McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-07-31
CONSERVING AT LAST.

'It's of 10 use, Delphine," said Miss
Stratton, turning around from the
glass before which she had been crimp.
ing her dried frizzes; emo use what
ever, I'll never give my consent to your
throwing yourself away upon a man
who can't earn enough to support him
self, much less family"
''But, aunt, he is clever, and will get
good practice in time"
SIN time!" repeated Miss Stratton,
eontemptuously. eyes, in about
twenty years or so, perhaps. And,
meanwhile, what do you and he pro-
pose to live on?"
"The-the money that grandma left
me would help us to begin WITH" said
Delphine, timidly.
would that goP And, besides, you for
get that it was left to you only condi-
tionally. I should be false to the trust
reposed in me-" said Miss Stratton,
erecting her thin form with an air of
moral dignity, ''if l gave my consent
to your wedding yourself to life of
poverty, and the wret chedness which
poverty always entails. You can mar
~ George Irving if you choose-mind,
don't say I forbid it-but with my
consent no hard-earned money of my
deceased brother shall ever go into the
pockets of an irving"
In the last sentence Miss Stratton
betrayed herself.
The high moral tone vanished before
the self-interested motive which was
the real basis of her persistent opposi-
ton to Delphine's marriage. She had
not forgotten that young DR.. Irving's
father had Tilted her in her youth, and
married her bosom friend, Mary Lane !;
nor that this course had been brought
about by DR.. Irving's Aunt Dorothea,
who had been her special rival from
their very babyhood, and who had
warned her favorite brother that he
would not be happy with Millicent
Stratton as his wife.
AS to the doctor himsef-who had
as yet barely become accustomed to
his new professional title-it was true
that he was very poor, but Delphine
had been right in saying that he was
clever, and would probably win good
practice.
And if-the girl often thought visit
fully-if only she could bring him that
thousand pounds to begin with, how
happy they might be!
And it all rested upon word from
Aunt Millicent, which she refused to
speak.
Most people said that that was very
unjust condition of old Madame STRAIT
toms will by which the money was to
be Delphine's only upon the express
stipulation that she did not marry
against her aunt's consent.
The young folks, one and all, pro-
nounced it sshorrid" and "cruel, !"
though there were some among the
elders who remembered how the old
lady herself had made a most unhappy
marriage against the will of her family,
and how her favorite daughter, Del
phine's mother, had followed her ex-
ample and had been equally wretched.
And as she expressed her belief that
such things Gran in families" she had
in Delphine's instance guarded against
similar recurrence by making it a
condition that her granddaugh
should marry with the full consent and
approval of her shrewd, sharp and
scrupulously correct Aunt Millicent,
who had been always very severe in
condemnation of her sisters imprudent
match.
Miss Stratton loved money, and
though very unwilling that the thou.
sand pounds should 60 to the various
charities to which it had been be-
queathed in case of Delphine's for
fixture of it, she would, in her own
heart, rather have it cast into the
ocean than in any way beneftting the
son of John Irving and Mary Lane, and
the nephew of Dorothea Irving, who
had recently averred that, despite Mil
icent's airs, none of the STATIONS could
hold a candle to the Irvings.
Delphine's eyes were full of tears as
she reported to her lover the converse.
ton with her aunt, and that lady's de-
clared unalterable decision in regard
to her marriage. He tried to soothe
her.
''Let the money CO." he said impa.
tiently. 'sIt is comfort to think that
she cannot forbid our marriage, al
though she may keep US apart for
awhile. But we are young and can
afford to wait, can't we darlingP'
81 will wait for you all my life,
George, if it is necessary" SAID Del
phine trustingly.