Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-08-08

4
say it, and insist on it; but that can
never piece the broken thread again.
Have you known the Squire so long,
Col. Stuart, to be now surprised by his
insisting that I have no mind of my
own?"
There was laugh upon her lips,
though tremulous one; but his were
very grave indeed, and his eyes intent
upon her as he spoke again.
Miss Marjorie, have I been wrong
in my fancy all this while, that Neil's
loss Of wealth could make no difference
in your love for him?"
"Such fancy, whether it has been
| yours or not, could not be wrong" she
answered, quietly. mo loss of wealth
could have made any difference in my
love for him, if love had been really love
on either side. But it was not. Can
you understand? The knowledge Of
this has been slow i'll asserting to either
of us, but it has been almost always
there. 1t would have been told nearly
two years ago, only that we were both
cowards."
Because he did not answer those
earnest words, she looked with surprise
into his face.
"Col. Stuart, you don't rebuke me
as YOU always used to do, and cannot
recognize you so. Please to scold me,
and have it over"
~ cannot" he answered, gently.
Gwen in old times it was very hard,
but now it seems impossible. Marjorie,
| you will never understand what made
me often seem so hard and stern to YOU.
Your words and acts were always more
to me than those of any one else in the
world, and this ] was obliged to hide.
had the grief OF seeing you behave to
every one with more gent;eness than to
me, yet dared not show the pain this
gave me. fancied that 1 understood
better than any one the many sterling
qualities which you so often either hid
or married, and-I loved you for them
with all my heart and soul. Yet never
dared encourage this thought, or love
knowing that You were promised to
Neil"
"I never could have married Neil"
said Marjorie, in tremulous whisper,
as the shy, brilliant color burned in her
cheeks, "even though had promised"
4" 1 have listened while you spoke to
those you loved, as you could speak,
Marjorie, with all your kind heart in
your voice and eyes, and have tried to
fancy what it would be to me to listen to
such words from you; but-as you
know-you were always different to me-"
always" faltered Marjorie, with sad
gravity; "but, if you know the reason
of your own sternness, can you not guess
the reason Of my defancep It was q
poor, weak armor, after ALL
Marjorie Marjorie" he cried, with
wonderful new brightness on his face,
sis this possible? Oh, my love, don't
jest with me III this l am too old
To
you may be giving me now"
However much I tested when you
tried to teach me-" she said, raising her
eyes, in which the unshed tears were
giistening, "I always tried to obey you
in the end-because-I loved you"
But, Marjorie" and the rare, slow
tears of happiness were standing in his
eyes, too, as he looked with questioning
FEAR into her face" but, Marjorie, have
you thought of this in any light but that
of yonr own fearless generosity? Gould
you be happy with me, o comparatively
old man, almost twenty years your Sc
nior?"
"Have you thought" she answered
gently. could you be happy with q
girl who all her life long has been vex-
ing and hurting you; who has never
been made companion of by any one;
who always fretS and repines if things
don't so quite smoothly; who was in the
very act Of fretting and repining when
you came imp"
my love-" he said, and drew her
close within his arms, "you fretful
you repining my bright, brave girl!
1 feel now that We can never have really
misunderstood each other for one mo-
ment, because we aye 50 close together
now. All, Marjorie, never guessed OF
this happiness in store for me. How
could I? How dare r."
Because you are so old ?" she ques-
toned, the old, gentle, tremulous drol-
lery on her lips.
"Well, let us say have a smack of
age in me, like Faistaff," he said sigh
ing; "but 1 was not thinking then Of
that"
"You had forgotten it for one mo-
mentP" she asked, more earnestness
than laughter on her bright, sweet face.
"Then do not think OF any other-griev.
ance. knew always" she went on,
clearly than any one else saw them; and
so how can feel that this is trueP Can
you really love me as amp"
Dearly, dearly, my precious ont.
loved you always, even as you were in
your most random, and, to me, unkind
moods. could not help it, hard as I
tried and tried. I could not help it"
"Col. Stu"
Colonel ?" he echoed, laughing, as
he gazed with ineffable tenderness far
down into her shy eyes. "Is that my
name for you, Mariorie2 ?"
"Alick, the word came very timidly
from her lips, but very tenderly withal.
"Alick, viii you-what are those words?
will You be to my virtues very kind,
be to my faults little blind ? But You
always are, with every one, and so
think the faults will be fewer. Those
bad, mutinous thoughts, which used to
come when you were near me-because
1 felt SO very far away-can never come
again."
Marjorie. +" said Col. Stuart, after a
pause, 81 wish I were talking to Neil
just such happiness as I have now in
my own heart.
"We must wait" abe answered. visit