The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-05-05
care for 1ngot." cried Althea, lncred.

~ care for Ingota'' cried Althea, incred.
ulouslY.
tsNot perhaps as I should, but shall love
| the husband marry, rest assured Of that, u
declared Carol, with a bright pink tinge
waving into her cheeks as her eyes sought
the floor.
Althea could not know the double mean.
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 remcnstrances
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 Althea a pang of re1norse as she told
him what had passed,
II am afraid have been to blame, Norris,
| for can not see that she ever loved you,
after all, and fed the fame in your heart,
l know. Can you forgive me for it!'
''Thcre is nothing to forgive, Althea. You
| were in no way to blame. l shall live and
be none the worse for this, I daresay, after
a little time.''
| She looked at him curiously.
ssYou are not angry with her&s
ANGRY! Althea, you know the secret Of
my heart I loved her-I love her still.
Did she not give herself freely and will
ingly to another man. would love her to
my dying day. butt,
He broke off the words that came in q tor
rent, choking and rending him, swallowed
down the painful lump which rose in his
throat, and gave her a quivering smile.
81 will be the conqueror when that hap
pens, never fear. Until then, be her
friend, for my sake, will you not9 The
worst lies in knowing how utterly unwor-
thy of her he is. have had some hopes Of
being able to prove him so, and thus saw
ing her, but what you tell me OF speedy
marriage may make it impossible.''
81 will be glad when you go into the bank,
Norris,' said Althea, with q sudden change
of the subject, regarding him thoug9itfully.
"Eyer since that note Of warning, I have
you can do nothing until you are regularly
admitted, but I shall depend upon your
watchfulness then.''
81 will make your fathers interest my
own until feel assured that every thing is
right"
Miss Everleigh drew a long sigh when
she was again alone.
"Why does Fate draw such crooked lines
for some Of us?" she wondered, inly. "Our
paths would lie so clear and straight if
things only fell out that way. Why did not
Norris fall in love with me, for instance,
instead of with one who has not the soul to
appreciate his worth? Why must despise
my own weakness, hide it as I may, yet
cherish it stills The wiseacres say that
things always come right il the end, but |
doubt if that end repays us for the mistakes
we make by the way"
Norris, meantime, was feeling the full
force Of Fate's adverse blow. Hope was
dead at last She did not love him, she
never had loved him. that point was
settled, at last She would love the hus-
band she married and that husband would
be lngot, unless something speedily hap
pened to prove Ingot the villain he once had
thought him.
Norris was not SO positive on that point
of late. With his dislike Of the man, he re-
allied that he might have done him in
Justice, but he was none the less unworthy
of her, coarse, mean, essentially vulgar in
his nature, how could he fail to repel that
pure, delicate girl who was yielding SO
blindly---if not now, afterward, when it
would be too late?
Norris groaned in spirit over the pros
pect Then his thoughts turned With a
sudden leap, they went to the sick man IN
NIaloney's house, whose condition was but
little improved, though the physician an
no,nced his recovery. probable.
If Uncle Amos We're right and this were
Edison, might not he be able to let some
light upon these doubts and misgivings!
A fever of impotence rose within the
young mans breast. Some means must
be found speedily to rouse the invalid. to
make him speak and tell all he knew II
any man had led him astray, let that man
suffer, whether it were Hiram Ingot Or
Lyman Childcr, for between those two the
choice must lie.
He was tempted to go straight to the sick
man and make an effort to learn the truth
that night, but restrained himself and
turned back to his lodgings.
The first sight that met him as ne opened
his door, was Uncle Amos, clad in his proper
habilinents, nervously pacing to and fro.
IT thought you never would come, y was
the testy greeting. "He is gone, Norris