Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-01

4 SIllhe ; Ou % " htlAS Dis tOO metdpus 81
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son the contrary, it is one of the sim
pliest things in life, and, when you ask
her, l think she will tell you So"
when l ask herr What do you
mean?"
what do you mean: suppose you
are going to offer yourself"
March took another turn upon the porti-
co. He came back with his hands thrust
glOomily in his pockets.
"YOu must knew that I can't"
ooh, see here!" cried Lincoln, rising.
you don't want it explained TO you,
trust?7
"Pshaw! March, you can't mean o.
look herel" deprecated the young man.
"You haven't been thinking that
wOuld?"
Lincoln stared at him. Heput his hand
on his shoulder.
eyes, 1 did. Itnever occurred to me.
thought, of course"
His protest died upon his lips; he could
not find the abundant arguments which a
moment before seemed to crowd about
him.
You see, Lincoln, even you can't find
a decent defense for it."
Il should like to know who is doing the
metaphysical nOw," he said, sitting down,
dOggedly.
I dIsapprOYal.
Look at it fairly, Lincoln. How can
J / tell her that was mistaken, that once
she seemed scarcely worthy to occupy
tne exalted position Of Owen MARGINS
wife, but that l have thought better Of il,
and now see in her some virtues, former
ly overlooked, which entirely qualify herr
! How can l tell her that? But l needn't
urge It."
''No, you needn't" admitted Lincoln,
/ ''though you Overstate it. Pm not blind,
and ! understand how you feel. Your SEN
timents are perfectly proper; you could
! not feel less. But this is one OF the cases
they're very rare-in which you ought
to sacrifice your proper sentiments. There
is something higher concerned. You've
no right to trifie with it, it seems to me-"
"Don't put temptation IN my way, Lin
! coin. My inclination is strong enough
"Of course it is, and you may as well
yield to it. You don't seem to think Of
her"
Excuse me. had supposed myself to
be thinking only of her."
do you want me to be frankF7
surely"
Then / should say that your personal
| pride was at least as much involved as
your consideration for her feeling"
s'You may be right, Lincoln owned
! March. ClOOmilv. There doesn't seem
much chance Of my coming out OF the
thing as gentleman, in any event"
ION, dear me, YES, there is. Bat there
! are certainly several opportunities Tor
mistakes. think you Will make one if
you don't take the measure of her feeling
/ on both sides"
Leave me shred or two Of selG-re-
/ spect. Don't ask me 10 presume that she
! is i'll love with me-"
you might try for her obscure sense of
J r ioR | MI n uipVlVg
ready to laugh at himself as at others.
! Then after pause: THE fact is it is
awkward. Nothing is TO be gained by blink
! ing that. But you have still the right TO
hear her decision from her own lips. That
/ is every mans due, and you certainly
! haven't forfeited il. You would be 10
worse OF if she refused you than you are
nOw.'
at would confirm the awkwardness in
! curaoly. You seem to forget that. To
| offer myself in the circumstances is bad
enough, but to offer aud be refused would
! be killing"
Use your fancy Optimistically. Sup
| pose she accepts"
4 can't suppose it."
your mOdesty is absurd"
| .'Oh. don't adOrn me with spurious viz
! tues
II don't, but can't understand your
! distrust."
March smiled sadly.
''You can understand there being an
| other man.
! "No, not in that village said Lincoln;
! but he leaned forward little, Interested
/ ", as March sat down beside him. Don't
! cheapen her. She would concern herself
| about anything less than the best"
''He is the best. That is my trouble.
| He mas all the virtues
! sSBut does she love themT
/ I I'll n Of 10 hnr
! Il don't know. l can only say that for
| three wears they were constantly present
| ed to her. l don't see how she could re-
/ sist them. backed by his evident passion.
! They are charming virtues and ne IS an
! excellent man. In the circumstances, II
she doesn't love them and him. she ought
to-"
"Ah, then, you needn't distress your
| self She dOesn't-being woman. pVe
no doubt she has done the unexpected
thing and fallen in love with your vices
VERY well, then; / hope | shalt he
strong enough not to give her the oppor-
tunity Of telling me So"
II DON'T" mdrmured Lincoln, fervent-
ly.
On the second day following Constance
1 drove her aunt over in the pony carriage.
! When they had alighted in the single,
| noisy street of the settlement she lifted
| the cushion from the seat and loaded the
man who came for the horse with bundles
drawn from a mysterious receptacle be-
| meath. March hearing the brisk rumble
| of her wheels came out. He brought up
some of the young gentlemenof the settle
| meut and introduced them to her. She re-
| membered aftRrWard that she had met
tall Mr. Eden, particularly ruddy Mr..
! Borough. a Mr.. Marvin with an illuminat-
ing smile, and very young Mr.. Feather
STOMACH who asked her how QuinnimOut
society ranked. Among these polite fell
( lows there were two sons Of Earls ana
and the sixth son of a Duke, who had ac-
| cOmpanied the cOlOnists in search rather
of adventure than of gold.
/ Several who had been made known sto
| her on her previous visit came up and
spoke to her smilingly. But the larger
part of these young men had been en-
gagged in hunting two days before, and she
| saw them now for the first time. BIT Mar
/ vim wished to know il she was fond of
hunting, and was decOrOusly appalled,
when she said she knew nothing about it.
\ He assured her that il was Jolly and
that che ought by all means " learn
They did a great deal of it at Gerrit. Inc
| Dukes son walked with her aunt as they
! went among the cottages. Mrs. EchOls
asked March if he had seen the plan for
the tenement cottages In the last issue OF
! the ArcbitecpS journal.
''Mr. EchOls takes it," she explained.
! she fancies himself Interested in archi-
! lecture, you know
March said he had observed It and found
1t suggestive. The paper was taken for
their reading-rOOm, he added.
"Have you areading-rOOmP' asked Con-
/ stance. 1--WE didn't see it,"
1--WE have several things that you nave
| yet to see. There are redeeIaiDS features
about the place, though we are short OF
| washbOard5," exclaimed March.
This was said from Mrs. Echols' side.
| March had obviously not sought Con-
| stances company, and indeed seemed
| willing to detcUd himself from being LETT
to talk with her alone
The reader is aire idy in possession of
his feeling, and it need not be insisted
on; he had been graphing with it since
his talk with Lincoln, but it did not ap-
pear to 20 down readily before his as
sault. He constantly said to himself that
| it was incomparably unpleasant either
| way. This distressing balance of disa-
I greeable events has not been commonly
found a simplifcation of difficulties, ana
it merely resulted with March IN giving
him Il great deal to think of. The ladies
did not remain long after they had dis
| tributed the comforting articles which
they had brought with them, but Con-
| stance carried away faint sense of his
| avoidance of her. This was confirmed