Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-11-05
GOLDEN FETTERS.
BY EBEN q. RExFoRD.

orchard path, thinking. The wind from the
valley came up the hill, bringing TO her
sweet scents OF late blossoming clover from
tue meadow by the river. Now uud then nm
apple dropped from the branches OF the
gnarled old trees about her, and fell into the
crisp, brown grass, burned by the September
heat until all its freshness had departed as IL
frost had touched 1t, and u bluebird sang
plaintivey overhead, as IL sorrowing for
summers going. But 1t was not of these
things she thought. t
''If only knew what to do" she said to
herself, as she went slowly down the lane.
1t is SO hard to choose between the man
love, who Is poor, and the man do not love,
who is rich. But the choice must be made,
and must make IL now. If cou d only see
into the future little-if could know
which life would give mo most happinessF
All her lite she had been used TO luxury.
Her father supported his family in q style
out OF all proportion to his income, and
nothing had been laid by. Therefore, when
she married, the man of her choice must
have wealth If she cared to go on in fashion
able life.
..John Marsh is rich," she said, thinking
of the man her father wanted her TO marry,
but the thought did not bring pleased look
into her lace. 1t brought her a vision of an
old, gray-h headed man for whom she could
have nothing but respect, and perhaps but
little OF that; so little, in fact, that it might
not last long after she became the old man S
wife. ''He is rich, and can give me all that
wealth. cun Duy. uOD0TI MOOTe nus HOlnlDB
but his brain and his hands, and a great love
for me. Who knows? That love might be
more to me than wealth and position. Love!
IL tempts melt makes me wuvering and
weak. If Robert Moore could only have John
Marsh's money, how soon, how easily my
choice could be made. Things are never as
they ought to be In this world"
The handsome face took on vexed look.
She felt angry with Fate, Why couldn't she
have the man she loved, and the money of
the man she did not love!
She heard blithe whistle down the lane,
and the sound of it brought br .ghter glow
to her face than the exercise of walking had
given It. 1t made her heart beat trife
faster.
s'Why, oh, why, must give up this great
happinessY' she cried, thinking of what her
life would lose when Robert Moore was shut
out of II. That question, asked of herself,
showed her the truth. She knew that she had
deliberately made up her mind TO turn her
back on love and sell herself for gold, though
she had hardly admitted IL as yet. Perhaps
she had known all along what her final de
cision would be; but, like most of us, she had
liked to keep unpleasant truths as far i'm the
background as possible.
GOOD morning" called out pleasant
voice, and young man sprang over the Or
chard wall and Joined her.
She made room for the visitor in the
broad path, but she was silent for some
time. The sight OF Robert Moore's bright
her heart to clamoring for that which she
had resolved to deny it, and il seemed 10 her
tha. word would have betrayed her.
"Perhaps ! am intrudlng," he said pres
emily. ~ wouldn't have come If ] thought
was disturbing you."
II am glad you did come" she said, at last.
II wanted TO say something TO you that
might better be said now than by and by.
Perhaps ought to have said IL long ago.
He looked at her questioningly. He saw
4 Al,Ak k..wH HnOn laa n N
panied look in them. The words had caused
her great effort. But she had decided to
put an end TO everything between them, at
once and forever. There was no use in
dallying with the matter. The sooner she
told him tho truth the better IL would be for
both of them.
''Sit down." she said, when they came TO
little knoll at the end of the lane. ave
can have our talk out here without any
ones disturbing us"
He sat down. looking up at her in u per-
picked way. He had never seen her in this
mood before.
She broke a branch of golden-rod from
the bush that leaned over the old wall, and
tore the yellow blossoms slowly apart. She
knew what she wanted to say, but hardly
how to say 1t.
"I-I think / shall go back to the city in a
day or two," she said at last. She did
not look at him once, but kept her
eyes on the purple hills and thought,
hold for her il this man could go through II
at her side. Now that she had decided to-
speak the cruel words of doom, the happi-
ness she was rejecting seemed dearer,
sweeter-more worth having than ever be-
fore.
II knew you would be going soon,' he
said "But''-and his face lighted up with
| pleasant anticipation-'I shall see you be-
| fore long. ] shall spend the winter In the
city. 1 have often thought OF tax ns this
n, al, 4 h..wy
| cided to o. for IL will keep me near you, and
| there will be an incentive TO work that
| have never felt before. Do you think
would stay here contentedly after you arc
gone"
| she could not. He would be near her. She
| would see him often, perhaps. There was Q
| dangerous pleasure I'm the thought. But II
must not be. He must be made to under
| stand that hepceforth thoir ways lay apart
.'There is something have wanted to tell
you i'm words that think you understand
| plainly enough already" he sad. Il may
| as well tell It ow-thercis is no use in waiting.
Do you guess what It is have TO say!'
| His voice was low and full of an eager
| tenderness that thrilled her like music. She
knew what he had to tell, and she was not
womanly enough To- prevent his telling IL.
though she knew what her answer would be
| IL would DO pleasant to hear him say, 81
love you" She was cruel enough to let him
| say 1t.
"I love you. / ask you to be my wifo by
| and by. Our stations I'm life are different,
and the prejudiccs of society might lead
| some TO say i was presuming, but 10 my
| mind no honest man presumes too much who
| loves awoman and asks her to share his lot
| IL she loves him. Love makes all equal
| Birth or love have nothing to do with It,
Since love you, and, as believe, you love
| me, put all false delicacy, all Difference to
| the opinions of others, entirely out of the
| question, and ask you TO be my wife, Not
| now, not TIL ] have proved to you that
| mean TO do something, for your sake, that
shall give me a rank among men that shall
| be counted better than the possession ol
| wealth. can work hard when / feel the
/ incentive of love urging me on. car
| wait till you are willing TO come TO me, II
/ only you bid me do So
| She listened with avcrted face. What Q
| tumult his words made I'm her heart They
| made her weak again. After all, was wealth
/ and position worth as much as this mans
| lover II she gave it up for them, would she
| never regret her choice9 She could
| not deny that she had encouraged hin
| TO believe that she loved him. She
| did love him. She had known that long ago
had known, too, that Il was her duty to put
/ an end to the intimacy between them while
| Il was possible TO do IL, and save this man
/ heart the cruelest pain it had ever felt Blu
/ she had found IL pleasanter to drift with the
tide and dream than 60 be n true woman
| Though she loved him she had thought more
i OF her own selfish pleasure than of the pair
the truth was sure TO give him at last.
Here's q couple OF letters for ye," suns