The Red Cloud chief., 1884-10-17

She would. II n. asked 81. plight her
truth TO him and become his wife. al
though she must think Of John Gordon
This thinking would last but for \
while. he told himself and ne ~ hi.
what right hsd he 10 expect
aught better than ;hat2 She Was IF
such n n.tur that. whea She hal given
herself up ia marriage. she would sure
II learn TO love her husband 40 he
had accepted her promise. and allowed
himself for one hour To &c = happy
man.
Then John Gordon had come 20 his
house, falling upon il Ike the blast of n
storm. He had come i; once-instsnt
lv-as though fate had intended ~ pun
ish hin. Whii,l.siaf. utterly and in-
s~tanily. Mary had told him that shs
could not promise not 10 think al him
who had once loved her. when. 10 and
behold, the man himself WAS there.
Who ever suffered 4 blow 50 severe as
this2 lie had left them together. He
had felt himself compelled To do 30 by
the cxigencies OF the moment. IL was
impossible that he should give either
one or the other 10 understand that
they would no, BE- allowed To meet in
his house. Tbey hal met, aud Mari
had been very firm. For 4 few hours
there had existed in his bosom the feel
ing that eyen yet h. might te pre-
ferrei.
But gradually that feeling had disap-
peared and the truth had come home TO
him. She was A. much IN love with
john Gordon A. could n grl lie with
the mar whom she adorcd. And the
other rock on which he hal depended
was gradually shiyered beneath his feet.
He had iancied at first that the man
had come back. A. DO many adycntur-
ers. without the means OF making !
woman happy. IL was not for John
Gordon that he wa sDiic.;ous but for
Mary Lawrie. Ii John Gordon Were =
panpcr, or u nearly 20 as 70 lie able
tn offer Mary no honR then IL wouil
. clearly nc his duty no. 10 allow the
marriage. la such case TIE result 10
him would be-. il not heavenly. sweet
enough a Ii rate 10 satisfy his long
ings. She would come 10 him. and
John Gordon would depart 10 London.
and To the world beyond. and there
would be- an end Of him. But il became
palpable 10 his senses generally that the
mans fortunes had not been such a. this.
! And then there came home To him q
feeling that Were they 80 il would be his
duty To make up for Mary's sake what
was wsnting-sincc he had discovered
of what caliber was the man himself.
Ii was II Mr.. Halls mouse that the
idea had first presented itself Ia him
with all the iirmEeSs OF a settled pro-
iect. Ii would lie, he had SAID 10 him.
self, a great thing for q man 10 do.
What. after all. Is the meaning of love.
but that a man should do his best tn
serve the wonan he loves? WHO cares
a S:rxw for him." he said To himself. A.
though to exempt himself from any
idea OF general charity. and 10 prove
that all the good which he intended to
do vas 10 be done Tor love alone. Not
a straw; whether he shall stay at home
here. and have ali that Is sweetest in
the world. or be sent out alone 10 tE,a
fresh diamonds amidst the Dirt and
misery is a nothing, Is far As he is
concerned. am. at any rate. more
to myself than John Gordon. | TO not
believe in doing 4 kindness OF such a
nature n that u such 4 one. But for
her. And | could not hold her 20 my
bosom, knowing that she would SO
much rather he in the arms of another
man. All this he said 10 himself; but
he said il in words fully formed, and
with the thoughts on which the words
were based clearly established.
When he came to the end of his Jour
ncy he had himself driven TO the hotel.
and ordered his dinner. and ate it in
solitude. still supported by the ecstasy
of his thCuUht-. lie knew that there
was before him 4 sharp, cruel punish
ment, and then a weary. lonely life.
There could BE- 10 happiness, no satis-
faction. in store for him. He was
aware that il must be SO: but still for
The present there was a Joy 10 him
in thinking that he would make
her happy, and in that he was deter
mined 10 take what immediate delight
il would give him. He asked himself
how long that delight could last: and
he told himself thai when John Gordon
should have oncc taken her BY the hand
and claimed her rs his w the time of
his misery would have come.
There had hung about him a dream.
clinging Ia him up 10 the moment of his
hotel dinner. by which he had thought
it possible that he might yet escape
from the misery Of pandcmonium and
he carried into the light and oy Of
paradise. But as h. sat with his beef
steak before him. and al" his accus
; toned potato with apparently rs good
a gusto as any of his ncighborS. the
dream departed. He told II .~clt tina,
under no circumstances should the
dream be allowed 10 become 4 realty.
The dream had beer Of this wise. With
all the best Intentions in his power he
would offer the -irl TO John Gordon.
and then. not doubling Gordcns &C
c~eptance OF her. would make the am
otter To the girl herself. But what il
the Girl refused To accept the oiicr'
What if the girl should stubbornlv adj
here 10 her original promise? Was lie
20 refuse to marry her when she should
insist that such was her right? Was he
TO decline TO enter in upon the Joys OF
paradise when paradise should hc thus
opened to him? Re would do las best.
lovally and sincerely. with his whole
heart. Bot he could not force her t.
make him 4 wretch. miserable Tor the
rest OF his life
In fact, it was she who might choose
II make the sacrifice. and thus aye
him from the unhappiness in store for
him. Such had been the nature Of III,
dream. As he was eating his beefs;cak
and potatoes. lie told himself that 1
could not bc 80. and that the dream
must be flung 10 the winds. \ certain
amount ~ strength WAS now demanded
of him. and he thought that ne would
be able 10 use II. NO. M dear. no.
me: it may no; be- that you should be-
come my wife. though ALI the promises
, noR..r Hcayau b.I ha.n rrx.u Thourb