The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1885-01-16


Not word, said the Colonel, march
ing off.
"But excuse me-" said Walter, 81 have
another thing far more important to
speak to you about; this unhappy law
suit"
That's no business of yours, and 1
don't want your opinion Of it; there is
no more fight in you than there is in a
hen sparrow. / decline your company
and your pacific twaddle; have no pa
thence with muff;" and the Colonel
marched OFF, leaving his son planted
there, as the French say.
Walter, however, was not long alone;
the interview had been watched from
distance by Mary. She now stole noise
lessly on the scene, and laid her white
hand upon her husbands shoulder be-
fore he was aware of her. The sight of
her was heaven to him, but her first
question clouded his happy face.
We'll, dear, have you propitiated
him?"
Walter hung his head sOrrowfully,
and said hardly anything.
HE has been clustering at me all the
time, and insists upon my cutting out
Percy whether / can or not, and marry
ing Julia whether she chooses or not"
"Then we must do what l said. In
deed there is no other course. We must
own the truth; concealment and deceit
will not mend our folly"
"Oh, hang it, Mary, don't call folly"
Forgive me, dear, but it was the
height of folly. Not that / mean to
throw the blame on yOu-that would be
ungenerous; but the truth is you had
no business to marry me, and had no
business to marry you. Only think
me-Mary Bartley-a clandestine mar
riage, and then our going to the Lakes
again, and spending our honeymoon to-
gether just like other couples-the reck-
lesSness-the audacity! Oh, what hap
piness it was!"
Walter very naturally pounced upon
this unguarded and naive conclusion Of
Mary's self-reproaches. Eyes," said he,
eagerly; let us go there again next
week."
"Not next week, not next month, not
next year, nor ever again until we have
told all the world"
well, Mary" said Walter, cts for
you to command and me to obey. l said
so before, and | say so now, if you are
not ashamed of me, how can l be
ashamed of you; you say tho word, and
| will tell my father at dinner-time, be-
fore Julia Clifford and John Baker, and
request themtotell everybody they know,
that am married to q woman adore,
and there is nobody care for on earth
as do for her, and nothing | value
compared with her love and her esteem"
Mary put her arm tenderly around
her husbands neck; and now it was
with her as it is often with generous
and tender-hearted women, when all
opposition to their wishes is withdrawn,
they begin TO see the other side.
"My dearest" said Mary, 81 couldn't
bear you to sacrifice your prospects for
me-"
"Why, Mary" said Walter, "what
would my love be worth if it shrank
from self-sacriice? l really think l
should feel more pleasure than pain if [
gave up friends, kindred, hope, every
thing that is supposed to make life
pleasant for YOU"
And so would for YOU" said Mary;
"and oh, Walter, women have PRESENT.
ments, and something tells me that fate
has great trials in store for you or for
me, perhaps for both. Yes, you are
right, the true measure of love must be
self-sacriiice. and if there is to be self
sacrifice, no, let the self-Sacrifice fall on
me; for cannot think any man can
love a woman quite so deeply as L love
yOu-my darling"
He had only time to draw her sweet
forehead to his bosom, whilst her arm
encircled his neck, when in came an
ordinary love by way of contrast.
Julia Clifford and Percy came in,
walking three yards apart: Percy had
united the apron strings without Wal
ter's assistance.
"Ah," said she, "you two are not like
us. i am ashamed to interrupt YOU: but
they would not let us go down the mine
without an order from Mr.. Hope. Real
ly, think Mr.. Hope is king of this
country. Not that we have wastetLour
time, for he has been quarrelling with
me all the way there and back"
"Oh, Mr.. Fitzroy!" said Mary BARLEY.
Miss Barley" said Percy, very civil
ly, IL never q-q-quarrel, l merely dis
-distin-guished between right and
wrong. / shall make you the judge.
gave her dia-dia-mond br-bracelet
she did me the honor to accept it, and
she said it should never leave her day
nor night"
"Oh," cried Julia, shat never did.
/ cannot afford to stop my circulation
altogether; its much too little" Then
she flew at him suddenly. Your acces-
tors were pigmies."
Percy drew himself up to his full
height, and defied the insinuation. They
were giants, in chain armor," said he.
what" said Julia, without a mo-
ment's hesitation, "the ladies? Or was
it the knights that wore bracelets%
Some French writer says, 1.-THE tongue
of woman is her sword" and Percy
Fitzroy found it so. He could no more
answer this sudden thrust than he could
win the high leap at Lille Bridge. He
stood quivering as if a polished napier
had really been passed clean through
him.
Mary was too kind-hearted to laugh
in his face, but couldn't help turning
her head away and giggling little.
At last Percy recovered himself
enough to say;
1.-THE truth is you have gone and given
it to somebody else"
"Oh, you wicked-bad-heart
that couldn't be jealous!"
BY this time Percy was himself again,
and said, with some reason, that in
vectives were not arguments. Produce
the&racelet."
And so can" said Julia, stoutly.
WCiya mn finn -