Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1885-12-18

| he hadn been his fathers son and al
. those millions coming to him he GER
: tainly would have been famous
= painter. according to al accounts"
: But Elizabeth scarcel y waits to heal
: these words ; she has run up the stairs
and into her own room, where she
/ throws her hands over her burning
) face. Word after word of the conver
= sation in the grounds comes back t(
her memory and covers her with con.
fusion. Oh, how freely she had spo
ken Of Mr.. Aidred and Of the rich.
And then those dreadful, dreadful
remarks about the House and all tc
BobJie, Why had not some instinct
warned her? She who was always sc
reserved to strangers, what had come
1vsr her TO make her SO at ease with
Il man whom she knew nothing a5oat
whom she had never seen before
What must lie think Of her? AS the
day wears on the enormity Of the
whole thing seems 10 grow more and
more upon her. She is~wretched. She
dare NOT venture out lest she may
meet Mr. Aldred Never, never, she
thinks, can she look into his face a
gain. She is sitting disconsolats in
the window Of their little parlor in
the deepening dusk, when she sees
her father raise his hat, and immedl-
atcly the very countenance she breads
has come within the range of her WIS.,
ion.
Az Aidred's keen eyes h,ve caught
sight Of her TOO, dark as 1t is growing,
so she need have no hope of escape.
Good evening, Mr.. Fenn," he says
cheerily. and then, as one of the under
gardeners comes up to speak to Eliza
beth's father, he makes his way to the
window and raises his hat.
Good evening, Mr.. Aldred," says
Elizabeth, rising. She looks very tall
and straight in the cleaning, and
there is no mistaking the new distance
at once established by the tone and
look. Perhaps he has expected some
thing of the sort, for be takes an in,
SIaDtantoGS utCtSiON.
/ Don't bluff me off like this, please
Miss Fenn.' he says, with great frank
ness, going direct to his point. Il
know | ought to apologize for not
making my identity known this morn.
ing. 1t was taking an unfair advan.
ItLe But did SO enjoy talking to a
flank, clever. natural girl, who was
perfectly at her ease with me, that
was selfish enough not to give up my
false position. You don't know what
1t is for fellow never TO be able tC
get away from his fathers millions
really. Miss Fem, always TO be treat
ed in connection with them, as it were
,''--oa = rnl grind Now, please dc
not let anything come between us
We were meant to be good friends
We got on so flmonsly together this
moraing. Why can't We go on in the
same WAY
And then All, looking very hand.
some and eager. stretches out his hand
in token, presumably of good-fellow-
ship. And, after moments hrslta
ton. Etiz.betn's slender fingers are
closed within it.
The u xt morning, when Elizabeth
with the aithful Bobbie in tow. pro
ceeds to her customary place to sketch
>hs trles hard to look very mattsr in
ract upon se-ing Mr.. Aldred, Jr., there
. And the next day it is the same thing,
and the next. and the next. But
presently Elizabeth begins to stay al
the lodg', and to neglect her painting
When, once or twice, she has been
wavlaid and called to order for hel
growing Indifference to art, she has
pleaded work AZ home Us an excuse.
Mr. Fem. on his size, wonders why
Elizabeth seems 50 sill about the
house aud Ks her SoliCitously whether
she is not quite well. And to this
Elizabeth answers mot quite" And
if her father can spare her, she thinks
she will 90 away before her vacation Is
over. She SAYS nothing # her deci-
sion bevond this. But somehow it
1ets to one pair Of ears, and one even
ING. as Elizabeth steals down to the
arbor bv the river for Il last quiet mo-
maut there, she is startled by the
sound Of footsteps behind her. She
makes an instructive motion to escape,
but Alf AIdred bars the way.
is this true-that you are gong =?
she says, coming near her.
"Ies. Mr. Aldred.'
She tres hard to control her voice,
but its suppressed trcmor betrays her.
lie stoops down quickly to her.
"EIiz beth. And you are sorry to
go-l know YOU are. And | knew |
should find You here just here, where
We first saw each other; some instinct
told me-"
Somehow. he has taken her two
hands in his. He is very near her, so
near that she feels his breath in her
hair. She struggles family to free
herself; but he is stronger than she.
Listen. EIizab,'h,' he says in a
whisper. 81 love You, dear child. |
love you Very, very much. And |
think you love me, too, a little. | want
vou to be my wife. Say that YOU will
Elizabeth. You must dear We shall
be very happy
But now Elizabeth has really freed
herself, and stands before him, tremb
ling, but calm.
"No, that can never be; did very
wrong in ever allowing myself to care
for you. Mr.. Aldred--for | will moi
deny the truth-and in allowing you
ever to learn to care, even Il little, fol
me. But here it must end. 1t is not
fitting that you should marry poor
kindergarten teacher, the daughter OF
your father s.
"Eiizsbeth" he interrupts very
gravelv, 'this is worthy OF you, child
/ love you, you love me-and you are
aol ,,l ,,nra and sweet and trua