Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-08-16
CHAPTER XIX.
CROPPING IN THE DARK

| CROPPING IN THE DARK.
"S She has gone and engaged herself tt
that man." said Althea, with some bitter
ness; and those words kept repeating them
selves in the mind of Norris Bergman
through the lvelong night.
His heart had gone down with suddc,
chill He was depressed and unhappy, bu,
| yet not entirely without hope.
50 Her brother is at the bottom of it,
Althca had declared, and he believed it.
Ofhersclf, he felt sure, Carol would mover
| turn to Ingot, and for the rest, marriage
| need not necessarily follow upon such al
arrangement as might have been brought
| about by the cooperation of the two men
| No girl Of spirit would be so driven, ant
that Carol had spirit he knew, for had she
not defied her brother when Lyman
snubbed him, and closed the door in his
| face!
| 1t was cross to think that she had ever
tolerated Ingot, but there was comfort in
| knowing that she, too, was unhappy. Hell
pale, dropping face had assured him of that
, Altogether, Norris might have suffered
more than he did that night. He was like
one who refuses to believe the ill-tidings
that come to him, and Althea did her best
to keep up his spirits when he saw he1
again.
Il drove around there this morning. she
said, determined to get at the bottom OF
the whole affair, but, unfortunately, Caro-
was out. Don't look so blue, Norris. l shall
| go again tomorrow, and the day after, and
| every day, until l succeed in finding out
| what that ogre of brother means by
badgering her into taking such step. De
pend on me to smooth the way for you tc
bring about an understanding of your own
But for once Althca overrated her pow.
| CTS. She did not see Carol when she called
for the second time at the house, and on the
third day Carol came to see her.
The girl was still pale, and quieter than
| her wont, but she spoke of her engagement,
quite as a matter of course
| 81 do not expect it to be of long stand.
ing said she. ''Mr. Ingot has already
| preached the subject of a speedy marriage
and, while nothing is settled, may say that
feel bound to yield to his wishes so far as
can"
"Are you really going to let this thing &c
on, Carol. 1t will be the mistake of your
| life if you do. You are not dcceiving me
one iota. 1 know your brother has made
| this match because he hates Norris; it is he,
| not Ingot, who is hurrying you to the end,
| and it is more than unreasonable of hint
| is wicked! What right has he to make your
! life miserablea If it is done with the view
of sparing him any thing, be assured that
it will fail. The penalties which man in
volles by his own acts will find him out
| therefore, my little martyr, do not think of
sacrificing yourself to Lyman, no matter
| what he may urge. Be true to yourself,
and to one other.'
Miss Evcrleigh's carnestness had carried
her too far. There was an indignant flash
in the soft eyes that were raised to meet
hers steadily.
oil
Lyman has done neutrality-suspicious. cause
you to speak like that. What am doing is
Of my own free will, not to please him
| alone"
J You do not pretend to say that you real
| Is care for Ingot?'' cried Althea, incred-
| ulpuslv.
mot perhaps as / should, but l shall love
the husband marry, rest assured of that, "
! declared Carol, with bright pink tinge
waving into her checks as her eyes sought
/ the floor.
Althea could not know the double mean
f: ing which those words conveyed. She grew
! cold after that. Carol had disappointed
her, so Let her go the way she had chosen
| there should be no more remonstrances
/ from her
| The bitterness still ranked when Norris
came that evening for the crumb of comfort
which he hoped to get. His sorrowful face
| gave Althca q pang of rcmorse as she told
him what had passed.
II an afraid have been to blame, Norris,
| for / can not sec that she ever loved you,
after all, and 1 fed the fame in your heart,
know. Can you forgive me for ita''
'sThcrc is nothing to forgive, Althea- You
were in no way to blame. 1 shall live and
be none the worse for this, I daresay, after
little timc.''
She looked at him curiously.
'sYou are not angry with herr?
"AnSry! Althca you know the secret OF
my heart. / loved hcr-I love her still
| Did she not give herself freely and will.
ingly to another man, would love her to
my dying day, but"
He broke off the words that came in tor
rent, choking and rending him, swallowed
down the painful lump which rose in his
throat, and gave her 4 quivering smile.
Il will be the conqueror when that hap
pens, never fear. Until then, be her
| friend, for my sake, will you not. The
worst lies in knowing how utterly unwor
thy of her he is. 1 have had some hopes OF
being able to prove him so, and thus say
/ ing her, but what you tell me Of speedy
marriage may make it impossible"
Il will be glad when you go into the bank
| Norris" said Althea, with a sudden change
| Of the subject, regarding him thoughtfully
| "Ever since that note Of warning. / have
| feared more misfortune there. OF course,
you can do nothing until you are regularly
admitted, but I shall depend upon your
Tatchfulness them
| az will make your fathers interest my
own until feel assured that every thing is
| right
| Miss Everleigh drcw long sigh when
| she was again alone.
| "Why docs Fate draw such crooked lines
| for some of us." she wondered, inly. ''OuI
paths would lie so clear and straight il
things only fell out that way. Why did not
| Norris fall in love with mo, for instance
| instead of with one who has not the soul t
appreciate his worth. Why must dcspise
| NV own weakness, hide it as I may, yet
| cherish it still! Tho wiseacres say thai
things always como right il the end, but
| doubt if that end repays US for the mistake:
we make by the way"
Norris, meantime, was feeling the full
force of Fate's adverse blow. Hope wa:
dead ut last. She did not love him, sht
j never had loved him; that point was
| settled, ut last She would love the hus
| band she married and that husband would
be Incot, unless something speedily hap
! pened to prove Ingot the villain he once hat
thought him.
Norris was not so positive on that poin
of late With his dislike of the man, he re
allied that he might have done him in
. ;n,t;c.,. but he was none the less unworth.
~ her. coarse, mean, essentially vulgar IL
| HE nasnre. how could he fail to repel tina
| nure. delicate girl who was yielding 81
/ rnlindly-if not now, afterward, when !
would be too latei