Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-12-12
oh" laying her hand upon her bosom


'tdreadfulp'
"But you wouldn't be alone shall
be there!" says Delaney, the very slightest
suspicion of a grievance in his tone.
"Why, so you would" says she, slowly,
rs if suddenly awakening to hitherto for
gotten fact. ~ never thought of that; but
still you are not dad, you know"
This is indisputable. Beyond all doubt
she has taken an unassailable position.
Acknowledging this fact, Delaney gives up
II won't listen to another objection, {"
cries he, gayly. "Not one. insist on car
rying you OFF bodily and introducing you to
the lot of them, whether you will or not.
have set my heart on the doing of this, and
know you will not have the heart to
thwart me. What! Do you think l would
readily reiinquish the triumph of showing
you OF to them-of exhibiting my captive?
My very own discovery toop'
He is thinking of the sensation her beauty
will create even among the throng of pretty
women with whom his mother ever delights
TO surround herself What one of that gay
crowd could dare to compare with her? AL
ready, in his fond fancy, he can see her
dancing through the grand old halls of
Ventry, or walking sedately through its
UUe SWeeIcSO uOWef all
those myriad blossoms.
The charm of this vision, however, it
beng q mere mental vagary, being natural
ly W thheld from the Duchess, it so happens
that his words fall with a meaning little in
tended upon her ears. Far from seeing
anything complimentary in them, she sees
something fatally the reverse. Could SO
lovely thing as her face be ever guilty Of
showing wrath undiguised, now is the
time
"Show me OFF, she repeats, in a voice
that positively electrifies the Inflated Denis.
exhibit me! Am l then South Sea
Islander? Am l to understand that really
differ so entirely from the rest of your ac-
quaintances?"
GAS light from darkness" replies he,
with promptitude, though considerably
puzzled by her tone and expression.
"Oh!' says the Duchess.
Great meaning may be thrown into this
apparently harmless monosyllable. Miss
Delaney makes it so eloquent that her cousin
turns sharply to look at her. What can be
the matter with her? For an instant their
eyes meet; time long enough to let him see
that tears are standing thicSly in hers.
"Norahl what is it," he exclaims, stop
ping short. "Does this visit to my mother
make you really so unhappy? If thought
so
at has nothing to do with it, and you
know itr' returns she, respectfully. This
time the tears are very plain to him, as she
lifts two indignant eyes to his. Large and
brilliant they hang upon her lashes, tremb-
ling to their fall. "But to be tod that one
is different OF course" with a baleful
glance at him, 81 know l am not as those
others-those fashionable friends of yours,
who have been everywhere and seen every
thing, and heard all there is to hear-and l
dare say''-with fearful contempt-'a good
deal moro! l know l am not like them,
d'-pasion1tely-"I don't want to be,
either. But one may b, different from people
without liking to hear it said. One May be
absurd and old-fashioned without wanting
to hear it put into words!''
This teeriA.e speech is poured forth with
startling fuency thai reduces Denis to a
state bordering on coma. Recovering him
self by an effort, "Norah! is it possible yol
could 50 msjrdge me-" he says, flushing
holly. my dar--er--h'm IN" seekin,;
wildly for compromises dearest
Gill can it be that you don't see what
really meant, where the true difference
lies? That you are the light--the rest OF
them darkness. Oh! Norah, look at me
Say you believe men'
AZ won't! l don'tr' keeping her gaze
studiously averted; aal now tho two large
tears detach themselves at last from the
lashes and roll slowly, pitifully down her
cheeks. ''I'm sure you aie saying all that
just to please and comfort me-" 4 little
sob breaks from her.
1t is by n mighty effort alone taat De
laney controls the eager longing that now
almost overpowers him TO catch her in hi.
arms and press that sad, angry little facd
against his own. Was ever thing createe
farer than this child? Oh that he were
free to Woo perchance TO win her? Oh
that he had never seen her!-and yct-not
tnat He could not wish that. With what
a strange suddenness she had fl lien into his
life land alas! how much too late), killing
for him the serenity in which he had be-
lieved he should live and die. not knowing
then the greatest good of all--nor having
tasted Of loves draught-that bitter sweet
Now, all that is over; serenity is dead, and
peace has flown; and here a CALLING chain
binds him secure, and there stands love, UNI
crowned, waiting, it might have been, 70.
him. A love so sweet, an eager, gracious
thing; careless as yet, with songs on heI
al anu IuuSheci III hei cJ %, aiu III hho"i
edge las it seems TO HIM of the cruel fret
and fever Of the pain hat men call passion.
All this or q vague sense of it, runs
through him as he stands there looking or
Ter tears but VIE he speaks his voice
though low, is cam.
'Not l." he says. "I'll swear it to yor
If you will, though my word is as good a
my bond Why, you silly baby, do yor
think if / id entertain such q heI esy that
should have had the pluck to say ltS''
This appears to he an excellent bit o.
reasoning and very convincing. The DUH
XIn fl x4A1Iiplzila-
VIII. ~, sf~~-ZTN