News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-09-13

when you know her you will understand
how happy she will make some one some
day
At dinner Colin sat opposite to Betty,
and, as he watched her beautiful, tender
face, he was quite prepared to indorse
his aunts opinion of her goddaughter,
though Betty was anything but kind to
him.
Don't you think Colin is very much
like the painting of my grandfather in
the drawing room, Betty" asked Miss
Campion.
''Do you mean that very handsome
soldier hanging between the windows 2
asked Betty, regarding Colin critically.
"Oh, no, godmother; [ cannot see the
faintest resemblance"
Miss Campion hastily changed the sub
ject, to spare her nephew's feelings,
though Colin was inwardly delighted at
Betty's frankness-the more so because
he was undoubtedly good-looking.
Presently another appeal was made to
Betty by the fond aunt.
''Do you know, dear, Colin was placed
first in every examination that he went
in for when he was walking the hospi-
tals2"
''Really2" said Betty, incredulously,
raising to Colin the frankest, most inno-
cent of eyes, 81 thought clever people
became doctors sometimes2"
For a moment Colin suspected that
she was trying to snub him, but Miss
| Campion attributed Setty's rudeness to
fatigue, and sent her off to bed very soon
after dinner.
| During the next few days Betty found
numberiess opportunities of sighting
Colin, but she was so gentle and affec-
tlonate to her godmother that he REFINED
his first opinion as to her sweetness of
character. He accepted her Sights with
so much good temper, and received his
aunt's praises with such genuine amuse-
ment, that Betty was Mt last compelled
to confess to herself that her estimate of
him had been altogether wrong. She
felt thf she could not respect him very
much, for a man who would marry any
girl for expediency's s sake was not worthy
of much honor; but she would be more
polite 10 him, as his conduct would not
in any way affect her.
Colin was very grateful for the change
IN her attitude toward him, and a friend
ship sprang up between them which on
his side deepened into love. OF her
feelings he could guess little. she was
invariably sweet and frank; but the fear
of losing her friendship by attempting
to gain her love for some time pre-
vented him from putting his fate into |
her hands On the last day of her visit /
the longing of his henIt overcame his .
fear, and he poured out all his soul to
her, not noticing that her face was hard
ening at his words.
"Tell me Betty! Give me one word of
hopel Have 1 any chancel" he pleaded.
She turned toward him then, her face
white and stern, her mouth wearing q
faint bitter smile.
"How well you do it." she said in q
harsh voice.
t'Do it! What do you meanl" he
asked, his voice changing, too. "Don't
you understand love you, Betty!"
''Hush!' she interrupted, harshly.
"That is quite enough. No, 1 can give
you no hope; you have no chance. Never
speak to me of this againl"-and, rising
from her garden chair, she 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 q suitable wife for Colin. She
had been invited here in order that
Colin might see if she would "do.'
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, looking
q little displeased.
81 am so cross, my DEAR" said the old
lady, drawing Betty to seat by her side.
"Colin has ridden over to the Lodbrokes'
for dinner. 1t was very thoughtless for
him not to remember that this was your
last evening""
at does not matter, godmother, said
Betty, with gentle coldness. 81 would
rather spend it alone with you."
"Wonld you, dear2 thought you
and Colin had got on more comfortably
lately"
at was only a surface agreement"
answered Betty rather proudly. eve
are too entirely opposed in character to
be really friends"
"You would hardly believe it, Betty,
but had planned q match between you
two. thought you We're so well suited
to each other, and it would have been so
nice for me to think of your living here
together after my DEATH
"And you spoke to him about it?''
questioned Betty, without raising her
eyes.
eyes; on the evening you came; told
him what / wished. But / 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 mnst reserve to himself
the right of choosing his wife. And, as
you say, dear, you and he were very far
rom falling in love-
''Did he say that" asked Betty, eag-
,rly. Wouldn't he agree to what you
yished' Then / have wronged him ter
IDLY; he is ever SO much nicer than
hought!"
"You thought9' questioned Miss
Campion, slowly. "Ah, 1 remember
low told you that was going to speak
% hin, and you believed that he would
marry any one l suggested How fool
sh and wrong / have been You might
nave liked him if you had not been SO
beforehand, and everything
night have been differentl'
''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 1 knew
lim."
But, in spite of her brave words, her
heart sank strangely. She knew that
she would have accepted Collins love
lad she understood what he was offering
ler-for her belief in his unworthiness,
though it had destroyed her trust in
lim, had not been strong enough to kill
ler love. And now her life would be
1ne long sorrow for that mistake. Colin
would never speak to her of his love
lgain-had she not peremptorily forbid
len himl He had gone away now to ,
void her, and after to- morrow she would
never see him again. But at any rate j
he would see him once more, and then {
oh, surely he would see that she was {
orry for having misjudged him so {
Bnt Colin remained at the Lodbrokes'
or the night and had not returned to
7orde when she left it the next morning {
or home. '
Betty had been right when she assum-
d that Colin had gone away on the pre-
,ious afternoon to avoid her. Her harsh
election OF his proposal had aroused his ,
niger, and he felt too hurt to bid her {
yoodby. But on his return to London [
us anger grew less as time passed on, {