Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-10-20
The Test OF Love.

Mabel'S clear blue eyes clOuQeu over
as she earnestly listened to her cousin
Agnes's words, and she said with a
tremor in her voice:
ssThen there Is no such thing as fall
ling in love at all? Do you truly believe
| can love any one 1 choose, that 1
need not love one / do not choose?"
Agnes Hoyd's clear, sensible eyes
looked tenderly and firmly into those of
her sweet little cousin.
.'Now. Mabel Stearns you have
cracked the ice of your reserve and L
am going to break it. i know perfectly
well that Frank Gauss is in love with
YOU; know you are in love with him;
| know, too, that you both know this,
or should not have spoken. OF course,
| do not approve of the match at all. L
90 not think you IN Your reason ap-
prove of it, and i want you TO assert
that reason and lay the whole matter
aside. | do truly believe just what L
have said-that there is no sense in fall
ling in love. am % years old and L
have not fallen in love. have not
chosen to-"
Agnes lloyd, stop, will not hear
YOU talk so, You started by asking me
10 tell YOU the whole story, and | will
finish by doing it. | do love Frank
Gauss-Oh, | love him with all my
heart and soul,'
He hasn't a cent in the world, and
if man is ever going to have anything
he ought to have made fair beginning
at his age. Let him go, and marry
some richer man, and be happier
woman
"Agnes, | am ashamed OF you-or |
should be if did not feel sure you are
so much better than You admit. Come,
if is time to dress for Mrs. Towns din
ner. What 10 you wear?''
Mabel showed d determination in
thus ending the conversation that sur
prised Agnes. Rising from the coy
fireside where they had been sitting,
she went TO the wardrobe and took out
"a handsome silk, saying as she laid Il
on the bed:
''Never, | shall never fall i'll love
until have deliberately made up my
mind. am going TO wear my garnet;
| suppose yOu wear blue. Who are to
be there?'
''Only small party, two gentlemen
from New York and 4 lady from Bos-
ton, with lion or two, L suppose.
think Mrs. Towns lions are cubs; how
ever. they serve the purpose.
An hour later gay party OF Ten
were seated in the handsomely appointed
dining-room, at table affording every
delicacy, presided over by Mr.. and Mrs.
Town.
Agnes looked regal and was appear
/. ~ ss.1l in a n
tereSted manner TO Mr.. Young, her
neighbOr, one OF the strange gentlemen
from New York. Mr.. Landon, the
other stranger, sitting on her right,
gradually fell into the conversation, rs
Mabel seemed strangely fascinated by a
certain Mr.. Gauss, who sat next her on
the other side. AS Frank escorted
them to their carriage she whispered,
gayly:
Its all right. Remember"
The next morning a characteristic
note, received from Mrs. Town, ran
thus:
M Dear Girls: Such a conquest as
you made last evening! 1t takes my
breath away to think Of it. | really
feel / ought to tell you, that you may
be prepared for the worst. Both OF my
charming guests captivated in one
evening, l suppose you know Mr.. Ian
don is nothing more than millionaire,
and Paul Young nothing less than a
poor young lawyer, with nothing be-
hind him and all the world before him.
\ few weeks after Mrs. Towns din
ner the girls attended gay party in an
up the rlyer; dinner at a sub
urban hotel. Mr.. Landon was persist
ent enough in his attentions TO keep |
Mr.. Young at a distance most of the
time up TO the hour of dinner, after |
which he proposed walk to some |
pretty rocks, and would not be put
off by Agnes'S plea that she was too
tired. Miss lloyd" said Landon,
impulSiyely. ''letters received oblige me
10 start for New York Immediately,
and from there | sail for Europe in
August on a prolonged business trip. |
beg YOU will not let me leave without a
word of hope that l may come back for
YOU before l sail. Dear Miss Agnes,
say anything that will give Inc hope"
Mr.. Landon, stop, | never meant
it should come to this, indeed / didn't.
l have fiirted with you until | am
ashamed Of myself. l have tried my
very best to live up to my faVOrite
theory and love the man whom fortune
told Inc L might marry, but l cannot,
oh, / cannot. Don't tempt me further,"
Agnes entirely lost her self-cOntrol,
and her baffied lover looked in despair,
offered his arm, and silently escorted
her back to the house.
When at last she and her friend were
safely in their room she throws herself
on the floor at Mabel's feet and poured
forth the whole story, closing with:
MY miserable theory has been the
ruin Of me, What shall do?"
Mabel was little puzzled at the de-
spairing wal, and attempted comfort
with:
MY dear, don't, don't feel so badly
This is not so serious: this is not the
matter of lifetime.''
-'Oh, but it is, il Is! was so obSti-
nate in my idea. l snubbed Paul
Young because | wanted to marry
money; have told him to go. never
can forgive myself What shall | do:'
But what could be done: No practi-
cal plan presented itself. Paul had re-
turned to New York with his friend.
Mrs. Town had gone TO the seaShOre.
Agnes and Mabel were arranging for an
outing in the mountains. An out
ing'' both needed. Agnes seemed TO
have lost all her serenity and elasticity.
Mabel, too, had not seemed quite the
same since that dreadful evening.
At the close of busy day of prepara-
tion, they We're seated on the porch
when the postmaster handed Agnes
two letters.
''Only some invitation and drop
note" she said in answer to Mabel's
inquiring look.
''Mr. Young is in town, and viii call
this evening if We care to see him."
"We," exclaimed Mabel. swell, of
coursel"
Later, in the privacy of their room,
Agnes seized Mabel, and smothering
her in kisses she exclaimed:
81 never dreamed l could be so
happy.''