Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-04-27
THE WATERBURY EVENING DEMOCRAT FRIDAY APRIL 27 l8ss

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 n YOU dared-what th91Y' he asF.e- kneeling beside her and possessino him. self of one dainty hand.
 NImight-learn-what happiness really means.''
 stWith me- you mean?'
 "Oh. Geraldp' whispers she: and then it is ali over, and she is caught to his breast. and for little while the world Ia forgotten by both.
 Being the woman, she is the first to awake from the happy dream. 7-1e
 s'It is madnessP' she says lifting her head and gazing at him with fearful eyes. 6a ''Not if you will trust to me. Not if you are sure of that you honestly love me- Speak to me, Millicenti Why do you turn your head away You do love me?'' zT
 At this she lets her gaze return to his,
 'tI wish I had never seen you. n she says with trembling lips. aJ
 "That is hard speech, my darlingr' a ssIt is true, though. If I had never seen you, I might have been willing to conclude this contract with Granit. fl had never seen you, could never haveD- E5Er{EF4FFE
 eGo on.' =ats r --r.
 "Loved you!''
 She bows her head upon her hands and bursts into fresh tears.
 Mr. Massareene draws her head down upon his shoulder.
 Don't cry like that, Millicent, n says he. ''It will all come right in the end. Something tells me so." Something tells him quite the reverse; but he would not strain a point to please his beloved "What we have got to do now is to think what is the first, best step to be taken"
 There is touch of impatience in her tone. Although she loves him, it is hard for her to give up the gilded loaves and fishes of fashionable life. AA
 "It will not" retorts he stoutly; Git will mean emancipation If you have the pluck to go through with it."
 "Ohl emancipationp says she disdain- fully, though she is glad of his resolute- ness. "Al you Irishmen are mad about freedom! One would think you were 6 land leaguer the way you speak, I won der you are not afraid to love one of the hated Sassenachs." es+ tl@iiI
 1T am not afraid of anything except your strength of mind. You are mine now, but will you be mine an hour hence?'
 ''If were a man," says Miss Grey re- dectively, 1T should not choose to fall in love with woman upon whom I conld place no dependence. !" ,-..-. .,-..,-t:s. ,-s If I were 8 woman," responds he promptly, ''I should know better than to marry one man when I loved another" "lWell, but you are not a woman, :" says she triumphantly. .-..s..-,.-.,..-tr
 Neither are you man, :" replies be-. .e'That squares our accounts. Sweet heart" :" regarding her very gravely, seriously of my proposa1.' '' ..1 l -l
 "I am always thinking of it," returns she, signing. "ohl why are not you Grant," D7 c','A a 1~--.o'7
 'sThe gods forbidl''' says he piously. ttI am better man as stand, though no doubt . poorer one. We'll, however the wind blows, I am a happier fellow to-day than ever expecetd to be. 1have heard from your own lips that you love me.''
 Do not place too much confidence in that.'' 'o -23'fsn -a1> s-'ai fs s1Haal 5, ''You will not deny the truth of it, however," 37s3-5 'a'i1 s1l 5 '-aefG ''No. It is true. You are more to me, Gerald, than any man ever have met-than any man ever shall meet"
 Her eyes grow large and dim with tears. She holds out her hand to him.
 Strengthened by such an assurance, I replies he, in a clear, resonant voice, his face bright with hope that at this mo- ment has grown into a certainty. .., . Millicent, watching him, feels her heart grow sad. "Wiu not the weight of cir cumstances, of custom, prove too strong for him7 salH. f.t I-st. ,s. zs.... ..--... .- 1T must go home," she says, starting a little. g.EI l. at..s e.... ---,-s z.-.. -...- s'Good by then for the present, darl- ing, whispers he proudly. He draws her to him and looks down anxiously into her face, A question seems lowering on his, lips. At last he gives it words. 'Do-do you ever kiss him2" asks he in 8 jerky, vehement way that speaks of suppressed agony. ear h, s-,...rt7.. ,rt. m HNeverl'' returns she almost as vehe- mently. ,,s-r.s ...r-r =, ...@..,
 She fushes crimson. Massareene's arms tighten round her, and an expres- sion of unspeakable relief alters his face.
 "I cannot tell you how often I have thought of that, how it has preyed upon me-" he exclaims eagerly. "And after all, the torment endured had no foun- dation." He looks tenderly down upon her. "My love, you seem more mine now than everr' Then his tone changes, and an accent of scorn unmitigated runs through it. Evidently his thoughts are wandering to some one absent. "What sort of fellow was he at all?' says he, with a curl of his lips. -t.i..
 A faint smile breaks through the sad ness of Millicent's face.
 "Would you have had him different then?' she asks, with slight return of her usual gayety.
 Different! Do you know" says he presently, ''that I don't think dislike him now half as much as I did i've mfn- utes agos'' Then pressing his cheek to hers, and speaking in much lower tone, and rather shyly, "Millicent, will you be kinder to me than you are to himi''
 "Have I not been kinder?'' asks she, faintly. ar .f ,=..
 "But kinder-kinder sti11s' - She lifts her face to his!
 2 CHAPTER XIV.
 Lady Valworth signs profoundly as she drops into a chair and receives with 6