The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1889-07-11

| she was 20 a comp etc breaking down, both
\ physical and mental
1.-THE poverty is still an insuperable bar
! rier; the unhappy homo IS growing more
and more tangible and unalterable, and my
I position as dependent upon Nine Arnot's
4 freaks OF temper, or others Just like her,
/ seems just as inevitable hs before " She
| spoke bitterly now; the remembrance Of
/ her aunt's letter loomed up before her, and
/ all the trials Of her lot seemed dUubly I'M
nearable 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.
can offer you home" she raised her head
with a startled expression, where there
is plenty and peace at least, and through
the medium Of which hope to win your
love in due time This home IS with me,
and as my wife. Will you marry mel"
CHAPTER IL
81 am aware that my proposition is a
strangely startling ONE said he, gently, rs
Isabel looked at him with clasped hands as
if in a dream; .'but 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"
a Tomorrow p 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 ashop-girll"
she said, her mind going back TO gentle
Lilly Stanford, irreleyantly, because il
really had so little 10 do with the matter,
but feeling for the moment as il scorn and
aversion toward her in that sweet young
face would be more than she could bear;
worse, indeed, than her present ills.
'sMy 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 il 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
euce as TO my character before the mar
rage"
Zone question, . she SAID, gravely; II have
seen what love Of stimuiants can do in a
home whether it be rich or poor, and 1 have
vowed sacredly never TO marry man who
INDUCED in them. even in the leastdegree."
She looked at him inteTogatively.
Have no fears in that respect" he re
piled, earnestly. II despise any thing OF
the sort as much as you can DO, and honor
you the more for your resolve in regard &c
IT l never use liquor in any form"
She raised her eyes and looked in his face
long and searchingiy; she, too, had fac
ulty for reading faces, or rather her in
stincts read for her, and rarely betrayed
har- she sa.- IN, this f-zSa an honest mani.
ness in the face before ter which inspired
her with confidence, and going 10 him she
stretched out her hands, saying, with q
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 70 disappoint you"
He rose, and taking her hands in his, said
quietly: II shall be the study OF my life TO
convince you that your informal choice Is a
wise and happy one / leave the city TO
morrow at 2:l5. Shall we fix the ceremony
at one, in this roomi1
:. As you please replied Isabel; she was
vet too bewildered to give attention to de
tails
VERY well, will call in the morning a;
nine, and ask Nine. Arnot for permission to
use her room -
ISABEL Grant, do, for PHYS sake, tell Us
GVulu WISH 10 SGT
goH for,r cried Nine. Arnot. who was IN the
work-room when Isabel entered it at last.
with preoccupied, far-away look IN her
eyes:
"We are dying to known said Jennie
Dewey; " has he gone into the millinery
business and offered you position as sales
womanr' The idea of Isabel and b0nneis
seemed insepasable-
"He has offered me POSITION replied
Isabel, dreamily, mot as q saleswoman,
but as his wife,
=" His rife r. almost screamed Nine. Arnot
in her surprise; " Harvey Falconer, the
millionaire; nonsense, girl. you're joking
Tine mill onairc''' 1t was Isabel's turn
now To be surprised; she had thought little
Of his position in life, and had supposed him
TO be q comfortable traiesman. or, to come
nearer the truth. she had had no definite
thoughts on the subject except as his words,
peace and plenty sugL ested a home Of
comfortable abundance, and she sank into
n chair trembling. "rm not joking she
said. family. '.but had no idea he was a
man OF such wealth when accepted him,i
There will be a fine hummiug among his
aristocratic friends when they hear he has
married a sbop-0fr,'' said Nine Arnot,
scornfuIly: she had married canal driver
offer, and through all her years Of prosper
ity he had remained the same, low. vulgar
and illiterate. creature TO be kept out OF
sight Of her present circle Of friends, so far
as possible, and it CALLED her and filed 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 winch 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 Isabels quiet reply
Il seemed 10 her now. in the family atmos-
pierre Of the work room, that II was all
dream, and that Nine. Arnot's tiisdainful
words were only too reasonable, hut. as she
had said, time would tell. and a verv short
time. for Mr. Falconer's last words had been:
Expect me at nine Tomorrow
I'm case OF such an ahsIrdity occurring.
viii give You Just che rear 10 get behind
my counter; no good results could possibly
come from such e strange al iance,' aud
Nine Arnot flounced out Of the room far
from gracefully, and the girls were left
alone
The spiteful old cat - said Jennie Dewey,
Indignantly; ''it's no wonder she envles you,
Isabel, in comparing Mr.. Falconer with hcr-
rid John Arnots but do tell US all about in
But isabel could not; sue WAS not gush-
ing or elusive girl, and hcr deeper feelings
especially were inexprcSsible Mr.. Fal-
coner had tonchedt these in his conversation,
and she could no more have repeated Il
than she could have brought out for inspeo.
ilon the tenderest Of love making
at all seems 40 unreal she pleaded; call
I can tell is that he proposed 10 me and ac.
copied him-"
FRO N roNrixrno