Telegram-herald., 1889-10-25

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Tie squArs ua@as s0Szesr but effective
b4ck groal.d
.sY9a $50 thas ruin ard decay are az
shss I have - ofsr yea hsrs, Victor
49, saving 18th a cadence ~ bitterness
IA his voice. But II yoa had courage
enough " end rhs ife = alch yea desptse,
o oat loose from al the tee which bad
you IN America. aad 90 with me -
Egypt. there might have future and
a career fer yOa - shzre-ghere Al least
vou would find freedom ana action and
hfe
4 hush came 70 Eieanor's cheek, and
hghG cleaned suddsnly Ia her eyes, as II
the very ~ldnsss Of this proposal lent 1t
fascination: oug she shook her head.
smiling a little sadly. You are of NJ
world, she said; you ought 70 know
better than that am not 50 brave as
you think must do what is expected
of me. and / Ala expected - marry Mars
ton Brent
Forget the world and come with me.
That Is impossible. II / had only
myself TO care for, would; bat there
q L
vas silent Tor a moment. then looked up
at him piteously. They have sacrificed
% much for me ar home, she said, and
they are 50 proud OF me. They hope,
desire, couut on this marriage; | cannot
dlsap2oint them Mr.. Brent himself has
been most kind and patient. and he does
nos expect very much. | am coward,
Lssr Gao 1 Fasf'
again he said. you can come with
ne.
Again she answered, lit Is impossible.
Do you not see that it is impossible?
Starting forth on = new career, IL would
be insane for you 70 burden yourself
with a wife. As FOR me, am no more
fit 20 marry poor man than 70 be a
housemaid. Victor. it is hopeless. For
heavens sake, let Us talk Of 1t no longer!
The only thing Wa can do is to forget
that We have ever talked Of it at all.
"Wnl that be easy FOR your confess
that nothing on earth could be harder
for me."
NO. 1t VIII not be easy, but shall try
with al my strength 10 do it. God only
knows" putting her hand suddenly 10
her face, "how | shall live il | am not
able to do It." Then passionately. why
did YOU speak? Why did you make the
misery greater by dragging ii to the light,
50 that we could face it, talk Of it. discuss
it? Oh why did you do it?'
Because l wanted 10 see If you were
not made Of braver stuff than other
women" said he, almost sternly. in
my maddest hours / never dreamed OF
speaking. until-what you said last night.
Thinking of that after | came home,
resolved 10 give you one opportunity TO
break through the artificial trammels of
your life, and find the freedom you pro-
fessed 20 desire. 1t was better TO do this,
thought, than to be tormented all my
life by regret, doubt, lest | had lost
happiness where one bold stroke might
have gained il.
"And now that you have found that
I am not brave. that | am like all the
other conventional women of my class,
are you not sorry that YOU have inflicted
useless pain upon YOURSELF"
"Of myself l do not think at all, and
even when think of you l cannot re-
gret having spoken. Let the misery be
what it will it is something 10 have faced
it tOgether-it is everything to know that
you love me, though you refuse to share
my life"
You must not say that" said she,
starting and shrinking as if from blow.
"How can | venture to acknowledge
that love you when l am going to marry
Marston Brent;'
Are you going to marry HIM"
Have l not told you so?'
he turned from her and took one
short, quick turn across the square.
Like every man in his position, he felt
outraged and indignant, without paus-
ing 70 think how infinitely more inexor-
ible the laws OF society are with regard
TO women than to men. He could put
Mrs. Lancaster's fortune aside and 20 his
way-to Egypt or 10 the dogs-without
any body crying out against his criminal
folly. his criminal disregard Of the du-
ties and traditions Of his class. But If
Eleanor Miloourne put Marston Brent's
princely fortune aside and disappointed
all her friends. what remained 70 her but
the bitter condemnation of those friends
in particular and Of society in general?
When he came back she rose TO meet
him, making a picture worth remember
ing as she stood in her graceful youth
and picturesque habit by the broken
fountain, with tho somber cedar hedge
behind and the intense azure of the sum-
mer sky above.
"Let US co." she said. "By prolong-
ing this we only give ourselves useless
pain. All is said that can be said
T Nothing remains now but 70 forget; and
T that can best De done in silence. Victor,
let Us 90"
There was tone Of pathos. n tone as
I If she was not quite sure Of herself. in
those last words, which made Clare re-
frain from answering her. He turned
silently. and they entered a green alley
which led TO ths foot Of the terrace eur
rounding the house. As they walked
along. Marston Brent's figure appeared
at the end Of the vista. advancing toward
them. and 10 was this spparition which
first made Clare speak: If you will
not think me fanciful-T am sure you
viii not think me pres1Imptuous-p prom
ise me that before you give that man
his snswer you viii share the lotos with
me Of which you have spoken. may
D superstitious. but | feel "a II we
shall gain neT strength with which to
face the future after We have together
renounoed the past
She shook her head II am not super
sti:ious enough 70 think that it will en-