Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-19
CHAPTER XL

''Well," she began, as soon as the door
was closed behind US, ''the worst has hap
pened, as suppose you know. Mr.. Fair
child has spoken to you, has he not?"
"Ah? Then you, too, know about it?"
queried.
Miriam has just told me the whole
story"
''Whst does she say?"
'sThat Mr.. Fairchild has asked her to be
his wife. That she loves him and has &C.
cepted Internationally, that is, upon
your approval"
"She says she loves him?"
'She SAYS she loves him with all her
heart. She saws she is as happy as the day
is hong. She doesn't dream that you will
have any hesitation about consenting."
For a little while we were silent At last
'Well, brother, what are you going to do?"
nv sister asked.
f'That is what wish to advise with you
about.
Have you given no answer to Mr.. Fair
child?'
'I have said to him that ] must take time
for consideration and for consultation with
you"
"WeII?"
"Well, it is a most difficult dilemma"
''But you have got to make up your mind
one way or the other. 1t is cruel to keep
them in suspense"
81 know that, my dear sister"
"Do you mean to say yes or MOP"
'fThat's Just it. That's just the difficulty"
f'But it is difficulty which must be set
tied. You will have to say one OF the two"
=. 'How dare l say yes? What right have
to say no?'
sTThey love each other. 1t is their life
happiness which is at stake
Exactly, exactly. Therefore, if I say no,
Ii will be to condemn them both to great
misery, and misery which they have done
nothing 10 deserve"
''It certainly will 1t will break Miriam's
heart. And what reason can you give tor
refusing? 1t will be all the harder for
them, because it will seem to them so un-
reasonable, so unjustifable. They will
feel that it is an act of wanton cruelty on the
part of a selfish old man."
ST know it, I know it, I groaned. "And
vet, on the other hand, if say yes" I
paused.
eff you say yes, you will assure to them
the greatest happiness their hearts can de-
sire"
"But how dare 1 say yes, without sharing
with Fairchild the secret of Miriam's past?"
"Surely, brother. you cannot purpose do
ssNo, indeed. But without doing that
how can honorabIy permit him to make
her his wife. :"
'It is q choice of evils. You must choose
the lesser Of the two."
Precisely. But the trouble is to de-
termine which is the lesser of the two-de-
ceit OF cruelty?''
"Forgive me, my dear brother, for re-
mindlng you of it; but had you listened to
nv warning in the first place, this painful
alternative would never have come about"
t'What could do? You yourself agreed
with me that could not forbid Fairehild
the house. And so long as he had the run
Of the house, how could prevent him and
Miriam meeting? And meeting constantly,
as they did, suppose it wasinevitable that
they should come to love each other.
There's no use reproachiHg me, no use re-
GREETING the past What was bound to hap
pen happened. That is the whole truth
Of It."
81 did not intend to reproach YOU
brother. I merely wished to say that since
You, in 9 manner, have been responsible for
the state Of things that has come to pass
since, in other words, you neglected to take
state of things from coming to pass-it
seems as If you were now under a moral OBJ
legation not to stand between them and
their happiness. The time for action was
the outset Since you have allowed things
to 20 so far, it seems as ii you had no right
to forbid their going farther"
THAT is to say, you counsel me to con-
sent?"
81 do not see how yeu can do otherwise
now. 1t is too late for you to step in and
separate them"
"And the point Of honor? am to sup
press the truth? I am to stand still, and
suffer Fairchild to make Miriam his wife,
in ignorance of certain facts which, If he
were aware of them, might totally change
his feeling?"
"As said before it is choice of evils.
That negative deceit does not seem to me so
bad as the alternative of positive cruelty.
Besides, after all, is it not Miriam's right to
decide this matter for herself? What call
have you to do anything but stand aside,
with hands of, and let her choose her hus-
band without interference? She could not
wish better husband than Fairchild. No
woman could"