The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-09-22

MS present. wrongs. A man must preserve
his self-respect at any cost and if YOU are
less"
"Convinced?" Larry interrupted anew
why, she admitted that she doubted wheth-
er she had much feeling"
You mean, suppose, that she did not
contradict your assertion"
do u" cried Larry, with fine scorn.
'She. said it of her own accord, seeming
proud of the fact, along with numerous other
truths equally agreeable to hear.
"Ah" said Mr.. Elsmere, noddlng his head
as wisely as Lord Burleigh, and for the same
reason which, no doubt, often LED the great
statesman to perform his celebrated action
Mr.. Elsmere could think Of nothing else to
do just then.
''She said" continued Larry, with gasp,
shat she had been sorry ever since she al
lowed herself to become engaged to me; that
she never would have done it, If our mutual
relations hadn't badgered her out of her
senses. Now, what do you think of that as
a specimen of plain-speakingP"
"Ahp' Mr.. Elsmere repeated, with an
other Lord Burleigh nod.
''She added, with the same sweet frank
ness, that, to have had the whole tribe, ever
since we were children. show so plainly that
they expected us to marry sometime, was
enough to make her loathe the bare idea Oh
/ couldn't tell you the half she said," Larry
cried, stopping short-not from lack of mem
DRY, but because he was so ch0ked by grief
and wrath that he dared not trust his voice
further.
give him time to recover, then asked in a
tone of exactly the proper amount Of interest
il was wise to show:
'But what fastened the crisis?"
"Well, first one thing, then another" was
the reply. 1T began couple Of weeks ago,
the way she was going on with George How
ard, flirting so outrageously that everybody
was scandalized."
sand she wouldn't listen?"
"Listen, indeed She flew out at me like a
small tigress, and has behaved twice as bad
ever since. For two days she has scarcely
spoken to me or noticed me any more than If
/ had been the-the door mat So, this
morning, decided that | had borne enough,
and then l spoke my mind-no man could
have endured it."
Every likely, a good many would not have
borne SO much" rejoined Mr.. Elsmere. so
demonstrating only made it worse"
Il tell you, we ended matters.,it's all
attempt at speaking in his ordinary voice, he
added: "I've no time to spare-I must pack
my valise."
"Yes," Mr.. Elsmere said; ''the next train
is due at four, and it is past three already"
Larry dashed across the room, but stopped
when he reached the door, unable to 60 with
out having exposed his browning wrong.
"She Informed me that was an ill-condi.
| toned, ill-brought-up lad and sorely needed
| training" he blurted out. ''She advised me
| to marry Mrs. Leasing, who was woman OF
experience and might be tempted to under
take my education for the sake of my
money"
"As the gentle Anna is nearly five years
| your senior, | conclude that you declined
| with thanks" rejoined Mr.. Elsmere, smiling
| though he shuddered inwardly as he spoke.
MRS Leasing almost twenty-nine?" cried
| Larry. ''She doesn't look it, and she's aw.
| fully stunning" Then struck by a happy
thought that he could prove his indifference
to Madge, he continued: by the way, she
1 and her aunt are to start for Chicago to-mor.
| row-she said so when they were up here
I'll 60 with them, by Jove!'
IF you are in such a desperate mood,
| shouldn't think you would want to bt
troubled with two women and a mountain o.
luggage" Mr.. Elsmere suggested, quietly.
| II am not desperate, and Mrs. Leasing il
very amusing" Larry asserted. I'm SEND
| her line as soon as / reach town; shall bt
glad of something to occupy mel always
hate solitary journey"
| "Thats true" Mr.. Elsmere said, his voict
| placid as ever: but he was thinking thu
| while that something must be done at once.
| He knew well that more thoroughly un
scrupulous woman than the widow did no
exist, and she could be fascinating, too, whel
| she chose to exert her powers. 1t struck
chill to his soul to think what might happier
| If Larry were to fall into her tolls while il
his present state of mind. Larry was yer,
rich, she over ears in debt; then, too, sh
had an old grudge against Mr.. Elsmere whicl
| she would cheerfully have given her littl
finger to pay off. All strong motives, tina
gentleman rapidly reflected, to induce her t.
marry the youth; and Anna Lessing seldom
failed in any plan on which she concentrate,
her energies.
| down the study, so white and miserable tina
| Mr.. Elsmere had not the heart even to b,
vexed with the young fellows blind folly
He seized pen. hastily scrubbed few lines
| and rose, saying:
81 quite forgot l must send a telegram t
let Charley Moulton know you are comm
and will bring my answer to his letter
Then, as he was going out of the door, b
called: You'd better look after YOUR things
Larry, If you mean to catch that train"
Mr. Elsmere wanted to find without della
the pretty, young, and exceedingly flinty
hearted damsel whom Larry had been reyil
| lng-though what he proposed to say or dc
he had not decided. In her way, she wa
about as difficult to manage as her recalci
trant lover when her somewhat rebellion
spirit was fully reused; and cow, very prob
ably, the task would be rendered more diff
cult by certain pricks of conscience whicl
she would no more own than she would he
suffering.
Madge Deering was the daughter of one
Mr.. Elsmere's favorite cousins; his hous
had always been like home to the girl, as /
had to Larry Travers, and in all the worl,
probably these two were the dearest of an,
living creatures to the large-hearted man
The idea that this pair, who loved each 9th
aware, should wreck their future by som,
| act OF youthful madness, was not to be en-
dured; yet they were likely to do so unless
speedy stop could be put to their mutua
| wr0ngheadedneSs.
If Larry were allowed to start on his Jour
ney, there was slight hope that he woul,
escape the clutches of the designing an,
revengeful widow. A catastrophe of tina
sort would show Madge the real state of he
own heart, and, in her wounded pride, he
determination to escape the condemnation o
pity OF her numerous relatives, whose i'll
judged talk and actions had done so much t
bring about the arrangement between tn
pair, would be capable of taking any desper
ate step-even that of marrying empty
headed George Howard
| Something must be done immediately-bu
what? Mr.. Elsmere had descended til
stairs and was slowly traversing the grea
hall when thought struck him like an in
| spiratiOn.
A servant told him that Miss Madge wa
out on the terrace, a favorite resort with tn
| girl and himself 1t was a charming place
| 90 feet In length and as wide as an Ordinar,
| room, adorned with statues and blossomini
shrubs, overlooking the great flower gardens
a broad sweep of wood and valley, with tn
blue hills closing in the distance, PICTURESQUE
and beautiful always.
AS he passed down the stone flags, Mr.
Elsmere espied her curled in a hammock
making as pretty picture as one could wisl
to see, in her white draperies, with a scarle
shawl thrown over her feet to form brigh
spot of color.
She looked up as she heard his step, CAV
him mutinous glance, then studied hi
grave face attentively for an instant, an
said in voice half petulant, half coaxing:
You've been toldi Oh, Cousin Lawrence
please don't lecture"
Lecturer" he echoed, with very success
full effort at looking puzzled. "Pray, VIII,
should lecture, Miss Puss?"
81 thought you had hunted me up on pur
pose," she said.
| Il wasn't hunting you at all, reioinet
Mr.. Elsmere, with a hasty hope that hi
guardian angel was not listening to the out
rageous fb.
"Then you haven't been told, :" cried Madge
in tone that held both disappointment AM
apprehension.
"What should l have been told ?" he asked
But I've not time to hear-I was lookins
for-only just tell me why you were afrai
you were to receive lecture"
Afraid, indeedw she retorted, tossing he
pretty head. But l shall get so much 0
that sort OF thing, you know"
mo, don't know anything about it," MI
Elsmere ayerred, managing to look prefer
naturally dull and uncomprehending.
She flashed him another sharp glance, ex
actly like a suspicious kitten, and exclaime
| emphaticallv.