New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-06
NEW YORK DAILY TRIBUNE SUNDAY sse-TwENrY PAGES

undoubtedly have felt reIet 40 tne pua S,,rdaTs
syas thms Inexpectedly lifted from his shoulders.
Rut now he experienced il anything NIUE ,nolo
ache about the heart, feeling OF hcreaS'u '
Iiposg No one wanted him; he was hIs 'sI "a" ha
unnecessary. After to-day ne "o"AA '"
quite alone in the world. . .nod os
Roger fastened TO meet him as ne .u q dar ~
the road and made his way toWaru 'lo U"'''
silent little church. Ado,
Through Itng nlghI Oh sie ~ yo,ng mans
Major Brown had puzzled over the young ni,ii
behavior TO himself He found himself wonu Et
ing what Rogers motive IN bringing MN LII ~ gb
marriage could possibly be-. ne va" tho matter
arxiously over that if il was indeed oaras VIII VIII
il would have been thwartcd. lie IelC a i.,
that he had been quite wrong In cOiisen,lns 10 10
attend the ceremony tat ne mao rd C position
IL would have been much better for Dolh 9i 1nsin
if he had lett Homburg the day before, dire V,
ne had t heard hog if Smsef to be used as
tool in this fresh freak of young Wilson'S BUS
picious spitefuness? - H.. an
Upon my word, you're pretty casual nj Wo; %r
impatient bridegroom Roger calleu do oi'S ''"'VA
drew within earshOt. .,,, lint.
Major Brown paed TO the lips at the taunt' pun
he made no answer Was he not about 70 glHSS
TO Wilson OF his own free will all that ne hsIu
dear in life? Why, then, should he Srudge mn
the venting of his fretful temper =, ,,..o.
Roger Continued, with sneer, as the hiaJor
entered the church:
II wonder if Mr. Cross will make an equally
eager bridegroom? But. oh, mol OF course Miss
Drayton, the Helen of Bournemouth, is infinitely
more attractive than poor Sara. Cross Will De
at the church before his best man."
What do you mean ?' cried the Major, turning
with Unsurpassed wrath on his tomentor, who
was watching with evident satisfaction the eneco
of his words " You have already heard tne
Bournemouth gossip? Welt l don't grudge
Gross his good fortune" Roger snecred again
" He will make Miss Drayton very much peter
husband than ever L should nave done h iit.lo
am doing what | can," his voice broke a llttle,
" to show you that do not grudge you your gooa
fortune either--your. great happiness. Fray leu
US leave the subject"
While MAJOR brown had been speaking, Roger
with an apparent indifference TO his words, ma
been leisurely detaching little white rOse-Duu
from his buttOn-hcle.
You have not got any b9tton-nGTn,,
anger. It's not the thing tnaC, IL
should have one while you have none See ne
added holding out the flower, give thlo rose
bud TO you just as l am giving her 10 you,
think there is some likeness between them. e..
lie drew back the flower, and looking at u
kissed it softly. Then nc thrust 1t into the MAJOR
hand. ...a,.-
{" Put it in and look sharp" he said ungraclously.
"She VIII be here in minute"
Major Brown gazed at him in speeches. as
constituent.
{" / do not know what you mean" he said at
last, hOarsey.
Then you must be most uncommonly thick
headed was the others sharp retort. 10 you
mean to tell me that you are not perfectly Tree
now that the distinguished Cross has cut IN ana
cut you out? If you are not, 1t would have been
wiser to have told me so before / had made All
arrangements with the paTS0n and WIN oafd.
For Sara. she's perfectly free, too-now that you
are You would not have me marry a gri that
wants to marry another man, would you Though
she was far toe good ever to say 50" ne addeu
gently to himself Then, raising his voice again
" And can't you understand either" he said; are
you utterly dense, that perhaps 1t was not marc
for man in my position to see how matters were
going-to see how far you two cared Tor eacn otnr
I had it all out with Sara yesterday afternoon
directly we heard the news from Bournem0uth
She couldn't deceive me; she hasn't deceived me
all along, though she tried her best, poor chlld,
and l told her So L haven't known her al these
years and
He broke down with great gulp. and hurried
up the aisle and down again before he resumed
with more than his former harshnesS OF tone:
Il would have called and explained 1t all to
you yesterday evening" he said only you were
so confoundly curt in the afternoon. and dared
not trust myself. But l suppose you got my
letter."
The Major dumbly shook his head. A knowledge
which he could scarcely realize was beginning 70
steal in upon him. lie could not speak. lie
hardly knew whether to trust his senses, or to
believe that great trouble had altogether bereft
him of them Only he grasped desperately the
little white rosebud as at least something tangible
and conveying distinct meaning among all tins
perpleXity.
Mop cried Roger. in answer to the Majors
mute movement Then l shall summon the
landlord Immediately" He stamped his foot
furiously, apparently only too glad of some outlet
him imprisoned. OIL fined, or both-if one can get
any Justice in this land of Official bloclheads.
But" he went on, suddenly calming down again,
" | can attend to that afterward, when all this
fuss is over and
The full meaning OF Rogers words had at last
burst upon the Major. He made step forward
and caught young Wilson by the two shoulders,
since at the first sign Of his approach Roger had
resoutely casped his hands behind his back. 1t
was never easy matter to the Major to express
his feelings and his words came slowly now. and
nit han
You are giving Sara. Miss Levison,-your
cousin, your betrOthed-tO me-" he gaSped, each
word bearing its individual emphasis of emotion,
his whole face and figure working with his ire
mendous excitement. You are the most Generous
of men. You bind me under a lifelong debt
How can | ever repay your
| Roger, who was quite powerless IN the Majors
enthusiastic grasp. was obliged to look up and
| face him.
Stuff and nonsense!" he said You call me
generous, and then talk Of reIaying met How
do you suppose it is possible to do that? Gould
] ever have repaid you if Sara had been yours, and
| you had given her up to me? And do YOU sup
| pose that if she loved me but one-half as she
loves you would ever given her up? No -nO-nC
no"
| His voice died away in q kind of sob, and ht
was altogether silent for u few minutes, while
Major Brown. awed by the expression of his face
stood watching him. Then Roger turned on hin
| once more, with greater vehemence than before
| Great fool" he said. DO you suppose thai
| 1 am giving her up to youothat am thinking o
| you at all in the matter? II l had wished t,
marry her myself, could | not have done so? Hat
| l not got it in my pOwer?"
Yes, yes" put in the Major soothingly. Blu
| at this weil-meant interruption Roger ghred OF
| him, his eyes flaming like fire. his face white anC
| distorted.
Major Brown bit his lip and turned away.
| In an instant Roger at his side again.
| Il beg your pardon" he said humbly. Yol
must take it that am not always anSwerable 70
what | do and that this strain is almost NOR
| than | can bear. You will take Sara where yov
| 10 fn4A ItnlNv nod IL.
to be good to her. And he paused mournfuly
| if ever the devil is too strong for me and
cannot fight him alone you will not grudge m
one hour with Sara. listening TO her sweet voice
| holding her dear hand ?'
Before the Major could answer. while. with hi
eyes dim with unaccustomed feeling. he still