Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-09-15
Vinton's Confession.

40 h0" oNOOAuN q hOOOOociY hs
Therefore behold your humble SER
want prepared to turn Benedict. Nay,
more-I have found wife,"
ssFound wife? You are surely
joking! You have not the look of a
married man."
ssNor am l. You dragged the full
est meaning out of my words. /
merely mean to say that l know the
young lady whom intend shall fig
ure as Mrs. Vinton Romaine. A
pretty name, rather-is it not?-and
not such bad-looking possessor of
the title, eh? But truce to joking.
Mabel Hathaway is at present in this
very hotel, and it is Mabel Hathaway
whom have come down here
to marry. By jove! I hate the
word and hate the sentiment; but
what else is to be done? | am in no
end of debt and trouble; besides, I
was brought up with the idea that an
heiress was my destination, and why
should I swerve now flom the path
of duty?''
"Vinton, old fellow, this talk does
not sound like you. Have you for
gotten our college days, when, be-
tween the puffs of our cigars, we two
would discuss love and it's probabil-
tiles, while between us and the pages
of our Euclid pretty faces were al
ways fitting, to the serious detri-
ment of the lines ?"
eyes, I remember" slowly yawn-
ed the other, leaning lazily back in
his chair, and sending great puff of
smoke through the open window.
''But / put away all that nonsense
when l put away Euclid One
hears of falling in love. 1 don't
think it is practical idea. But to
return. You have been in the fed
some time. Do you know Miss Hath
away, or must / look elsewhere for
an introduction ?"
eyes, / know her, but it would be
little too bad if, with your hand
some face and winning ways, you
stole the prize to whom other men
with less attractions could offer
heart -
What sentimental, Fred? Am /
poaching on your manor? If SO,
will renounce my plans, and take the
earliest train out of temptation to-
morrow"
"That will be unnecessary, laugh
ingly retorted his friend. 81 have al
ready succumbed to another fortress
but"
ssNo sbuts,' Fred. Give me an
introduction or if you won't, some
one else will. You don't suppose, if
marry her, I would treat her like a
brute, do you? - No! no queen
should receive greater homage. Good
night, old fellow Think il over.''
And Fred Salisbury did think it
over, remembering the great noble
heart he knew Vinton Romaine to
possess--the wonderful tenderness
he had seen him show even wound
ed dog-the princely generosity with
which the mans nature was replete;
but failed to reconcile it with his out
spoken intention to marry for money.
But some one else was thinking it
all over, too-some one to whose
ears the spoken words had been watt.
ed through the open window, on the
clouds of tobacco-smoke the wind
had brought her-some one on whose
cheeks the bright scarlet burned, and
whose eyes flashed, as she heard all
no less a person than Mabel Hath
away herself. She had not meant to
listen, but each word had been
bourne to her, clear and distinct, on
the evening air, as she sat, still in
her evening dress, flowers in her
hair, and jewels cleaning on her
throat, a rarely pretty picture in the
moonlight.
"My money? Is it always to be
my money!" she thought, tears
springing to the dark eyes she would
have scorned any but the moon to
see. Other girls are loved for them
selves-is no man to love me?"
And, with this thought ringing it's
changes, she at last laid her tired
head upon her pillow to find forget
fulness.
Had she sought it in vain?
Certainly, no trace of discontinue
or indignation appeared when, the
next morning, her friend, Mr.. SAILS
bury, brought up Mr.. Romaine TO
present him-a permission she had
graciously accorded but a few mo-
ments before.
1t was the beginning, the sounding
of the tocsin for the fray; but none
of the crowd who made up the num-
Der of the pleasure-seekers at the
mountain retreat knew or dreamed
that they saw-in the girl, with her
exquisite beauty, lifting her eyes to
her companion, with such melting
softness in their dark-blue depths,
and in the man, tall, and young, and
handsome, looking down upon her,
while he talked on, with the wonder
full fascination of manner nature had
lent him-two combatants, for the
first time met face to face. Who
would gain the victory.
Days merged into weeks, and
Dame Rumor declared that Vinton