Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-02

HOiUB ~ 4ahthaFt NV s&<N
bat il is destroyed now. See
The stream toyed with it, tosuing 1t
up md down, and thoy both watched It
silently.
"Miss Mason, will you be kind enough
10 give one bit OF satisfaction, to answer
one question:"
"Yes, +" said Helen in her straightfor-
ward way. elf can, and she lifted her
trusting brown eyes to his face.
"Did you receive three letters from
me2" very coldly, for he did not wish
her to understand him as going back to
any tender "reminiscences for their own
sake.
eyes three letters" said Helen
calmly.
"And now my question is, Why did
You not answer them?
A dismayed, helpless look passed over
Helen's face, and her eyes sank before
his piercing ones.
"Dont be afraid OF giving me pain,
please. l am as invulnerable as this
rock. I only wish TO know as o kind OF
psychological problem why you did not
deign any kind of answer. l thought it
was usual for ladies to try to smooth out
the plumes they were rufiing, If only
through courtesy. but you did not. Was
it because / was q poor man and you
thought would not appreciate 80 much
delicate kindness, or that you could not
tear yourself from others so long as to
write a reply Answer me candidly,
please"
She lifted her head and looked into
his face. Her eyes were full OF big, un-
shed tears, and as she sat silent one fell
down upon her hand.
Miss Helen, 1 am distressing you !;
forgive me-" he cried, and he won't over
and stood close by her. "But was SO
wounded. | have SO longed to know.
1t WAS my first love. / did not mean to
be rough, indeed, I did not; forgive
me-"
She vas crying softly. he knelt down
in the dry leaves at her side and took
her hand.
"Now I will tell you,' she said. at
will do no one any harm for you to
know, and you are going away, and all
the facts remain hard and changeless as
they were"
lie held her hand so close his heart
that she could feel it throbbing. BE
cause II could not write the words l
conld not have any time to think how to
SAY it. It was a duty had meant all
my life to marry some rich man who
could help papa and educate jamie,
and had no right to give it all up just
because--."
lis hand shut down over hers with a
clasp that was almost painful.
Z" Do you think woman has no duty
TO the man whc loves her-whom she
loves? I have been told that this was
the hottest tie on earth.
His voice was grave and tender. He
put his arm re7erently about her slight
waist, and felt that che was leaning on
him.
"But not always" said Helen. "You
don't think this would be right? Would
you let your sister do it,"
His frat answer was to kiss the inno-
cent lips. Then he replied truthfully:
"Helen, if my sister loved a pan,
however poor, who had perfectly. stain
less name inherited from his father and
a pure record OF his own | would not
think it manly to separate thoss hearts
which God had already Joined. Am L
right, my beloved, my darling"
BY way Of answer Helen LET her head
go down upon his shoulder and her
arms clasped about his neck, and he
knew that she WAS his for all tme-that
he had conquered.
But sweetheart" he said presently.
"please don't let visions Of q cottage
and frugal life take possession of your
self-denying little heart, and don't act
+ ord Rurlelgh's wife. Let me confess
az once. lam not poor. You can do all
the sweet things you have dreamed Of.
You are not angry that ! have deceived
YOU? I will tell you Why some time.
But let me go on coniessing now and get
YOUR forgiveness. am not one Of Ma
lures nOblemen, as your father says
not at all. but have learned all | know,
all the poor graces Of manner and speech
which | may possess, at schools and
dancing schools like any other dull NOR
tai, and now you are not displeased-
really not? ?"
Il ain glad" said Helen, "Oh, 50
glad and papa will be happy, too !"
SO with his supplemented bride, Maui
rice had no trouble like the Lord Of Bur
leigh. be took the casket from his
pocket and put the diamond necklace
about her neck. and do you not think,
reader, she had won them fairly ?
When the whole story came to be dis
cussed openly it Was very strange that
no one but helen and her father had
over believed that Maurice was genu-
Inc miller; every one else, particularly
MIS-. Mason. had thought from the first
there was something strange and I'M
workmanlike about hin. And after
some years she anil all the neighbors
said they "diyined IL" al along, but
Phil ONLY laughed and agreed that d" SHE
certainly" had suspected something.
ggr IND