The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-07-02
CHAPTER Iv.-ooNr1NuEp.

81 do not know what color you
blush said Mr.. Whittlestaff.
81 dare say not. ="
""But when it does come | am con-
scious OF the sweetest color that ever
came upon a lady's cheek. And l tell
myself that another grace has been
added to the face which of all faces in
the world is to my eyes the most beauti-
full. What was she to say in answer
to a compliment SO high-hown as this.
to one from whose mouth compliments
were so uncommona She knew that he
could not have so spoken without pur-
pose, declared at any rate to his own
heart. He still held her by the arm,
but did not progress with his speech,
while she sat Silent by his side, and
blushing with that dark ruby streak
across her cheeks which her stepmother
had intended to vilify when She said
that she had blushed black. "Mary,"
he continued, after q pause, "can you
endure the thought Of becoming my
wifep" Now she drew her arm away,
and turned her face, and compressed
her lips, and sat without uttering a
word. "Of course, am an old man."
ut is not that" she muttered.
''But think that can love you as
honestly and as firmly as younger one.
/ think that if you could bring yourself
to be my wife you would find that you
would not be treated badly"
''Oh, no, no, nor she exclaimed.
Nothing, at any rate, would be kept
from you. When have thought or a
feeling, hope or fear, you shall share
it. AS to money"
"Don't do that. There should be no
talk of money from you to me-"
perhaps not. 1t would be best that
/ should be left to do as 1 may think
most fitting for you. / have one Incl
dent in my life which would wish to
tell you. loved a girl, many years
since, and she ill-used me. | continued
to love her long, but that image has
passed from my mind" He was think
ing, as he said this, of Mrs. Compass
and her large family. "It will not be
necessary that I should refer to this
again, because the subject is very pain
ful; but it was essential that should
,
beP" he added, after pause.
She sat listening to all that he had to
say, but without speaking a word. He.
too. had his John Gordon;' but in
his case the girl he had loved had treat
ed him badly. She had received no
bad treatment. There had been love
between them, ample love, love enough
to break their hearts. at least, she had
found it so. But there had been no
outspoken speech of love. Because OF
that the wound made, now that it had
been in some sort healed, had not with
her been SO cruel as with Mr.. Whittle-
staff John Gordon had come to her
on the eve of his going, and had told
her that he was about to start for some
distant land. There had been loud
words between him and her step-moth-
er, and Mrs. Lawrie had told him that
he was pauper, and was doing no good
about the house; and Mary had heard
the words spoken. She asked him
whittier he was going, but he did not
reply. "Your mother is right ] am
at any rate doing no good here, " he had
said, but had not answered herqnestion
further. Then Mary had given him her
hand. and had whispered, Goodbye.
Z" Ii | return" he added, "the first
place l will come to shall be Norwich
Then without further farewell he had
gone. From that day to this she had
had his form before her eyes; but now,
If she accepted Mr.. Whittlestaf, lit must
be banished. No one knew sof her
wound. She must tell him, should she
accept him. 1t might be that he would
reject her after such telling. If SO, il
would be well. But, in that case, what
would be her futureP Would it not be
necessary that she should return to that
idea of a governess which had been SC
distasteful to herr
"Mary, can you say that it shall be
SOP" he asked quietly, after having re-
mained silent for some ten minutes.
Could it be that all her fate must be
resolved in so short time? Since first
the notion that Mr.. Whittlestaf had
asked her to be his wife had come upoI
her, she had thought of ii day and night
But she had thought altogether OF the
past, and not of the future. Mary had
in truth, not thought of her answer
though she had said to herself over ant
over again why it should not be SO.
"Have you no answer to give me9'
he said.
"Oh. Mr.. Whittlestaff, you have 81
startled me!' This was hardly true
He had not startled her, but had brough