The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-20

He had stabbed her to the heart already,
but that had been done out of anxiety
for her welfare-it was singular how
well he managed, on the whole, to keep
his own cons deratiCns out of sight; and
if she married man for whom she did
not care, why, scores of women did il
every day, and looked anything but
broken-hearted afterward.
81 am a naughty. wayward girl, -
she answered.. :. RDt | will try to be
good to you, papa. Twill indeed"
Il could wish you no better than you
are,'' he said, kissing her again. His
pulse took disorderly beat, and the
palms of his hands grew moist. But
could he find more favorable time than
this? Have you ever guessed rea-
son for my speaking to you of Mr..
Weatherley?"
If there is q reason, say nothing
about it, papa" she answered. There
was nothing in her manner to make
him afraid of his enterprise, and he
ventured to press lis question.
4" Have you ever guessed reason
for it?''
&" No" she said, YEARLY, al have
not troubled to think about it. Oh
papa" she cried, laying her cheek
against his breast, Il am getting to
be downright false and disingenuous,
Say nothing about the reason, dear.
If my guess is not very vain and silly
one, want to hear no more about it. -
Still there was nothing to scare him
from his purpose.
He will wait as long as you like,
my darling And it is the one desire of
your poor old fathers heart
q am very sorry, DEAR" said the
girl, drawing herself away from him
and looking down at her. languid-
ly INTERVENING fingers. 81 am very
sorry"
Think, my darling he urged her,
warming TO the theme think of the
burden of anxiety the contemplation
of your future lays upon me. l have
so little to leave you, and l can not
bear to think of you upon the stage. L
know the coarseness of the life and its
dangers, the scandals that attend it.
A good heart is laid at your feet, my
dear-an honest, honorable heart and
a great fortune. l will not urge you
for my own sake, but it may have
some weight with you if you think that
l am getting old, that my time is short,
that my faculties are naturally decay
ing. My popularity may goa at any
time, and may live to hear it said:
'Superfuous la gs the veteran on. the
/ 70 l. fShl w |
speak for your own sake, after all.
Your future is my sole anxiety
In an affair absolute and simple Mr.
Montgomery Bassett could have
achieved to the lie absolute and simple
with no great difficulty, as he had
proved already. But here it was not
easy to be altogether false, and he did
care enough for his own ch Id to wish
her well, even apart from his own in
terests. Her welfare and his own be-
ing both wrapped up together in this
matter, he was moved with a genuine
emotion. The girls tired heart took it
all for gospel. What had she to desire
in the world except to please her father?
Whom else had she to think of? Yet
marriage without love looked like a
blasphemy of that religion of the heart
which she had learned less out of books
than her own nature. Thinking of it,
there were tears in her eyes>for very
pity of herself if she should yield. Life
would be cold and lonely enough in
any case, but bearable without that.
Don't be anxious about me, dear"
che said. laying her cheek against his
5rca st again ''And don't be anxious
for yparself You were never so popu-
lar, aud you; never played so well as
you d. now. Everybody says so. All
the P4pers say so, dear. Let us live
together, papa, and you shall live to be
very, very old. a gray old gentleman.
she went on with tremulouS gayety,
with Just a little to,Ich of gout-not
enough to hurt much bat just enough
to look nice. and aristocratic ana old
fashioned. And we will have little
cottage in some country place. papa,
and live there together, and'-the
voice grew more and more tremulous,
and was suddenly broken by rush of
die together. She ended
with both arms about his neck, and he
stood strokiGg her hair while he Won
dered if it were safe to 90 little
further.
He would try. at amy rate. and he
nerved himself
You think so now," he said, still
stroking her hair softly, and putting
one caressing arm about her neck.
"You think so now; but when you come
to-to- to think a little''-he was very
will find that you have
too much proper pride, my darling, to
have it thought that you will always
wear the willow for a scoundrel."
He had wished a thousand times to find
courage enough to. launch that shaft.
1t had left his hand BOW. The BOOM
erang would have furnished better
simile. The argument was as likely as
not to turn and knock his scheme on
the head
He felt her tremble little in his en-
brace, and he knew that her tears had
ceased. By-and-by she pushed bim away
gently, and for second hid her face ia
both hands. Then moving her handn
S deways and backward with a firm
pressure on her forehead, and twining
her fingers in her hair, she looked at
him with glance he remembered To
have seen before when his wicked plot
first bore fruit.
Nobody" she answered, with quiet
voice. shall say that of ME.
She left him standing there without
another word. Her father lit a cigar
and sat down beside the fire.
II was wise. to try it, he said to.
himself. 1.-The case is anything but
hopeless, but We must be content to 60
slowly"
While he sat thinking the servant