The Penn's Grove record., 1884-11-08

HADoAl6 Ill JOtA ~ 11A 49, - ''f
pose [ would marry such a man ? No
a thousand times no"
Henniker had grown very pale.
"WiI YOU listen TO me for a moment
Mss Maitland ~ he said very quietly
as she turned to leave the room.
"For what purpose ?" she asked, the
tone Of passionate Indignation still
thrilling her voice. DO you fancy yOl
could alter my decision ? Never Ever
the daughter of a Manchester merchant
has some little respect for herself anC
her relatives. | am ashamed of tht
man who is ashamed of my father. II
you were to go down on your knees and
offer me all the riches the world col
tains, / would not marry you'll The
subject had better be dropped between
u.s."
In another minute she had swiftly
but none too steadily, assembled the
stairs, and was lying on her bed, hel
face pressed into the bed clothes, sob
brig as if her heart would break. Only
a oma after all !
W~hit-Sunday that year was a glo
rious day. All nature seemed at bel
brightest.
Mr.. Maitland, Henniker, and Lily
went to church. Coming back, the
merchant joined a friend, and Hennikel
and Lily were p%erforce thrown together
He | ad seen very little of her since
the affair of the previous evening.
When they had met, she wa shy and
constrained, and there was that III heI
manner towards him which almost
amounted to an apology for her indig'
nant and perhaps, as she felt, rather
unladylike outburst Of the night be,
fore, could he but have read 1t Alright.
In church he had once or twice cast
quiet glances at her--lndeed hlsthOughts
were far more occupied with the pretty
figure dressed in black at his side than
with the service but her eyes at such
times were always ~dOwncast, and heI
attention seemed wholly riyeted GA heI
prayer-bo0k.
Henniker was terribly detected, and
he looked quite pale and haggard. lie
felt that he could endure this torture
no longer. To be in the same house
with this girl whom he loved with all
the strength and ardency of a partlcu-
larly strong' nature, to feel the constant
charm and attraction of her presence,
to know that she was not nor ever could
be his, and to realize that it was en-
tirely through his own fault that Ee
had missed winning her, was more than
he could bear. He would go away
but, before he went, he would explain
matters to her.
They walked along In silence for
some distance. at length HenuiKer
said, with a slight effort
Il am sorry, Miss Maitland, that
should still stay to offend you by my
presence. Believe Inc, | would willingly
have gone away last evening could |
have done so-indeed it is misery for
me now to remain here. But, as Mr..
Maitland expressly asked me for Whit
Sunday, il seemed rude to run away on
the very eve of it and, indeed l could
think of no excuse that would justify
such a course without introducing your
own name into the matter
81 hope you won't think of leaving
on my account, " she interrupted hur,
riedly.
"As this however is perhaps the last
time | shall have IN opportunity of
speaking to you alone, :" he went on,
without noticing her remark, II should
like, If you will bear with me, to say "a
word in answer to your charge of last
night. | will speak frankly to you,
Miss Maitland. | did come down to
Manchester with the views you describe,
and | was an ignorant man III doing so
far more ignorant than the very peo-
pie whom | e espised. | did not think
your father well educated or well bred
but ! see now how wrong | was to Judge
a maj by a few external characteristics,
for have discovered that he possesses
a true nobility of disposition before
which |, with my small narrow mind,
ought to blush. AIN all the better for
having known your father, Miss Malt
land and ! have received a much
needed lesson that | hope l shall never
forget. But | will confess more than
that. There shall be nothing but truth
between us now. After to-day | shall
never see you again but, at any rate,
| shall have the consolation of thinking
in my loneliness that at our last Inter
view | showed my true disposition to
YOU, that there was no deception be-
tween us. When | came to Mdnches-
ter. | did SO with Il purpose came to
marry YOU"
ITO marry mel' she exclaimed,
startled out OF her silence by surprise.
eyes, to marry YOU"
"But you had never seen me 7"
81 know that but | had heard Of
800 J,,nuy fBaf vn,t x.yara xUaalfhu an
rather that your father was. | was
poor and unfoTtunate-ruin was staring
me in the face. | determined to come
to Manchester, and, If possible, TO marry
you, to relieve myself from my debts.
But before / had been tHeuty-four
hours in the house circumstances al
tered my case. | wa now really, hon
estly in love with you. | could only
think of the motive with which ] had
come to Manchester with horror. More
than once | determined to u away
to leave yoI-to get back to London,
and, beginning a new and better life,
To face my ruin like a man but the
sight Of your face chained me 10 the
spot. | could not bear TO part from you
Il was pOWerless. | dare say, Miss
Maitland, you think all have said the
mere emotional talk of n man of the
world, accomplished IN such matters;
but, fortunately for me, | have the
e Of convincing you Of the SINGER
ity of my words. By this mornings
post had a letter announcing to me
the death of an uncle, to whose property
| succeed. lam now arlcheT man than
your father. win you come TO me, Lily
just as you are, without a penny If
you like, we will live in Manchester,
and your father shall stay with US /; |
shall be proud to live under the same
roof with such a man Oh, my darling,
do have mercy on me Don't be hard
upon me | can't part with you you
are the whole world to me P'
The tears were standing in her eyes
now, and,her heart was throbbing fast.
She felt how noble he was for having
thus humbled himself before her, and
her whole soul went out In response to
- - 49,. - -AaNI