The Red Cloud chief., 1884-07-18
= Iv.-CoNTryUEp.

oiusn, SAID Mr.. hittleStar.
Il dare say not"
"But when it does come / am con-
scious of the sweetest color that ever
came upon a lady's cheek. And / tell
myself that another grace has been
added TO the face which of all faces in
he world is TO my ewes the most beauti-
tul- What was she TO say in answer
% a compliment so high-flown as this.
20 one from whose mouth compliments
were so uncommon? She knew that he
could not have so spoken without Il pur-
pose. declared al any rate 10 his own
heart. He still held her by the arm.
out did not progress with his speech,
while she sat silent 10y his side, and
blushlng with that dark ruby streak
across her cheeks which her stepmother
had intended TO Willy when She said
that she had blushed black. Mary"
he continued, after a pause, ..can you
endure the thought of becoming my
wife," Now she drew her arm away.
and turned her face, and compressed
her lips, and sat without uttering a
word. "Df course, | ara an old man"
at Is not that she muttered.
But ] think that | can love YOU as
honestly and a. firmly a. Younger one.
think that if YOU could bring yourself
10 be my wife YOU would find that YOU
would not be- treated badly
"Oh. no, no, noi' she exclaimed.
Nothing, At anv rate. would be kept
from you. When have a thought or a
feeling, a hope or a fear. YOU shall share
II. As TO money
Don't do that. There should be no
talk OF money from OF TO me-
Perhaps not. IL would be best that
should be left TO do As l may think
nos fit ng for YOU. ! nave 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, hut that image has
passed from my mind He wa, think
lnT. as he said this. of Mrs. Compass
and her large family. 1T Will not be
necessary that / should refer TO this
again. because the subject Is very pain
full: but ii was essential that | should
tell Won. And now. Mary. how shall it
be- he added. after a pause.
She sat listening to all that he had %
say. but without speaking a word. He.
too. had his John Gordon" but in
IIS "a it gill NV HI ioNtd Hdu lIttl-
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 il had
been in some sort healed, had not with
her been SO cruel ~ with Mr.. Whittle-
staff. John Gordon had come 10 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
aer. and Mrs. Lawrie had told him that
he wasa 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 her question
further. Then Mary had given him her
hand. and had whispered. Good bye.
If / return, he ad led, the first
place / will come to shall be Norwich"
Then without further farewell he had
gone. From that day 10 this she had
had his form before her ewes: but now,
if she accepted Mr.. Whittlestaff. il must
be banished. No one knew of her
wound. She must tell him, should she
accept him. Ii might be that he would
reject her after such telling. If so. it
would be well. But. in that case, what
would be her future? Would it not be
necessary that she should return To that
idea of a governesS which had been SO
distaSteful TO her?
MARY. can YOU say that it shall be
SOP he asked quietly, after having re-
manned silent for some ten minutes.
Could il be- that all her fate must be
resolved in SO short a time? Since first
the notion that Mr.. Whittlestaff had
asked her to be his wife had come upon
her. she had thought of il day and night.
But she had thought altogether Of the
past. and not of the future. Marr had.
in truth. not thought of her answer
though she had said 10 herself over and
over again why ii should not be SO.
Have you no answer to give me?:"
he said.
.-Oh. Mr.. Whittlestaff. YOU have so
startled me-" This was hardly true.
He had no, startled her. but had brought
her TO the necessity of knowing her own
mind.
If YOU wish TO think of it o shall
take your own time Then ii was de-
rided that a week should be accorded
to her. And during that week she
passed much of her time in tears. Mrs.
Bargett would not leave her alone. To
give Mrs. Baggett her due. il must be
acknowledged that she acted a best
she knew how for her master interest.
without thinking of herself. Il shall
GO down 10 Portsmouth. I'm M worth
thinking of. l amt. There's them at
Portsmouth ash take care of me. You
don't see WHY l should go. l dare say
not: but I'm older than o and i see
what O don't see. I've borne with
YOU as a miss. because You've not been
upsetting; hut still. when I've lived
with him for all those wears without
ANYTHING of the kind. il has set me hard
sometimes. As married TO him, /
wouldn't put IN with You: so tell you
fairly. But that don't signify. II amt
YOU As signifies or me a signifies. It's
only him. You have got TO bring your
self % think of that. What the mean
ing of your duty To YOU neighbor. and
doing unto others. and al the rest of it?
You ain I got To think Just Of your own
eelr; no more haven't /.
There's them AZ Portsmouth ash
lake care of me, no doubt. Don't Won
mind about me. l amt going to have
= good time at Portsmouth. but people
int born 10 have good times of il.
6ou're going TO have a good time. But
lint for that, but for what your duty
Is YOU. You that haven't a bit or 3
but what comes from him. and YOU
stand shilly-shallying! Ican't abide
idea.7
Thus Mr. Rarreff fanrht her