The Penn's Grove record., 1886-10-23

moonlight was flooding everything on
the lawn with its radiance, as Miss
Styles, the evening before her depart
ure from Seven Oaks, a lightly down
the gravel path to a summer house, in
search of a shawl left there at afternoon
| tea. The wrap had been secured, and
she paused a moment on the broad
stone step to note the effect of the
moonlight on the silveTy thread which
wound at the foot of the garden, when
a voice at her elbow made her start.
She recognized it at once. The gen.
tleman threw aside a cigar, as he said:
81 almost feel your coming here an
inspiration, L was thinking of you"
He was standing by her now and look
ing directly down upon her. 81 have
something to tell you, Mary; will you
hear itP"
She stood with her face averted, her
gaze still fixed upon the river.
mo, there could be nothing you
could have to say to me that 1 would
wish to hear" she said, eoldly.
"But there are duties one cannot ig-
more on a question of what is agree
able" the gentleman went on, land l
ask you to hear me as simply a matter
of duty"
duty Is an odd word from you to
me- Miss Styles turned and met the
full gaze Of a handsome pair of gray
eyes.
Eyes; IN ~unrecognized quantity be-
tween woman and man." the gentle
man said. "Yet a woman at least
owes a hearing to the man who loves
her. Whatever weight the words
might carry" the young man went
on, land whether well or i'll chosen i
must speak. l tell you, against reason,
against my best judgment, in defiance
of pride, L tell you that l love you I'M
reasonably, blindly, with an intensity
that conquers pride and deies my judg-
ment, with a love which, after ten
years. waiting of silence and separation
and an ever-present sense OF hopeless
ness. is still unconquered and enduring.
l claim by these feelings, which you
alone have brought to life, tho right to
plead their cause. l claim this right,
Mary" he added, with infinite tender
ness IN the tone, 'and beg to win your
love-"
"Those are strange words from yoU
to me, Alec Thornton. Are you act
ing a farce?"
SIS it then incredible that l still love
youp 1t is strange that my love has
not died, yet 1 must confess its vitality,
In the first hour of our meeting al
Seven Oaks L knew that my heart had
never dethroned its queen, that, how
ever cruel, she must always reign"
He paused an instant as Miss Style!
said sneeringly; I'VE grow quite TO
mantle; how unfortunately harsh facts
are. Your vivid imagination has
woven fancy colors about a few in YOU
life and mine about ten years ago."
mo, 1 remember with painful &C
c%uracy," the young mar replied slowly
as with folded arms he stood facing
her. "But what is pride? When one
loves ones very life is involved"
Miss Styles measured her full height
as she said s%cornfully.
"Your remuneration has cost me-
nothing, as you see."
"My renunclation2" the tone wa!
one of great establishment.
1.-THE recollection is not ~fiattering,
Miss Styles continued. "Yet l an
able to endure it with composure,
though not apt to forget that my re-
lease from an engagement was gra
tuitous."
'Gratultous2 Your release gratuit-
ous?" the young man repeated. "Un'
less you have lost your candor yoU
must WI L never released you"
"This borders on insult, Alec Thorn
ton," Hiss Styles said quickly, and
looking steadily into the eyes that wert
fastened with equal earnestness on heI
own. Fortunately l have your let
ters."
"And /, equally unfortunately, have
not yours, but / have what will, and
did tell It's own story-my rejected
pledge, the little violets."
"Your rejected pledge?" Miss Styles
asked c~uriously.
Eyes, my rejected, returned pledge
he repeated. "Possibly circumstances
which have been burned into my mem
DRY have escaped yours. l went to your
house one evening ten years ago, a
happy lover, believing implicitly in the
woman who had that morning, with
words she well knew how to choose,
dispelled my doubts, and l think par.
donable jealousy. l found, when the
servant answered me, you had placed
a full explanation of your a~bsence-the
photograph of my hated rival and my
poor violets. There was no need for
more-these told their own story. You
could not face me with the truth; the
English Captain had stolen your love
from me, or / had never possessed it,
and you chose this manner of breaking
the news. l tried to return your
flowers, but could not. The little ones
folded In my hasty farewell, scrubbed
on a stray sheet l found on the table,
were taken from a vase IN the gallery.
Yours lie where your own fingers
placed them that morning. From that
wretched hour Of awakening l vowed
to forget you; but L have not-alas, ]
cannot. Once more, Mary, l ask you,
may l try again to win your love2"
There was a momentary silence, dur
ing which Miss Styles seemed oddly
moved; at..length she:said in a low voice
and looking quite away from her com
panion:
"Do you mean that you did not read
the notep"
"Can you mean that you wrote me
one?" he asked eagerly.
"And the flowers you left were not
those l had given you" Her tone was
beginning to tremble perceptibly.
For answer he touched the spring OF
his watch and showed, lying upon
bit of white velvet inside the extra
case, four little purple violets. You
laid them there" he said in a low, for.
chile, calm voice.
Mary Styles dropped her face in hel
hands, as she said In broken tones, 80,
Alec, what have you thought of me?'
Consider rather what you may be
giving me reason to think of you,n the
young man answered, touching care.
iasolv bar soft hair. than aftar a mo.