New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-16

said. Dear me- I said, shouldn't feel as If
| properly married, | don't think 1t would
he quite respectable. Are there no decent names
III your family. Are you all Muds and Paddles?
What was your grandmother's name? ] suppose
she had onc!' She Miss Dormer' Oh,
come, that's betterp ] said, and so we going
TO be Mr.. and Mrs DOrmer think II sounds
rather we'll"
Very" agreed Mrs. Fcrrers and Colonel An
And now would you like to know my news?'
said Mrs Ferrers Read that"
THE deuce" cried Colonel Ans;cy
We'll done, Mabel! said MIS-. Mud. 81 con-
There was moments pause, and then Mrs.
Fcrrers said quietly; ." Bat l am going to re-
fuse him."
Good gracious." said Mrs Mud.
Are you mad, Mabel ?" cried Colonel Anstcy'
"yOu can't be in earnest"
Il am" said Mrs. Fcrrers, perfectly in
by Jove, Mobel, ! believe you have taken
leave Of your senses; Why, the man has fifteen
and a lovely place in Berkshire. and---Nonsense,
Mabel | won't believe you. l can't think yOu
such utter fool"
Fool or no fool" said Mrs. Fcrrcrs quietly,
i don't intend to marry him. and that's Hat
My dear Mabel" said Scringa, what are yon
thinking OFF"
Fcrrers-Mrs. Fcrcrs the designing, the mer-
cenary.
" | gave YOU credit for more sense. | tell You
what il is, You are in love-inlatuated with that
young fool of a Farquhar, who has not even
spoken. and who, ten TO one, never VIII anu 50
NOu will be making a goose of yourself Tor noun
ing. And YOU intend TO throw away Inc SUD
stance for the shadow. Really, Mabel doho
| understand YOU
Mrs. FcrrcrS quietly. Perhaps | have never
| understood myself, and perhaps have discovered
that ] have after all a little scll-reSpecr may
have laid traps for Cecil Farquhar, and ! may
have been caught In them myself. Anyway, l
may as wei tell YOU that he spoke, as yon can H.
nearly fortnight ago and accepted him.
She said this very quietly and decidedly There
had been a time when she would have turned
upon him. and have given him blow Tor blow
but Mrs. Ferrers had greatly changed in the last
few months. Colonel Anstey looked at her IN
suT1PTTS;e ,.,... .,.o,,o o.,.oa -
q slightly modified tone. though in any ease
Lakeman is far and away the better catch of the
two. ! don't think Farquhar has more than
five thousand at the NEST
Seringa threw her arms round her sisters neck.
i hope you Will be very happy, dear she Sild;
Half an hour later she said goodbye, ana
Colonel AnStcy went round with her 10 her hotel.
That night Mrs. Ferrers sat in her bedroom with
two open letters before her The candies ut mp
| her face, and Shone upon the Ghsirning tears
that rolled slowly down her cheeks. Mrs. FcrrcrS
did all things we'll and. while other women by
crying We're made hidcous. the tears merely came
TO her eyes and left them with no swollen lids
or ugly traces. Her face was very white against
shoulders and her eyes were luminous. Her
bare arms, from which the sleeves fell heavy with
lace, were supporting her head.
One of the letters TINT already referred 10,
the other, hurried and ill-writtcn ran follows:
My Darling Mabel: l write this to release
YOU from youc engagement When j proposed
to YOU fairly well of and had some pros
poets | have now allowance Of merely two
hundred a year. and so / release you, and You
are free. Mabel accept this. ! am miserable.
l have heard from my mother and my grand
mother, and they trust me In nay choice. Ny
father has never given ne 10 understand that
might not marry to please myself. but now ! learn
that he cuts me ont Of his will. | know your
generosity. but you must not he sacrificed and
indeed | shall not blame YOU. And vet. Oh,
Mabel, if you would only still be my wife. Your
wTetched Cecil
And the two letters, the offer Of fifteen thou
sand a year and the offer Of two hundred, lay
side by side. 1t remained for Mrs. Fcrrcrs the
designing, the calculating, the mcrcenary, TO an
swer them.