The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-08-23
is, perhaps 1 am vicious and designing ..

"But, sir. granted that this supposition
is correct, how can it be helpedl''
This view of her case was an inspirin
one, in spite of the fact that it came from
one so entirely stranger; she had
| groaned in spirit under the knowledge that
| she was growing every day more un-
amiable and fretful.
How much of this was due to mere
physical disability she did not realize, but,
at times, it seemed as if she could not bear
| another particle of strain upon her over
strung nerves.
The time had been when she could bear
Mime. Arnot's almost intolerable AFRO
gance with good nature, could endure
John Harmon's coarseness with patience,
and help her aunt bear her heavy burdens
| with tender sympathy, but that time had
| passed by, and she little realized how near
she was to a complete breakin g down, both
physical and mental.
"The poverty is still an insuperable bar
rier; the unhappy home is growing more
and more tangible and unalterable, and my
position as dependent upon Nine Arnot's
freaks of temper, or others just like her,
seems just as inevitable as before" She
spoke bitterly now; the remembrance Of
her aunt's letter doomed up before her, and
all the trials of her lot seemed doubly I'M
bearable in the light of this glimpse of
better things, and she dropped her head
upon her hands in detection.
"No. not inevitable" said Mr.. Falconer,
slowly; "there is another life before you
where none of these things can come. 1
can offer you home" she raised her head
with a startled expression, 'where there
is plenty and peace at least, and through
81 Of ION, 7 IN win
love in due time. This home Is with me,
and as my wife. Will you marry mei''
CHAPTER II.
81 am aware that my proposition is q
strangely startling one" said he, gently, as
Isabel looked at him with clasped hands as
| if in a dream; 'but l leave the city to-
morrow, and l wish to take you with me,
and release you at once from the hardening
influences By which You are surrounded"
Tomorrow said Isabel, repeating the
words after him, mechanically; release
from all these harassing things tomorrow.
and through such an unlooked-for medium,
no wonder the girl was dazed.
"But your family, your friends, what
will they say to your marrying a shop-girlH'
she said, her mind going back to gentle
Lilly Stanford. irrelevantly, because it
really had so little to do with the matter,
but feeling for the moment as if scorn and
aversion toward her in that sweet young
face would be more than she could bear
worse, indeed. than her present ills.
"My family!' he replied, haughtily; "fort-
unately am entirely independent of their
fancies, and fully old enough to choose for
myself; besides, they are sensible and kind.
and if l am happy, will love you for my
sake, until they can do so for their own
Take little time, Miss Grant, and think
! over the matter calmly before giving me an
answer. 1 can give you undoubted refer
ence as to my character before the mar
rage"
Zone question" she sad, gravely; 81 have
seen what a love of stimulants can do in u
home whether it be rich or poor, and have
vowed sacredly never to marry man who
INDUCED in them, even IL the leastdegree."
She looked at him mterrOgatively.
Have no fears in that respect" he re-
piled, earnestly. II dcspise any thing of
the sort as much as you can do, and honor
you the more for your resolve in regard to
it. never use liquor in any form"
She raised her eyes and looked in his face
long and searchingly; she, too, had fac
ulty for reading faces, or rather her in
stncts read for her, and rarely betrayed
her; she saw in this case an honest manli-
ness in the face before her which inspired
her with confidence, and going to him she
stretched out her hands, saying, with a
fearful smile: "Mr. Falconer, if you are will
ing to abide the consequences of this I'M
pulsive act, will accept your offer, and
earnestly strive not to disappont you"
He rose, and taking her hands in his, said
quietly: ut shall be the study of my life to
convince you that your informal choice is a
wise and happy one. l leave the 0sty to-
morrow at 2:l5. Shall we fix the ceremony
at one, in this room!''
"As you please" replied Isabel; she was
yet too bewildered to give attention to de-
tails.
Every well, will call in the morning at
nine, and ask Nine. Arnot for permission tic
use her room"
Isabel Grant, do, for PHYS sake, tell us
what Harvey Falconer could wish TO see
you for" cried Nine. Arnot. who was IN the
work-room when Isabel entered it at last,
with preoccupied, PARKWAY look In her
eyes.
1--WE are dying to known said Jennie
Dewey; has he gone into the millinery
business and offered you a position as sales
woman2" The idea of Isabel and bonncts
seemed insepafable.
"He has offered me a POSITION" replied
Isabel, dreamily, "not as a saleswoman,
but as his wife,
His wifs!' almost screamed Nine. Arnot,
in her surprise; Harvey Falconer, the
miiliondire; nonsense, girl, you're joking"
tine milonairsn' 1t was Isabels turn
now to be surprised; she had thought little
of his position in life, and had supposed him
to be comfortable tradesman, or, to come
nearer the truth, she had had no definite
thoughts on the subject except as his words,
"peace and plenty sugg ested home of
comfortable abundance, and she sank into
chair trembling. I'm not joking" she
said, family. 'but l had no idea he was
man OF such wealth when l accepted him."
There will be fine humming among his
aristocratic friends when they hear he has
married shOp-Dir,'' said Nine. Arnot,
scornfully; she had married a canal driver
in her days of poverty, in lieu of better
offer, and through all her years of prosper
ity he had remained the same, low, vulgar
and illiterate, a creature to be kept out of
sight of her present circle of friends, so far
as possible, and it CALLED her and filled her
with wrath and jealousy that girl, hitherto
dependent upon her for her daily bread,
should by one stroke of fortune rise so high
above her in the social scale which she
would occupy as Harvey Falconer's wife.
''But there's no dangeri He's fooling you,
girl: he'll nersr marry your
time will TELL" was Isabers quiet reply.
1t seemed to her now, in the family atmos-
phere of the work room, that it was all
dream, and that Nine. Arnot's Gisdainful
words were only too reasonable, but. as she
had said, time would tell. and very short
time, for MIR. Falconer's last words had been:
Expect me at nine tomorrow"
I'm case of such an absIrdity occurring, l
will give you just one year to get behind