St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-13
THE CoNQUERoR.

drawing off the delicately tinted gloves
which served as finish to the exquisite
Partisan toilet.
There was only one other occupant in the
room man. tall and handsome. standing
with one hand resting on the back of her
chair. She did not glance up as she spoke
or note that Chester Thornleys face had
lost color.
You are speaking of Miss Marvine's
wedding" he said. There is one essen
tia to most marriages you have not enumer-
ated in your list of things lacking. Was
love wanting?"
''Oh. no. believes she loves him. She
certainly must do so to an almost absurd eX-
tent They are to go housekeeping in an
questionable locality uptown where he
must be away from early morning until
quite o'clock. He occupies some salaried
position-clerk in a bank, believe-and
she might have married anybody"
Honest labor degrades no man, Marion"
came the firm. quick answer. Even clerk
ship is not always round, and | would
rather break stones in the street than live
On money acquired dishonesty or doIed out
of charity, though in such case / would ask
no woman to share my lot"
''This looks like breaking stones. does IL
nOt?" she laughingly answered, letting her
own jeweled fingers close over the mans
hand where it reSted-a hand whose shape
betokened its aristOcracy, and which was
soft and white as woman's.
At her light touch his strong arm quiv-
cred. He bent and let his lips rest all in
slant caressingly on her hair. for the girl
beside him was his affianced wife.
1T could break stones, though, dear.
and | don't know but it would make me
better man. Suppose | lost my money.
Marion? Suppose it were all swept away
from me in an hour, and | had position
offered me-a position which would enable
me to live humbly, very much as your
friend is going to live-tell me what you
would do?
You are only talking to try me, Ches-
ter, and l hate such questions In the
first place, it is entirely out Of reason, for
even were it so papa, you know, is very
rich and our home could always be with
him."
Il said to you that 1 would rather starve
than eat the bread of charity. Therefore,
putting this possibility aside, tell me what
you would do?"
Her fingers released their grasp upon his
hand. Was there significance in the action?
He smiled bitterly as he saw it. His face
was very pale now. Except that he stood
still behind the chair, she must have
noticed it.
You are utterly absurd this afternoon.
Chester" she said. petulantly. ''Have not
just told you that Edith Marvine's wedding
was more like funeral than wedding?
And Though presume | shall one day have
to attend my own funeral, will not. | as
sure you. be voluntary agent. Have you
nothing more agreeable that you can find
to say to me?"
The man shook off certain something
which seemed TO envelOp him in an almost
invisible cloud. and he answered with the
old courteous grace which suited him so
well, and made his power with women al
most prOverb.
Money always seemed to belong to him
by all inherent right. 1t was so natural
that he should be rich. No one could have
imagined Chester Thornley, poor. He knew
so well how to eXpend his wealth. He
gave it SO generously yet without ostenta-
ton, that no man envied him.
Yet he knew half an hour later, when he
left his farewell kiss on Marion WllIough-
by's lips. that it was farewell to all hopes
and happiness.
The blow had already fallen. He was
ruined man. with scarce a shilling he
could call his own; he had had no wish I'M
gratified money could procure in all his
thirty years of life. 1t had fallen, too,
through no fault Of his own, though there
was feeble comfort in that. There was
comfort. however, in the knowledge that
he owed no man, and that he might staff
afresh in the world with no burden on his
broad shoulders or his conscience.
True, there was a deep wound in his
heart. He had loved Marion SO well that
to give her up was to voluntarily renOnunce
Gods sunlight. But all her life had been
spent amid luxury. 1t was to her neces-
sity. Deprived of ii she would droop and
fade; and better any lot than to see her
struggle and know that he had brought it
upon her.
Besides she had made her choice.
To her a wedding meant flowers. music,
friends; the toilet of bride. The future,
the communion of two hearts, the solemn
responsibilities incurred were but secondary
considerations.
"Good-by. my darling" he said, as they
parted; but when she added, Until to-
morrow" he added neither yea nor nay.
Tomorrow the world knew that
Chester Thornleys ship had gone upon the
rocks. Many of his business associates
WOulu have utlu UuI W uiLl ping MANU.
put firmly and kindly he refused every
offer.
He wrote Marion a few lines recalling to
her mind the conversation Of the day be-
fore, and released her from her VOWS to
him.
IF any good fortune comes to me-" he
concluded, ''you shall hear of 1t. If l AM
silent it is because my life is wrapped i'll
silence and shadow. Bless you. darling.
| for the light you have cast upon it. 1t will
| be like looking back to heaven. | dare not
see you again. tested my strength to its
| full extent yesterday. God grant that
some better man may win you; to love you
| better is not within his power. Nor must
you think that | blame you that you shrank
| from sharing the new life upon which l en-
| ter. Flowers cannot live without sunlight.
| only wanted to be sure that | made no
mistake in interpreting the best course for
your happiness"
And then, with few more warm. pas
| sionate, loving words of farewell, the letter
| closed.
Two years passed. and the little world
| which had known Chester Thornley, so well
knew him no more. He had entirely dis
appeared. 1t was as though the sea had
opened and swallowed him up.
Marion Willoughby was Marion Will
loughby still. If she suffered she made
no sign, but those, who seen the one spark
ling stone which had been the pledge of her
engagement to Chester Thornley,, noticed
that she wore it still, and others. yet more
narrow watchers. observed that always
when she entered crowded room she
would take a hasty glance around as
though expecting to find some one not
there.
She was yet but %, belle and beauty
still. The third winter of his absence she
left home to spend several weeks with an
aunt.