The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-19

/
been forgotten. She was aware, more or
less, of all this. She was even aware,
more or less, of what he had wanted to tell
her. She had followed him too closely with
her heart not to be aware that he had not
always kept himself unspotted from the world
This had cost her many secret tear in the
years which were past but had not altered her
mind towards him. There are women who can
cease to love when they discover that is
unworthy; indeed, it is one. Of the common
places both of fact and fiction, that love cannot
exist without respect 1t would be very well for
the good people and very in for those who are
not good if this were generally SO. There are
many: many women, perhaps the majority.
who are not so high-minded, and who
love those they love-God help them-whether
they worthy of love or not Grace was
of these women. She heard somehow-who
can tell how, being intent to hear everything she
could pick up about him-that he had not kept
| the perfect way. She had heard that he had
gone wrong and perhaps heard no more for
| year or two, and in her secret retirement wept
and prayed, but made no outward sign; and
then had heard more comforting news, and then
again had been plunged into the anguish of
those who know that their beloved are in mis-
cry and trouble, yet cannot lift finger to help
them When he appeared again within her
ken, she knew it was man soiled with much
contact of the world that met her, and not
the purehearted boy of old. But he was still
| Oliver Wentworth, and that was everything.
And when in honor and honesty he would have
| told her how unworthy he was, her heart had
leapt up toward him in that glory and delight of
appreciation which is perhaps the highest ecstacy
of woman His confession, which she would
not allow him 70 make, was virtue and excel
| lence to her. She was more proud of him be-
cause he wanted to tell her that he was sinner,
and acknowledge his unworthiness, than if he
had been the most unsullied and excellent of
men.
Wentworth's sister had always been Grace's
friend. She was older than either of Them mar
| ried, and full in the current of her own life.
| When Oliver came back to her after all was set
tied and made what he believed was a reyela,
| ton to her of his love and happiness, Mrs. Ford
laughed in his face, even while she shared his
raptures. do you think don't know all that"
| she said;" there never was anything stupid as
a man in love. Why, have known it for the
last eight years. and always looked forward to
| this day." Which, perhaps, was not quite true,
and yet was true in way. For Trix had all
along loved Grace for loving her brother, and
| had seen that with such wife Oliver must be-
| come all that could be desired; yet had thought
| it best policy, on the whole, till Grace came into
her fortune to keep them out of each others
way.
Yes" he said very grave ly, pulling his mus
| tache, "for eight years she has always been the
| first woman in the world to me-"
At which his sister, which was very unbecom-
| ing, continued to laugh. 1.-THE first perhaps,
dear Nol," she said, ''but we can't deny, can we,
| that there have been few others-secondary2
| But you may be sure so far as | am concerned,
| Grace shall never know a word of that"
| Oliver did not take the matter so lightly.
| From his rapture of content he dropped into
| great gravity and walked about the room pulling
| at his mustache, which was custom he had
when he was thinking. ION the contrary" he
said, II should have liked her to know before
she took the last step that-that haven't been
| good fellow. Trix."
| say so. Charley says this her husbandl
that you've always been good fellow in spite
of -"
"In spite of what2"
'Well, in spite of-little indscretions" said
Trix, looking her brother in the face, though she
colored as she did SO in spite of herself
THAT means -" he said, and walked up and
down and pulled his mustache more and more
/ 1t was long time before he added there is
nothing that makes man so ashamed of him
| SELF Trix, as to feel that a woman like Grace
if there is anyone like her.
'Oh, nobody, of course!' said his sister.
He gave her look half angry, half tender
"You are good woman, too; and to think that
two girls like you should take fellow at your
| own estimate, and pretend to think that he is
good fellow enough, after all; as if that is all
| that her-her husband ought to be-"
| 'Well, Noll," said Mrs. Ford, lit is better not
to go into details Very likely we should not
understand them if you did, though I am no
GIRL nor is she baby, either, for the matter of
! that: but whatever you have been or done, the
! fact is that you are just Oliver Wentworth when
| all is said; and as Oliver Wentworth is the man
Grace has been fond of almost since she was
child, and who has been my brother since ever
| he was born"
'Strange" he cried with curious outburst,
half laugh half groan, ito think she should have
| kept thinking of me all this time, while +"
Have been In love with her and considered
her all the time the first woman in the world.
| You told me so just now"
YES" he said, that's not a lie, though you
may think it So ] did feel that-when thought
Of and here he paused and gave his sister a
guilty look.
when you thought of her at all: YOU needn't
be ashamed, Noll. That's the mans way of put
ting it. We women all know that; but now that
she is before your eyes and you cannot help
thinking of her-now it has come all right
Trix too gave laugh which was half crying:
and then she dried her eyes and came solemnly
up to him, with very serious face and caught
him by the arms and looked into his eyes.
"Oliver, now that that's all over, and you're
an older man and understand that life won't go
| like that; and now that you are going to marry
Grace, the woman you have always loved-Oliver,
/ for the love of God, no more of it nown
] He gazed at her for moment with fash of
something like fury in his eyes, and then flung
her from him with fierce indignation. do you
think am brute beast without understand
ing" he cried
| CHAPTER IL
For a week or more after their betrothal these
| two lovers were very happy. To be sure there
was great deal Of remark and some remon-
stance addressed to Grace about the : ltecedents
OF the man she was about to marry Various
people spoke to her, and some even wrote which
is strong STEP asking her if she was aware that
Oliver Wentworth had been supposed to be
wild or gay or something else Of the same
meaning. 1t is generally supposed that village
or a small town is the place for gossip, but |
think society is made up of succession of vii
lagos, and that there is no place, NJ even
i I.nndnn ifsalf-fhat mil