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

fortune and lost it, and be on his way
TO make it again. John Gordon had
suffered no reYerses, and with twenty
four quarter-days, at each of which ne
had received ten or twenty per cent,
he had had time to become rich. He
had by no means abandoned all his
shares in the diamond mines; but, hay
ing wealth at command, he had deter
mined TO carry out the purpose for
which he had come to South Africa.
Therefore he returned to Norwich, and
having there learned Mary's address,
now found himself in her presence as
Croker's Hall.
Mr.. Whittlestaff, when he heard John
Gordon's name, was as much astonished
rs had been Mary herself Here was
Mary's lover-the very man whom
Mary had named to him. 1t
had all occurred this very morning,
30 that even the look of her
eyes and the tone of her voice were fresh
In his memory. "He used to come to
our house at Norwich--and 1 loved
him." Then she had told him that this
lover had been poor, and had gone
away. He had, since that, argued it
out with himself, and with her, too, on
the theory, though not expressed, that
lover who had gone away now nearly
three years ago, and had not been heard
Of, and had been poor when he went,
was of no use, and should be forgotten.
"Let there be no mention of him be-
tween u.s." he had intended to say,
land the memory of him will fade
away" But now on this very day he
was back, and there was Mary, hardly
able to open her mouth in his presence.
He had bowed twice very stiffy when
Gordon had spoked of all he had done
on Mary's behalf Arrangements
have been made" he said, (which may,
trust, tend to Miss Lawrieas advan-
!age. Perhaps l ought not to say SO
myself, but there is no reason why ]
should trouble stranger with them"
II hope may never be considered
stranger by Miss Lawrie, said Gordon,
turning round to the young lady.
"No, not stranger" said Mary;
certainly not stranger"
But this did not satisfy John Gordon,
who felt that there was something in
her manner other than he would have
1t. And yet it seemed impossible now,
ut this first moment, to declare his love
before this man, who had usurped the
/ place of her guardian. In fact he could
not speak to her at all before Mr.. Whit
tlestaff. He had hurried from the dia-
mond-felds in order that he might lay
all his wealth at Mary's feet, and now
he felt himself unable to say a word to
Mary unless in this mans presence.
He told himself as he hurried home that
there might be difficulties in his way.
He might find her married-or prom
sed in marriage. He had been sure OF
her love when he started. He had been
confident that, though no absolute prom
lse had been made from her to him, OF
rom him to her, there had then been
no reason for him to doubt In spite oi
that, she might have married.. or :been
promised in marriage. He knew that
Ihe must have been poor and left in
want when her step-mother died. She
had told him of the intentions of he1
life, and he had answered that perhaps
something better might come up fol
her. Then he had been called a pau
per, and had gone away to remedy that
svil if 1t might be possible. He hat
heard while working among the dia
monds that Mr.. Whittlestaff had taken
her to his own home. He had heard Of
Mr.. Whittlestatf as the friend of hel
iather, and nothing better, he thought
could have happened. But Mary might
have been weak during his absence, and
have given herself up to some Other
man who had asked for her hand. She
was still, at heart, Mary Lawrie. Sc
much had been made known to him,
But from the words which had fallen
from her own lips, and from the state.
ment which had fallen from Mr.. Whit
tlestaff, he feared that it must be so
Mr.. Whittlestaff had said that he need
not trouble a stranger with Mary's af
fairs; and Mary, in answer to his ap
oeal, had declared that he could not b'
considered as stranger to her.
He thought moment, and then h
spoke boldly to both OF them, 81 hav
hurried home from Kimberley, Mr.
Whittlestaff, on purpose to find Mar,
Lawrie."
Mary, when she heard this, seate,
herself on the chair nearest to her. Hi
coming was too late. AS she thought O
this, her voice left her, so that she coul
not speak.
"You have found her, said MI
Whittlestaif, very sternly.
H'I Is there any reason why / should g
away againp'' He had not realized tn
idea that Mr. Whittlestaff was the ma
to whom Mary might be engaged. MI
Whittlestaff, to his thinking, had bee
support in lieu of father, who ha
come to Mary in her need. He wa
prepared to shower all kinds of benefit
on MIR. Whittlestaff- diamonds po
ished and diamonds in the rough, die
monds pure and white, and diamond
pink-tinted--if only Mr.. Whittlesta
would be less stern to him. But eve
yet he had no fear of Mr.. Whittlesta
: himself.
i should be most happy to welcom
you here as an old friend of Mary's,
said Mr.. Whittlestaff, "if you will CON
to the wedding" Mr.. Whittlestaff ha
also seen the necessity for open speech
and though he was man general
reticent as to his own affairs, though
: it better the truth be known at one
Mary, when the word had been spokel
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