jumped up, ready to rush
into his arms; but then she repressed
herself, and had fallen back, and leaned
against the table for support.
$50 have found you hereP' he said.
| 4 eyes, l am here"
II have been after you down to Nor
wich, and have heard it all. Mary, l
am here on purpose to seek you. Your
father and Mrs. Lawrie are both gone.
He was going when / left you"
Eyes, Mr.. Gordon. They are both
gone, and am aloue--butfor the kind
ness of a most generous friend"
81 had heard, of course, of Mr.. Whit
tlestaff. hope shall not be told now
that I am doing no good about the
| house. At any rate, I am not pau
| per- Ihaye mended that little fault
Then he looked at her as though he
thought that there was nothing for him
but to begin the conversation where it
had been SO roughly ended at their last
meeting. ssa
Did it not occur to him that some
thing might have come across her life
during period Of nearly three, years,
which would stand in his way and in
hersP But, as she gazed into his face,
it seemed as though no such idea had
4 fallen upon him. But during these two
or three minutes multitude OF
thoughts crowded on poorMary's mind.
Was it possible that because of the COM
ING of John Gordon Mr.. Whittlestaff
should withdraw his claim, and allow
this happy young hero to walk off with
the reward which he still seemed to de-
slreP She felt sure it could not be so.
Even during that short space she re-
solved it could not be so. She knew
Mr.. Whittlestaff too well, and was sure
her lover had arrived too late. 1t all
passed through her brain, and she was
sure no change could be effected in her
destiny. Had he come yesterday, in
deed! But, before she could, answer,
Mr.. Whittlestaff entered the room.
She was bound to say something,
though she was little able to speak at
all. She was aware some ceremony
was necessary. She was ill able to in
troduce these two men to each other,
but it had to be done. "Mr. Whittle-
staff" she said, ''this is Mr. John Cor
don, who used to knowus at Norwich" ="
'.Mr. John Gordon" said Mr.. Whittle-
staff, bowing very stiffly.
'sYes, sir; that is my name. / never
had the pleasure of meeting you at Nor
wich, though L often heard Of you there.
And since / left the place have been
told how>kind you have been to this
young lady. | trust l may live to
thank you for it more warmly, though
notmore sincerely than do at this mo-
ment."
John Gordon, since he left Norwich
little better than pauper, collected
what means he had been able to gather
and had gone to South Africa. Thence
he made his way to Kimberly, and had
been at work among the diamond-tields
,, for two years. If there be a place on
! earth on which q man can thoroughly
= make or mar himself it is Kimberly.
know no spot more odious. 1t is foul
with dust and flies; it reeks with bad
brandy; it is fed upon potted meats; il
!, has not tree near it. 1t is inabited in
u u part by tribes of South Africans, ne
o groes, who have lost all picturesquenes'
= in working for the white mans wages
: The white man is insolent, addressed
!. and ugly. The weather is. very hot
= and from morning till night there il
q no occupation other than that O
= looking for diamonds, and the work at
, y tending it. Diamond-grubberS wan
: food and brandy, and lawyers and po
!, licemen. They want clothes also, and {
:, few horses; and some kind of education
: is necessary for their children. Blu
= diamond-searchin is the occupation o
! the place.; and if a man be sharp anC
i clever, and able to guard what he gets
: he win make fortune there in two
i i years more readily, perhaps, than else
- where. John Gordon had gone to Kim
Z berly, and had returned the owner o
: many shares in many mines.
~ CHAPTER VII
Y JOHN GORDON AND MR.. wHITTLEsTAFF.
q Mr.. Gordon had zone to South Afric