Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-02-03

man Of good birth. and has a large estate
in Nottinghamshire.
That he bought HIMSELF asked Valerie,
with the instructive contempt OF land IN
heritance for land-purchase.
None the worse man for that, suCEly!''
observed Louis, who inclined, out Of the
sheer pugnac.ty OF youth, to what he term
ed liberal views. "A man who earns
land NAV be a better man than he who
simply inherits it.
You got those lines out of some melO-
drama. Louis" returned Valerie, cavalier
". 81 can't discover what they mean; IN
less they mean that a tradesman is better
than a gentleman"
AZ don't quite agree with either Of YOU"
fnterposed Mrs. Langley, but you surely
don't call an ironmaster tradesman, Va
lerie2"
II wasn't speaking of Aston Lawford,
aunt Constance I meant that Louis idea
that man who makes money is a better
man than one who inheritS it-wOUld. in
fact. put even trade before land, wouldn't
it,"
II didn't mean it So" said Louis, v&xed
at being taken up in this style by Valerie;
but you have such invincible prejudices
about land, VaIcrie!''
These will become modified with time
and experience" said Mrs. Langley, indul-
gently: meanwhile, | may tell you that
the LawfOrds are received everywhere be-
cause. really, their connection with iron
is accidental The I.awfords are a good
family, and Aston Lawford's mother was
a Vernon, of - Even the Beauregard's
pardon tle iron"
Are they so very proud?" asked Louis.
"Intenscly proud. l dare say Captain
Beauregard looks askance at the iron,"
added Mrs. Langley, laughing; but then
military men are especially stiff on such
| points"
II think he IS quite right"' said Valerie,
stoutly.
And yet dare say he would marry an
| ironman's daughter If she had plenty of
money" remarked Louis.
| Valerie did not for minute think he
would, but she said no more. She had an
| instructive fear OF being TOO warm in Max
| Baauregard's defense.
| 4 little before the time for Louis to take
! his departure Mrs Langley cOntrived TO
! leave the two young people together, for
| this was the last Louis would see of Va
| lcrie for several months.
For few moments neither spoke; then
| Louis put his arm about the girl, and
whispered:
"You will be true to me, Valerie, will you
not, in spite of everything"
"Ah, Louis" the throbbing of her
| heart seemed to choke her.
! lie interposed quickly:
Yes, yes. know ought not to doubt
| you. But there are 50 many things to take
! you from met"
So many Valerie pressed her hand to
! her forehead.
You think" she faltered, that wealth
and love of homage would change me-"
Il was afraid, Valerie. And after all, l
| am SO unworthy of you"
"Ah no; you must not say that. l will
write to you," she went on, hurriedly, 'as
| often as can; and-and you will write to
me; and perhaps-we shall not be so very
! long aWay!'
| She was speaking almost at random;
| heart and brain were in confusion, and
! but for the sclf-ubsOrptiOn of love, Louis
must surely have noticed much in her
manner to disquiet him. AS it was, he
drew her closer to him. and kissed her. If
! it had only been brothers kiss! But now
every nerve in her body shrank from the
caress; lips and heart were unresponsive.
|
his last words; and then Valerie fled to her
own room.
| The words rang in her ears-beat upon
| her brain. Had she ever loved Louis,
| Had she been wrong from the beginning?
! That unimpassoned affection she had for
| him, was that love? She put such ques-
tions from her in kind of terror; she would
not think tonight.
With a strange persistence in closing the
door of her inner consciousness she did
not even look at a photograph which she
kept locked up in Il private drawer. She
! had seen it in Il show-windOw, with those
of other otfic rs conspicuous in the Egyp-
| tian war, and she had bought it, with two
or three more, unseen by Fanchon, who
| accompanied her.
Night and morning Valerie looked at
that picture; but tonight she did not. She
was lighting against the inevitable, trying
instinctively to blind her eyes and deaden
! her senses. But when that struggle comes
| full knowledge follows swiftly. Even
youth and ineXperience cannot, in such 3
| case rs this, long juggle with conscience.