Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-21

night? Don't you know that you pressed
my hand to your heart? But perhaps that
was nothing-perhaps that meant nothing
at ALL"
"It meant very great deal, Vincent, J."
said she, warmly, looking up at him with
honest eyes. "We were talking of the value
of true iriends-and could not saw much
yet 1 wished 10 tell you what thought OF
all your goodness ard kindness. Indeed,
indeed it meant great deal. Vincent-and
hoped you would understand"
Il have understood too much" said he,
and he was silent for a second. Then he
went On. 81 thought you had more than
that to say to me, Maisrie. For why need 1
tell YOU what you must have guessed al
ready? You know love you; you must
have seen it all this time; there was no need
for me to speak. And when the future has
but the one hope for me, that some day or
other you should be my wife, then perhaps
was too eager to believe it had all come
true-that you were giving me promise in
that quiet way-and no need of spoken
word between us. But l was mistaken, 1
see. You only meant friendship. You
only wanted to say Thank your to a
friend"
But by this time she had risen from her
chair; and there was in her eyes the
strangest look OF pride and joy, and per-
haps, too, of sadness.
"Do you know what you are saving, Vim
cent?" she said, quite gently. "You-of
all people in the world"
She hesitated: she regarded-with admir-
ing, and grateful, and affectionate eyes
this handsome lad on whom fortune had
shed all good things-and perhaps she could
not cutie confess all she thought.
"You-of all people in the world-every-
one making much of you-everyone hoping
such great things of you-and you come
seeking a wife here" She glanced around
al the shabby little apartment. Then she
turned her eyes toward him again; and
there was a smile in them, of an unstable
kind; and tears were gathering in the lashes.
"WeIl," she said, "it will be something for
me think OF. 1t will be something for me
to be proud OF. There can be no harm in
that. shall be able to say to myself, Vim
cent thought SO we'll of you that he once
asked you to be his wife"
But 1 don't know what you mean,
MaisrieP' he exclaimed, and in spite of her
he seized her hand and held it tight between
his two. "What do you mean? You are
going to be my vile! Oh, don't want you
to make rash promises; 1 don't want to
frighten you; no, want you to be of good
heart, and you will see things will turn out
all right-trust me for that! And if you
don't know your own mind yet-if you are
afraid to say auything-won't you let me
guess? Surely we have not been all this
time together, and seeing So much of each
other, without getting to know each other
pretty intimately. And if 1 did make a
mistake last night-well, that is triting
marter-and was too presumptuous-"
She managed to release her hand.
''Sit down, Vincent, and let me talk to
you," she said. perhaps may not have
another chance; and do not wish you ever
to look back and say 1 was ungrateful, or
unreasonable, or cold-hearted. Cold-hearted?
not that-toward your And then she
went on in rather a sad way. "I think the
time has about come that We should part. 1t
has been a pleasant companionship; I am
not likely ever to forget it. But your
future is SO important, and ours so uncertain,
that 1 am sure the sooner we go separate
wavs the better. And I am anxious to make
a change now. You know nv grandfather
spent far more money on my education than
there was anv need for; his fancy was that
should be fitted for my new position, il those
Scotch estates were to come to us; but now
he does not think of that so much; and 1
use OF the education he has given me. And
1 think if we went away somewhere where
we could live more cheaply-where there
would be fewer temptations toward the
spending of money! could do something
to support him, and leave him the luxury Of
his books. am a woman now-I want to
work"
You work? Not while canr he said.
hotlY She went on without needing him.
That is why have been glad to see him
SO eager about this book of ballads. If he
could onlv get rid OF all Indebtedness, to
friends and others, through this book, then
we should start clear; and 1 should ask
grandfather not to fret any more about his
literary schemes He is an old man. He
has done everything for me; why should
not do something for him now? And
have no pride. The story about those
Scotch estates was always a kind of fairy
tale to me; never had any real belief in
the possibility of their coming to us; I was
never a fine lady even in imagination. So
that 1t matters little to me what I turn my
hand to; if what little education have had
is useless, would take to something else;
would work about farm house as soon as
l am great deal stronger
than you may imagine"
"Oh, what are you talking about, Mais-
rieI' he said, with simulated anger. eff
YOU think am going to allow any such
folly, you are mistaken. There are plenty
OF dairymaids in the world without you
And have the right to say something-I
claim the right: 1 am going to interfere,
whether you like it or not. When you
speak Of your duty towards your grand
father, that 1 understand. He has been
everything to you; who would ask you to
forsake him? But, as you say, he is an old
man. If anything were to happen to him,
think of your own position. You have
hardly friend in the world-a few ac-
quaintances in Canada, perhaps-but what
is that? You will want someone to protect
YOU; give me that rightl If let you go
from me now, how am L to find you again?
how am l to know what may happen?
Maisrie, have couragel-be frank!-tell me
me that the little message of last night
meant something morei''
The eloquence was not in the words, but
in the vibrating tones of his voice; and
there were tears in her eyes as she answered.
''Vincent, 1 cannot-1 dare noti You
don't know how grandfather and are sit
uated; you are so generous, so open-minded,
that-that you see everything in so favor
able light; but then other people might
step in"
"Between you and me? Who?" he de-
manded, with set lips
"Ah," she said, with a sigh, "who can
tell? And besides-besides-d you not
think am as proud of you as any one?-do
YOU not think am looking forward to all
that is expected of you?-and when hear
of YOU as this or that, will say to myself
4 knew what Vincent was going to do; and
now he is glad that he did not hamper him.
self ont of-out of pity-ior friendless
girl"