The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-10-31

London was no longer bearable to him;
and as there was no other place but
Crokers Hall to which he could take
himself with any prospect of meeting
friends who would know anything OF
his ways of life, he did GO down on the
following day. One conse luence of
this was that Mary had received from
her lover the letter which he had writ
ten almost as soon as he had received
Mr.. Whittlestafrs permission to write.
The letter was rs follows:
DEAR MARY-I do not know whether you
are surprised by what Mr.. whittesta6 has
done: but I am--so much SO that L hardly
know how to write to you on the matter. If you
will think OF il. have never written to you,
writing seemed to DO possible. Nor do /
know as yet whether you are aware or rhe
business which has Brought Mr.. whittlestaf
to town.
81 suppose am to take It for granted that
all he tells me is true; though when think
what II is that have to accept-and that on
the word OF man who 1. not your father.
and who Is a perfect stranger to met does
seem a. though 1 we're assuming a great deal.
And yet IL is no more than asked him 10 do
for me when saw him at his own house.
81 had no time then to ask for your permis-
sion: nor. had asked for it would you have
granted IL to me. You had pledged yourself,
and wou d not have broken your pledge. II
asked for your hand at all. it was from him
that I hal to ask. How will IL be with ne
IL you shall refuse to come to me at his bid
dinrI
II have never told you that loved you.
recei my love Dear Mary, how shall It be?
No dogUt | do count upon you in my yery
heart as being my own. After this week OF
troubles 1t seems as though L can look back
upon a former time in wilton you and l had
talked to another as though We had been iov-
ers. Nay 1 not think that it was sol May
it not be so1 Nay not call you my Nary?
And, indeed, between man and man, as
would say, only that you are not a man, have
not right to assume that IL is so: told
him that il was so down at Cookers Hall, aud
he did not contradict me. And now he has
lowed all your secrets to escape from his
breast. He has tod me that you love me. and
has babe me do as seems good to me in speak
ing to you of nv love.
"But, Mary, why should there be any mock
modesty or pretense between usg When a
man and woman mean to become husband
and wi e they shou d ut any rate be earnest in
their profession. / am sure OF my love for
you, ana of my earnest longing to make you
my wife. Tell mean not right in counting
upon YOU for wishing the same thing:
What STALL i say IN writing to you OF Mr..
WhittlestaG, But he ceatTires to do so in
such a way that | can take il only as the ex-
preston of his regret thatI should be found
TO &c stan ling in his way. Has devotion to
you is the most beautiful expression of self
abnegation that have ever met. He tells
ME that nothing is done for me; but It is only
that ] may understand how much more il
done for you. Next to me-yes, Mary, next
to myself. he should be the dearest TO you of
human beings am jealous aireaiy, almost
jealous of his goodness. Wolll that could
loo forward to a life in which l would be re-
garded as his friend.
let me have q line from you to say that II
is as would wish il, and name d lay in which
/ may come to visit you. / shall now remain
in IOnC. Nnay tlkay VOnr lPhpslS As for
my future l:e, | can Settle nothing till / can
scu>s IL with you, as il viii be your lie also.
GCd bless you. my own one
Yours affecIonately,
JOIN GORDON.
I'VE are not to return to the diamond
fields, l have promised Mr.. whittlestar that
it shall be So
Mary, when she received this letter,
retired into her own room to read it.
For. indeed. her life in public-her life,
that is. to which Mrs. Baggetr has ac-
cess had been in some degree dis
turbed since the departure of the mas
ter of the house. Mrs. Baggett GER
tainly proved herself to be a most un-
reasonable old woman. She praised
Mary Lawrie up to the sky IS being the
only woman fitted to be her master S
wife. at the same time abusing Mary
for driving her out of the house were
the marriage to take place: and then
abusing her also because Mr.. Whittle-
staff had gone to town to look up au-
other lover on Mary's behalf. 1T isn't
my fault; / did not send him." said
Mary.
You could make his going of no &C
count. You needn't have the young
man when he comes back. He has
come here, disturbing us all with his
diamonds. in most Objectionable
manner"
"You would be able to remain here.
and not have to 60 away with that
dreadfully drunken old man." This
Mary had said because there had been
rather i violent scene with the one
legged hero in the stable.
.What's that to do with it? Baggett
amt the worst man in the world by any
means. Ii he was a little cross last
night, he amt so always. You'd be
cross yourself, miss, if you didn't ge,
straw enough under you to take off the
hardness OF the stones"
'.But you would 60 and live with
him"
Amt he my husband Why
shouldn't woman live with her hus-
band? And what does it matter where
/ live, or how. You amt going to
marry John Gordon, 1 know, to save
me from Timothy Baggett!" Then the
letter had come-the letter from Mary S
lover, and Mary retired to her own
room to read it. The letter she thought
was rerfect, but not SO perfect as was
Mr.. Whittlestaff. When she had read
the letter, although she had pressed it
to her bosom and kissed it a score OF
times, although she had declared that
it was the letter of one who was from
head TO foot a man, still there was
room for that jealousy of which John
Gordon had spoken. When Mary had
said to herself that he was of all human
beings surely the best, it was to Mr..
Whittlestaf and not to John Gordon
that she made allusion.
CHAPTER XIII.
AGAIN AT cRoKER's HALL.
About three o'clock on that day Mr..
Whittlestaff came home. The pony
carriage had gone to meet him, but
Mary remained purposely out of the
way. She could not rush out to greet