The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-07-25

make my advanced years mt or your
younger life? And / was teaching my
SELF to hope that was not vet too old
to make this altogether impossible
Then you come to me and tell me that
you must destroy all my dreams. dash
a my hopes 10 the ground. because an
old woman has shown her temper and
her jealousy
This was true, according to the light
in which he saw her position. Had
there been nothing between these two
but mutual desire to be married, the
reason given by her for changing it all
would be absurd. As he had continued
to speak. slowly adding one argument
to another, with certain amount OF
true eloquence, she felt that unless she
could go back to John Gordon she
must yield. But it was very hard
for her to go back TO John Gordon. In
the first place, she must insist on her
love for man VINO had never spoken
to her of love! 1t was SO hard that she
could not do it openly. q had thought
so little of the value | could be to you.
Your value to me is infinite. think,
Mary, that there has come upon you a
certain melancholy which is depressing
you. Your regard TO me is worth now
more than any other possession or gift
that the world can bestow. And ] had
taken pride to myself in saying that j,
had been given Yes; her regard
She could not contradict him rs to that.
.'And have you thought of your own po-
sition? After all that has passed be-
tween us, you can hardly 60 on living
here as you have done.
81 know that"
"Then what would become of you il
you were to break away from me?''
81 thought you would get place fol-
me as goyerness, or companion to some
lady,"
would that satisfy your ambition
have place for you-but it is here.
Not as companion to lady are YOU
required to fulfill your duties here on
earth. 1t is fuller task of work that
you must do. | trust-I trust that il
may not be more tedious" She looked
at him again, and he did not now APP
pear so old. There was power OF
speech about the man. and dignity
which made her feel that she could in
truth have loved him-had it not been
for John Gordon. unfortunately,
am older than you, very much older.
But to you there may be this advantage,
that YOU can listen to what l may say
with something of confidence in my
knowledge of the world. As my wife
you will fill position more honorable
and more suitable to your gifts. than
could belong to you as governess or a
companion You will have much more
to do, and will se able to 90 nightly tC
Your rest with consciousness that you
have done more as the mistress of ouI
house than you could have done in that
tanner capacity. You will have cares, and
even those will ennoble the world to
you, and you to the world. That other
life is a poor shrunken death rather
than life. 1t is way of passing hel
DAYS which must fall to the lot of many
a female who does not achieve the 9TH
er; and it is well that they to whom il
falls should be able to accommodate
themselves to it with contentment and
self-respect. l think that may say OF
myself that, even as my wife. you will
stand higher than you would do rs q
companion.
Il am sure of it."
Not on that account should you ac-
cept any man that you can not love.
Had she not told him that she did not
love him-even that she loved another?
And vet he spoke to her in this way!
You had better tell Mrs. Baggett to
come TO me- ...
There is the memory of that other
man." she murmured very gently.
Then the scowl came back upon his
face: or not scowl but look of cold
displeasure. If | understand you
rightly. the gentleman never addressed
YOU as lover
Never
Il see it all, Mary. Mrs. Baggett has
oeen violent and selfish, and has made
you think thoughts which should not
have been put in Your head to disturb
YOU You have dreamed dream in
your early life-as girls do dream,
suppose--an it has now TO be forgot
! ten. Is It not sop
81 suppose it was a dream"
"He has passed away, and he has
left YOU to become the happiness of my
life. Send Mrs. Baggett to me, and
VIII speak to her. Then he came up
to her-for they had been standing
about yard apart-ans pressed his
lips to hers. How was it possible tina,
she could prevent him?
She turned round, and slowly left
the room, feeling, as she did so, that
she was again engaged to him forever
AMI ever She hated herself because
she had been so tickle. But how could
she have done otherwise? She asked
herself, as she went back to her ROOM
at what period during the interview,
which was now over, she could have
declared to him the real state of hel
mind. He had, as it were, taken com
plete possession of her, by right of the
deed of gift which she had made Of
herself that morning. She had en-
deavored to resume the gift, but had
altogether failed. She declared to her.
self that she was weak, impotent, pur.
poseless; but she admitted on the o.hel
hand, that he had displayed more o.
power than she had ever guessed at hi:
possessing. A woman always loves this
| display of power in man, and she
felt that she could have loved him lad
it not been for John Gordon.
But there was one comfort for her
None knew of her weakness. Her
mind had vacillated like shuttlecock
but no one had seen the vaciliation
She was in his hands. and she must
simply do as he babe her. Then she
went down to Mrs. Baggett's room,
and tod the old lady to go upstairs al
her masters behest. I'm a-going,
said Mrs. Baggett. I'm a-gOing.
hope bell find every ono else as good
at doing what he tells 'em. But ain't
a-poinp to be ADDING for him or fol