Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-09-24

fattcf even tfi No uflSG perfccC slHte OI pres
rvSuoA, thi4isst ef d@eriptioa sss nis1
leading. ThS Strangers. vho hsd exenenged
great rrsny glance during the progr>ss Of
tts storE expressed much sympathy, and
Graeioas Ne was'eftsh beerd Dong aftsr %
say that nicer gentlemen he never met, no
matter what Yard they came from.
--Tha- -sEening altar his -retaEn, Wilks-s called
to see me. He seemed contented, and spoke
bfhiA VIE With sfsati simirsfip3 iOt
C'tA cteSef,H elear-heatied girl, said he
nShs cG1ld make fye out or Two and two, I
verify believe. She viii be help to me all
throug, life Doctors guide, you know, and
On ads tser. {" '9s o. ElHH"9 1-1luH ~ 9tf
' Wetalked swhile about anything, every
thing and nothing, as people viii of an even
ing .,-g.., yr,a .tlul. aa5lz, 7,t -no.f
4, your friends up hill have gone away 1
said, after a while.
3 -i'Coner' he cried; ''the Hardwares eoneg
q LEFT yesterday morning" !" said i. 1"The
story is; that the old man intends to buy
house at Durham s'f hr. It6 %. o4V
30 What reliefr cried Willie. what
wonderful reliefr
Now, this little bit Of talk had a singular
result. Willie, hearing that the Hardwares
had gone away, was seized with fancy of
seeing the old house again. 1t turned out,
however, that the departure had been post
poned for two days, and it thus came about
that as Willie strolled up the road neal! to
Tumblcdown Farm a bend of the way brought
him face to face with Vanity, who was. walk
ing slowly in the opposite direction. ,..L.
At the sight of her Willie was thunder
struck She looked pale ami hopeless; but
her manner betrayed no disorder, while he
trembled with agitation. At first he made a
movement to raise his hat, but, changing his
mind, prepared to walk past her without any
sign of recognition. He was not to escape so
soon.
"Stopm cried Vanity.
Her voice was calm and authoritative
Willie, looking around with naughty air,
replied:
'You must excuse me-"
Il shall not excuse you,n answered Vanity
boldly. "You shall stop. You have to hear
something fromm Nr... s. ...-..-. .
He did stop; for her tone penetrated him,
and made him feel that he must obey. So
the two stood looking at each other. Her
figure was drawn up; her eyes looked into
his-those eyes he had seen twinkling with
witchery, and suffused with tears-and now
their gaze was resolute and piercing, and
such as he could not bear.
"Vanity,n he said, stahmering, and look
ing everywhere except at her, "I-I-am
sorry-but-you Seq" eo7 .Hr,n... '
listen to me-" she said, putting his com.
mencing apologies aside with slow gesture
expressive of disdain. ''You asked me to
marry you. refused You pressed your
self upon me again. Then l told you-Ineed
not haye told you, remember-that there was
q blot upon my life which could be endured
only by one who loved me more than name
or fame or the good opinion of the world.
Stillyou declared you would marry me, if
would have you. told you that this secret
must be kept by me till should see fit to
disclose it, You must marry me- snid--I
do not forget the words I used 'blindfold'
Still you persisted in asking me to be your
wife Is this truei" %. 81 - ..ir
'.Of course it is" slid Willie, in a tone
half sulky and hall pesulant; for he had re.
covered himself little. ..,...,-.grf
81 forget nothing" said Vanity bitterly.
'sHear me out. You promised me sotemnly
that if in the interval which was to elapse
between that time and our, marriage there
should come to your ears any rumor about
me you would nol heed it. Through evil
report and good report you would put faith
in me, until the time when I should be able
to confide in you Now / ask you this:
Have you kept your promise, or broken itw
well, you see, Miss Hardware" Willie
began.
Have you kept your promise, or broken
II AzI