Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-08-27

to meet the fate Of all match-makers,
you see." she added, sighing.
"Colin said that he would never
marry unless he was in love-that he
must reserve 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 20
what you wished? Then have
wronged him terribly; he is ever so
much nicer than | thought !"
"You thought?" questioned Miss
Campion, slowly. "Ah, / remember
now l told you that was going 10
speak to him, and you believed that
he would marry any one that / sug-
gested How foolish and wrong /
have been You might have liked
him if you had not been so prejudiced
beforehand, and everything might
have been different"
"Do not grieve, godmother," said
Betty, gently. "If we have not been
friends, it is quite my own fault.
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
offering her-for her belief in his un-
worthiness, though it had destroyed
her trust in him, had not been strong
enough to kill her love. And now
her life would be one long 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 having misjudged him sol
But Colin remained AZ the Lad
broles' for the night, and had not re-
turned to Forde when she left the
next morning 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 good-by. 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 unkindness and the more he |
the matter the more mex /
plicable did her conduct appear. Her |
harshness and anger the day that he
TO her were so at variance
with her character that he at last con-
cluded that some Misunderstanding
must exist in her mind which he
ought TO explain away.
This idea led him to make a jour
ley to Devonshire a few days later,
though his hopes of winning Betty's
owe were small.
He walked over TO the Rectory on
he morning after his arrival, and was
shown into the empty drawing-room
~ a neat maidservant, who told him
hat Betty would be there i'm a few
as she said she could be cas-
ly sent for to the church, whittier
he had gone TO practice. Colin,
However, decided TO go himself, and
lad no difficulty in finding the sacred
difce, which was close at hand.
He seated himself just inside the
oor, struck by the beauty of the pic
ure before him. The old church was
ool and dim and still, the chancel
lone glorifed 10y the sunlight which
Tinted through the colored windows,
,hile the whole building was filled
18th the low, plaintive notes Of the
rgan.
Colin sat down near the door and \
'aited patiently till Betty should =
ONE. He heard her dismiss the lit
e boy with kind word OF thanks 4
Or his services-saw her shut and
,ck the organ; and then he waited e
/ almost trembling expectancy while
he came slowly down the centre i
sle.
"Bettyr' he said softly, rising as
e spoke.
"Dr. Campion !" !
"You are surprised to see me here"
e said gently, walking out by her
de.
The sun shone down hotly on her
she leaned against the stonework .
the doorway, revealing TO Colin
wv thin and pale she had become,
I'd how sad were her eyes and lips.
sYou have been i'll !" he said, look "
g down at her anxiously.
"Oh, no am perfectly well-un- =,
iually well indeed J" she answered -
lstily, nervously lingering the flow .
S in her belt. =
"You are surprised TO see me here,
eing how we parted" he said, eve
Q her intently. "We did not even
y good-by."
"Have you not come TO bid me hi
'od-by now?" she asked, trying to Do
lile.
tNo, / have come 10 ask you why
u were so angry that afternoon.
Oh treated my proposal as II had ~ ~
tended it as an insult; you spoke !"