The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-01-29

most iuaudibly>
"Or for any o1e7
But her quiet blue eyes are looking out
dreamilv over the sunlit sea, and her
thoughts are as far away. So she an
swers in the same l1sE-mechanical tone;
s.Or auycrzset"
She is talsrlIiue, 'pechaps, that the o1s
for wlacrn sHe would willingly make aaEy
sacrifice w,suld never demand it eve1 ~
/ he loved as,sr which be does not-st beast
not uozE-
! lrs,rE is laid gently on her OWE that
! lies in 1,-v lap.
/ She STARTS and draws back. fusla5Tre i'm
! dier4gst7t9y rs che rises to her feet
! BUT something in the face of the man
/ who he'd dared such a liberty arrests her
/ steps.
I "a zras fq6lseRough to fiatter mysdlf you
/ would do assmuch for me. | won1lS sac
rifioe wealth. position, everything iu your
service Have 1 been willfully bind OF
have you willingly deceived nref Am 1
! Sssl .er:aJs you q coquette, as oTzel as
I oal27"
! he springs to her side and seizes one of
/ her hands elnost rudely.
/ She is tee utterly surprised to withdraw
81
:
( hssly that-yem knew not that I loved you!'
-Y0u forget your manners Captain
! Newen,'Tss the cold reply. "tait 1 shall
answer yyour question. after which hope
you win,detain me no longer. I wss quite
1 ignorant, Of the nature of your-your feel
ilsgs towards me. or. believe me, & should
sooner llsze put a stop TO our constant
| compaliouship. Indeed, am very, very
I a Oh Xots al
wea'e Sc frank and pleasant with me that
1 nev ever,jioubted you were more-s0r wished
to be more, than a friend, and q am so
! disappointed 1t always is sa L must
not hase any friends, it seems, fsr 1 lose
them al Just when l am beginning to
valne them most"
She 50 standing with face Ave~ted. un-
consciously tracing name on the sand
with hsr parasol
He, too, is watching her. but without
particular attention. being self-absorbed
and hind for the moment tG outside
things
Suddenly, as he sbsently foaaws her
action 15th his eyes, he sees the word re
solve Itself into G a B r /. and then she,
too, comes back to reality, and, Temem-
be1iug she Is not alone, hurIiedly ohhter
ates those FIVE foolish letters, and glances
aside under her dropping lashes to make
sure he has not guessed at the rest
Their eyes meet.
so tha& IS my rival, Fleur de Marie 2"
She does not answer, only looks down
with heightened color at the place where
those letters were traced.
II am glad to know that you are uot
free" her companion resumes, after
long never-to- be forgotten pause, "be-
cause might have nourished possibly
secret hope Of some different reception in
time to come. Now I can understand
.But. indeed" interrupted Fleur de
Marie, with crimson cheeks and trouble
averted eyes, Il am-that isl never
said was not free. 1 am quite unfet-
tered by any engagement. Why should
you suppose that l am bound to another
that you have a rivalr
You did not contradict me just now.
mademoiselle, when 1 pointed to those
letters on the sand and said. That is my
rival Gabriel. guessed it long ago.
and then l ceased TO think so, never see
ing you together"
Il am not bound to Gabriel. l am
nothing to him. she answered with a
strange quiver in her voice.
"But is he nothing to youf"
She turns and faces him with angry
eyes.
What right have you-how dare you
question me thus closely as to my feel
ings towards this or any other mani You
are a gentleman, but sometimes l think
you forget your part. l have given you
your answer. Let us at least part friends
since part we must
"hlust we part7 Oh, forgive me, FIeur
de Marie, for my rudeness and imperti-
nence. 1 was sanguine of success. 1
have been living all these weeks past in
FOOLS paradise, and because you were
kind, and always seemed so glad to see
me. fiattered myself had made myself
something nearer and more necessary
than friend Forgive me. My punish
ment is hard enough as it is. Be still my
good angel, and let me stay within reach
Of your hand, within sound Of your voice,
for love you, Marie, for | would rather
have your friendship than the worship of
another woman less perfect. would
. -"
"Hush! You must not talk so wildly.
am sorry, more sorry than you can tell,
for all this that has happened Your love
kills a most pleasant Friendship. Yes, do
not interrupt me. 1 do not believe in
platonics. You must go away-right
away now"
Il will. VIII throw myself of that
cliff into the sea if you send me out of
your sweet presence hanishcd man"
"Hush! you vii! 90 because you love
me. You are man of the world. and for
my sake, you understand, you must not
haunt me or follow my stcus wherever I
60. Besides, it would only make you
more miserable if you did."
you might learn to love me in the
end"
Love is not lesson to be learned, 1
think. 1t Is au inspiration. fate; it
comes unbidden, and abides forever
Unless it dies violent death" puts in
her companion, for some instinct tells him
that is how it has been with her.
Then the ghost haunts the heart it
once eladdeucd, if the heart is not broken
at its fall"
Then you never viii love me at any
time, or under any Ct ctniStances what
sver" he asks au1iouSly.
''Siurerely speaking. believe not. 1
have found your friendship most pleas
ant. aud regret TO say good bye"
Then we win call it M rcroir. Listen to
me for one moment, Flcur de Marie. I
shall not detain you long--I " III leave yen
and 20 right away you desire. j shall
exchange into the Princes Own. which
is ordered out in November. l have
friends and relations in India. viii join
them, and make home there. l shall
not persccute you with letters. not one
word till another year has passed over
our heads. Then. if You will allow me.