Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1885-12-24
THE CONQUEROR.


"Such q wedding! No bridesmaids,
no music, no breakfast or reception;
declare, should not feel as if had
been married." exclaimed Marion Will
oughby, throwing herself down upon
the low fauteui in her own elegantly
appointed drawing room, and drawing
of the delicately tinted gloves, which
served as a finish to the exquisite Par
isian toilet.
There was only one other occupant
OF the room, IL man, tall and hand
some, standing with one hand resting
on the back of her chair. She did
not glance up as she spoke or note
that Chester Torley's face had lost its
color.
"You are speaking OF Miss Marvine's
wedding, " he said. There is one essen
tial to most marriages you have not
enumerated in your list of things lack
ing. Was love wanting
"Oh, no. | believe she loves him.
She certainly must do so to an almost
absurd extent. They are to go house
keeping in a smallh flat in an unfashion-
able locality up town where he must
be away froru early morning until
quite six O'Clock. lie occupies some
salaried position-clerk in bank, l be
lieve-and she might have married any
body"
Honest labor degrades no man
Marion, came the firm, quick answer.
Gwen clersship is not always found,
and | would rather break stones in the
street than live on money acquired
dishonesty or doled out of charity,
though in that case | would ask no
woman to share my lot"
This looks like breaking stones,
does it not?" she laughingly answered,
letting her own ieweled fingers close
over the mans hand where it rested
a hand whose shape betokened its ar
istocracy, and which WAS soft and
white as q woman's.
At her light touch hfs strong arm
quivered. He bent and let his lips
rest an instant caressingly on her hair,
for the gigl beside him was his affianced
wife.
at could break stones though, dear;
and | don't know but it would make
me better man. Suppose | lost my
money, Marion? Suppose it were all
swept away from me in an hour, and
j had had position offered me-a
position which would enable me to
live humbly, very much as your friend
is going to live-tell me what you
would dor"
"You are only talking to try me,
Chester, and | hate such questions.
In the first place it is entirely out OF
reason, for even were it so, papa, you
know Is very rich, and our home
could always be with him."
II have said to you, that | would
rather starve than eat the bread OF
charity. Therefore, putting this pos
sibility aside, tell me what you would
do?"
Her fingers relaxed their grasp upon
his hand. Was there significance in
the action? He smiled bitterly as he
saw it. His face was vely pale now.
Except that he stood still behind the
chair, she must have noticed it.
"You are utterly absurd this after
noon, Chester" she said petulantly.
"Have not told you that Edith
Marvine's wedding was more like O.
funeral than wedding? And though
presume | shall one day have to at
tend my own funeral, | will not, / as
sure you, be voluntary agent. Have
you nothing more agreeable that you
can say 20 me?"
The man shook off certain some
thing which seemed to envelop him in
an almost invisible cloud. and he an
swered with the old courteous grace
which sn;ted him so well, and made his
power with women almost a proverb.
Money always seemed to belong to
him by an inherent right. 1t was so
natural that he should be rich. No
man could have imagined Chester
Thorley poor. He know so well how
to expend his wealth. He gave it so
generously, yet without ostentation,
that no man envied him.
Yet he knew half an hour later, when
he left his farewell kiss on Marion
Willoughby's lips, that it was n fare
well to all hopes and happiness.
The blow had already fallen. He was
ruined man with scarce dollar he
could call his own-he had had no wish
ungra.i lifted money could procure in all
his thirty years OF life. 1t had fallen,
too, through no fault of his own,
though there was feeble comfort in
that. There was comfort, however,
in tho knowledge that he owed no
man, and that he might start afresh
in the world with no burden on his
broad shoulders or his conscience.
True, there was a deep wound in his
heart. He had loved Marion so well
that to give her up was to voluntarily
renounce Gods sunlight. But all her
life had been spent amid luxury. 1t
was to her a necessity. Deprived Of it,
she would droop and fade; and better
any lot than to see her struggle, and
know that he had brought it upon her
Besides she had made her choice.
To her wedding meant flowers,
music. friends, the toilet OF the bride
! The future, the communion OF two
hearts, the solemn responsibilities in'
Cured, were but secondary considera-
| tons.
Good by, my darling" he said, as
they parted. but when she added
"Until tomorrow" he added neither
yea or nay.
Tomorrow" the world knew that
Chester Thorley's ship had gone upon
therocks. Many of his business as
sociatcs would have held out to hin
q helping hand, but firmly and kindly