The Red Cloud chief., 1884-08-01
CHAPTEp w

but ii a person ia a fool ,~h.,,. ..
AZ uone then? In course I'm a fool I
Hn " That very well. There's NO saw
hhns no other. But I can'tA9o On liyinl
here, II Miss Mary is to be but over ~
mead in that way. Barosstt h.s 80
PortSn a l must e saggett is
old shno'h. Arranging on about Il
~. SHOP. And he'll be drunk a., lou
mere $ gln to be had with or witho}
paying. They do tell me as his nose
eot 10 be awful. There's a man for
poor woman to 60 and spend her al
ings on! He's had Almost all on III
already. Twenty-Five pound four-an1
siNPence he had put O. me the last tim,
ne was In the country. And he don't
uo nothing to have him locked nm.
am there to be no way out of it2"
was thus that Mrs. Baggett told
me tale OF her married bliss1not. how.
ever, without mourning the censure OF
IeI master eau of her folly in re.
solving to 60. He had Just Commence
lecture IN which he was prenared r.
SHOW that all the evils which she copId
receive from the red-nosed veteran a,
4 Portsmouth would be due To her owr
stiff-necked ~obstinacy, when h. Was
stopped suddenly by the sound of :
knock at the front door. II was mo,
only the o at the door. but the en-.
trance INTO the hall of some man. for
b hall door had been open into the
garden, and the scrvant-girl had beer
close at hand. The library was AT tbe
top OF the low stairs. and Mr.. Wbittle.
staff could not but hear the demand
made. The gentleman had asked
whether Miss Lawr e was living there
"Who's tiat?" said Mr.. Whittlestaa
10 the housekeeper.
ats not a voice as / know. sir" Thu
gentleman in the meantime was taken
into the drawing-rOom. and was closeted
TO: the moment with Mary.
We must now closet ourselves for 9
few moments with Mary Lawrie before
the coming of the strange gentleman.
She had LETT Mr.. Whittiestaff hall ar
hour since, and felt that she had a sec.
ond time on that day accepted him a.
her husband. and now she must do the
best she cOold to suit her life to his re.
qulrements. Her first feeling was one
of intense disgust at her W weakness
} he had spoken to her of her ambition
and he had told her that he had fount
a place for her, in which hat ambition
might find a fair scope. And he had tolt
her also that in reference to John Cor.
don she had dreamed a dream. Il
might be SO, but the cont nued dream
ing OF that dream would satisfy her am
obitiOn better tam those duties which
ne had arranged for her. She
had her own ideas of what was du,
from and to a girl, and to her her low,
for John Gordon was all the world
She could not have been made { o aban
don her thoughts, even though the mar
had not spoken to her. She knew sh,
come when she should cease to do so
that time had not come yet. She vac.l
lated between condemnation OF the cru
city ef'Air. Whittlestaff and of her owI
, weakness. Aud then. top, there wa,
! some feeling of the hardship inflicted
upon her ny John Gordon. He hat
certainly said that which had justified
lher in believing that she possessed hi,
Jheart. But yet there had been no wore
on whichsbe could fall back and re
MI az promise.
might, perhaps, be better that she
shoy bid marry Mr.. Whittlcstaff. All hel
friends would think it to be infinitely
better. Could there be anything more
m(onstruck than ior a penniless girl K
indulge in dreams of an impossible
lovkr, when such u tower OF strength
presented itself as Mr.. Whittlestali
She had consented to eat his bread,
and all her friends had declared how
fll1 LII l.no h, EpI IMAM 81
willing and so able to maintain her.
And nOw this man did undoubtedly love
her very dearly, and there would be,
!, as she was well aware. no peril III
marrying him. Was she to refuse hin
because of a soft word once spoken t.
her by a Young man who had since dis.
appeared altogether from her knOwl-
edge? And she had already accepted
him on that very day. And there was
no longer a hope for escape, even # es-
cane were desirable. What a fool mus,
she be to st there, still dreaming hel
impossible dream, instead of thinking
of his happiness, and preparing herself
for his wants! He had told her thai
she might be allowed to think of John
Gordon, though moi TO speak OF him.
She would neither speak OF him mol
think of him. She knew herself, she
.sah. too well to give herself such lib
cffy. He should be to her as though
he had never been. She would force
hErself to forget him, if forgetting lies
la the absence of all thought. 1t wa:
klo more than Mr.. Whittlestaff had s
riyht to demand, and no more than she
ought to be able I o accomplish. Wa
she such a weak simpleton rs to be UNI
able to keep her mind from running
back to every little personal trek o.
one who could never be ANYTHING te
her? ..He has gone forever" she eN'
claimed rising up from her chair. "ht
shall be zone l will not be a marty
and a slave to my own memory. Inc
thing came and is gone. and there Is AZ
end OF it" Then Jane opened tht
door. with a little piece OF whispered
information. please. miss, a MT
Gordon wishes to see YOU" The dool
was opened a little wider, n JON
Gordon stood before her.. i,
There he was, with his short piach
hair, his bright, pleasant eyes his mas
terful mouth. his dark complexion. ane
broad. handsome, manly shoulders, suci
as had dwelt in her memory every day
ssinoe he had departed. There was
notging changed. except that his ran
ment was somewhat brighter. ana tina.
there was a look of prosperity about
him which he had lacked when he LET
her. He was the same John GORDON
xko lad seemed to her to be entitled &c
all that he wanted, and who certainly
would have had from her all that he hat
carnd to demand. When he appeared
before her she jumped up, ready to rush
Into his arms; but then she represse6
Ierseh. and had fallen back, and leaned
eainst the table for support :,
8 $50 l have found you here?' he SAID