The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-02-20
pEMBNA pENBtNA COUNTY, DAKOTA; aa

Marion !. i. no.hingI: In Il. recent
failure she lost il all?n,
"Allt' the young fellow echoed, and
there was silence.
"Marion is very proud" Jerome con.
tinued.
III she knew that she was not .b.olu.
tely independent Of my lonely bounty
believe she would not stay An hour
longer beneath this roof. But, poor
child, she need never know; ct least,
until after she has been married"
The deep, expressive yoioe esased
with . seyretfnl ring, AHd then hS Son-
cluded, more cheerfully.
"Go, and I wish you success In your
wooing."
Ned wrung his hand and left the
room. and in very few moments Jer.
ONE followed.
For while the fire glowed on noiEily
In the CRATE, the wind howled and Che
quiet remained unbroked. thsH The
heavy: Velvet curtains we're dfawn back,
and Marion stepped out from behind
Her face was % pallid - ghosts,
her dark eyes were burning with fierce
pride, and very angry her lips tremb-
ing with excitement and suppressed
resentment.
A prettier picture Of enraged pride
could not be seen.
"Great heaven |" she cried, with q pas.
sionate stamp. "What deceiti How Of:
ten hAvs I hurled the fast ia his facs
that WAS glad, infinitely, that owed
him nothing. he calmly heard me,
knowing that it was . beggar's delusion
he was listening to!" She paused and
her flashing eyes turned on the chair he
had lately occupied. "How he detesta
me, too," she said. II have never tried
to win his favor we have never beer,
friendly, and to think that for weeks
past, or perhaps months, I have eaten
his bread and spent his money, thinking
it entirely my own. But il Is over
shall not stay. In the wide world there
is surely room for me to earn my bread |"
She drew back the curtain and look.
ed out. The stars were shining freshly,
but Che wild March wind 1as making
havoc Of every stray leaf and fragment
in its path.
The streets were deserted. It was ct,
unusually bitter night of that bulster-
Gus month, night when humanity
keeps its head snail like, indoors, when
the crackle OF good fire is the sweet
est sound on earth.
Marion, with a little shiver turns
away.
II must gol" she muttered; mot an
other night will I stay here beggar on
his bounty. Old Mrs. Chaplin, though
she is poor, will keep me for my moth.
er's sake until I get somethihg to do
and pay her back" She paused q sec.
ond by Jerome's arm chair, and leaned
her arm on the back of IL. II wish-I
wish he did not dislike me 90. she whis-
pered, and the tears tempted the luster
Of her eyes. ut was my abominable tenn
per at first, and now he is tired Of me,
and would gladly marry me to the first
coxcomb that asks"
This mood only lasted second, and
all the old ferceness returned.
"But what am I doing?" she said,
dashlng away tho tears and trying to
control her quivering lips. "Do I not
hate this man-this superior being who
treats me as child2 Am not glad by
accident learned the truth Of my posi-.
ton? Certainly! Am I not delighted
at the possibility Of feeling independent,
away from his benevolent smile? I am
and the time will come when Jerome
Vann will wonder that he ever laughed
at me or my vagaries."
All the warm Southern nature arous-
ed, she went to the desk and began to
write note to this detested guardian.
"Sir," it dashed of, "ten minutes
since learned my position In your
house, and it is such an undesirable one
that renounce it this night. You, who
have disapproved of me so strongly,
will no doubt be glad to learn that
have broken from your reins and fed.
Good night and good by to you, sir.
MARION.
"P. 81 distinctly and emphatically
refuse to marry Mr.. Burlington"
An hour later she was on the street,
the wind blowing her cloak, andtwist-
ing her veil till it looked like signal of
distress.
There was nothing Of the heroine
about her as she hurried along, keep.
ing on the darkest side of the street.
her head lowered, and her tears drop
ping thick and fast. Poor Marion I
The first touch of the world in which
she stood alone, was cold and blustery.
The weeks passed on by leaden feet.
Advertisements and detectives were both
of no avail, and jerome Vann's fSSa
grew strangely old and sad, for Marion's
whereabouts still remained mystery,
He loved her far more than he ever
realized. He longed TO see that spiri-
ted, magnetic face again, and to hear
the pert, merry voice which had made
such drollery Of his well.meant advice.
Day after day passed, each one an
exact repetition of the preceding one,
and all very weary, sickening blanks to
the rich lawyer in his stately home.
It was June. Sunny, soft weather
reigned in the city. Roses bloomed ey.
erywhere. in florists windows, in mar
ket carts, in wealthy gardens-every.
where the fragrant bunches Of different
hued flowers waved in the breeze.
Jerome was standing at his library
window, looking out at the throng Of
promenaders and open carriages dash
ing along. His eyes were no longer
filled with suspense, they were far
worse-they were calm and hopeless.
He had left nothing untried to dis.
cover her whereabouts, and it had all
been worse than useless. He had been
beating his heart out with pain, in al.
tcrnate hope and failure, in passionate
longing; and now all was over. With
out any renewed vigor he was still deep
in professional duties. trying, but vain.
ly, to take up the thread of existence as
though Marion had never been known
and dearly loved.
He took up his hat and cane and went
out. His steps led him to Broadway.
The thoroughfsre was crowded and he
walked slowly along, his moody face,
with its quietly bitter expression, in
marked contrast to those around him.
Many saw and envied the rich and
successful lawyer. Could they but
have read that rich mans heart! And
so, in the supreme blindness of our
egregious vanity, do we Judge one an