Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-08-23


went into the house and up to her own
room.
This was what it all meant, then!
How blind she had been! She was the
'.sweet girl whom Miss Campion
thought suitable wife for Colin. She
had been invited here in order that
Colin might see if she would do. I"
How grateful she ought to feel!
She went down stairs presently feel
ing glad that this was her last day at
Forde. She found Miss Campion sit
ting alone in the drawing-room, look
ing little displeased.
II am so cross, my DEAR" said the
old lady, drawing Betty to a seat by
her side. Colin has ridden over to
the Ladbrokes for dinner. 1t was very
thoughtless of him not to remember
that this was your last evening"
1T does not matter, godmother,"
said Betty, with gentle GOODNESS. II
would rather spend 1t alone with you. !"
"Would you, dear? l thought you
and Colin had got on more comfortable
lately"
1T was only surface agreement"
answered Betty, rather proudly. I'VE
are too entirely opposed in character to
be really friends"
"You will hardly believe it, Betty,
but had planned a match between you
two. thought you were SO well suited
to each other; and it would have been
SO nice for me to think of your living
here together after my deathr'
"And you spoke to him about it?''
questioned Betty, without raising her
eyes.
"Yes, on the evening you came; told
him what wished. But l was to meet
the fate of all match-makers, you see,'
she added, signing. "COlin said he
would never marry unless he were in
love-that he must reserve to himself
the right of choosing his wife. And,
as you say, dear, you and he were
very far from falling in love"
"Did he say that?'' asked Betty,
eagerly. "Wouldn't he agree to what
you wished? Then l have wronged
him terribly; he is ever SO much nicer
than l thOught!'
"You thought" questioned Miss
Campion, slowly. 'Ah, l remember
now l told you that / was going to
speak to him, and you believed that he
would marry any one l suggested! How
foolish and wrong have been! You
might have liked him if you had not
been so prejudiced beforehand, and
every thing might have been differ
ent!''
"Do not grieve, godmother," said
Betty, gently. IF we have not been
friends. it is quite my own fault. l
had no right to judge him before !
knew him."
But in spite of her brave words, her
heart sank strangely. She knew that
she would have accepted Collins love
had she understood what he was offer
ing her-fOr her belief in his unw0rthi-
ness, though it had destroyed her trust
in him, had not been strong enough to
kill her love.
And now her life would be one hong
sorrow for that mistake. Colin would
never speak to her of his love again
had she not peremptorily forbidden
him? He had gone away now to avoid
her, and after tomorrow she would
never see him again. But at any rate
she would see him once more, and then
oh, surely he would see that she was
sorry for hav pg misjudged him so!
But Colin Remained at the LadbrOkes
for the night, and had not returned to
F6rde when she left it the next morn
ing for home.
Betty had been right. when she as
sumed that Colin had gone away on
the previous afternoon to avoid her.
Her harsh rejection of his proposal
had reused his anger, and he felt too
hurt to bid her goodbye. But on his
return to London his anger grew less
as time passed on. though his love for
Betty did not diminish. As his thoughts
dwelt on her so constantly he began to
seek for some reason for her unkind-
ness; and the more he considered the
matter the more inexpiicable did her
conduct appear. Her harshness and
anger the day that he proposed to her
were so at variance with her character
that he at last concluded that some
misunderstanding must exist in her
mind which he ought to explain away.
This idea led him to make journey
to Devonshire few days later, though
his hopes OF winning Betty's love were
small.
He walked over to the rectory on the
morning after his arrival, and was
shown into the empty drawing-room
by a neat maid-servant, who told him
that Betty would be there in few min
utes, as she said she could be easily
sent for to the church, whittier she had
gone to practice. Colin, however, de-