Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-19

should arise. For myself / have untortu
nately been brought up to no professloni
1 was trained for public Hector politics-i
for anything: it has never been considered
necessary that 1 should learn some method
of making my own living. That is mis-.
fortune-I can see that now; but at least
have been trying to do something of late
were any need, I fancy could earn a modest
income by writing for the newspapers. You
have seen one or two of those articles---and
l have been offered introduetions, as you
know. Well, now"
And again he paused. All this had been
more or less plain sailing: now he was ap-
preaching much more delicate matter
"Well-the fact is--there has been some
envious NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. stnh-not
worth mentioning-except for this: that if
went to my father and told him wished to
marry your granddaughter, he would be op-
posed to it. Yes. that is the truth. He
does not know you; he has never even seen
Msisrie; and OF course he goes by what he
hears-absolute folly as it is However, "
Vincent continued, with some effort at
cheerfulness (for ne was glad to get
away from that subject without being
questioned); "the main point Is
this: if Maisrie and were
to get married at once--as we have the right
to dove are surely OF sufficient age-we
know our own minds-I am quite certain
my father would accept the whole affair
good naturedly and reasonably, and all
would be well. Then see what it would be
for Maisrie to have an assured position like
that! She wauld be able to give up her
share in the small income you once spoke of;
that would be altogether yours; and surely
you would be glad to know that her future
was safe, whatever might happen. There
would practically be no separation between
you and her; it isn't as if she were moving
into another sphere-among pretentious peo-
Pile; in fact. all the advantages are on her
side; If we have plenty of money. she has
birth and name and family; and then again,
when Maisrie and 1 took up house for our
selves, there would be no more welcome
guest than her grandfather. think I can
promise that.
There was silence for moment-an omi-
nous silence.
'sHas Maisrie," said George Bethune,
with slow and measured enunciation, and
he regarded the young man from under his
shaggy eyebrows, ''has Maisrie., intimated
to you her wish for that-that arrange
ment?" 80.
NO" said Vincent, eagerly. "How
could she? thought was bound to speak
ing without your approval. But don't you
think she has had enough of wandering
lite-enough of precarious circumstances;
and then if her heart says yes, too--?"
We'll, if this venerable impostor had at
last succeeded in entrapping rich mans
son-in getting him to propose marriage to
his granddaughter-he did not seem to be
in hurry to secure his prey
"Maisrie had said notning?" George
Bethune asked again in that curiosly i'm
passive fashion.
"No-"
"Has expressed no wish?"
"No-I have not spoken to her about this
immediate proposal"
"Then, until she has," said the old man,
calmly, II must refuse any consent of mine.
1 think you have described the whole situa-
tion very fairly-clearly and honestly. as
imagine; but lido not see any reason Tor de-
parting from what 1 said to you before, that
I would rather my granddaughter was not
bound by any formal tie or pledge-much
less by such a marriage as you propose. For
one thing she may have future before her
that she little dreams Of Of course, if her
happiness were involved, if she came to me
and said that only by such and such an ar
rangement could her peace of mind be
secured then I might alter my views; at
present see no cause to do so. You are
both young. il you care for each other, you
should be content to wait. Years are val
liable test. After all, according to your own
showing, you are dependent on your fathers
caprice; some angry objection on his part
and where would tn fortunes of the young
married couple be?'' ---'v1
But Vincent was too impetuous o be easily
discouraged.
"Even then I should not be quite help
less," he urged. "And is nv willingness to
work to count for nothing? However, that
is not the immediate question Supposing
Maisrie's happiness were concerned?. Sup
posing she was little tired of the uncer-
tainty of her life? Supposing she were will
ing to trust herself to me-what then? Why,
if she came to you, and admitted as much,
1 know you would consent. Is not that so?
know it is so! You would consent-f0r
Maisrie's sakel"
The old mans eyes were turned away
now-f1ed on the slumbering Goals in the
crate.
"I had dreamed of other things" he said,
almost to himself
"Yes; but if Maisrie came to vou?" Vim
cent said, with the same eagerness-almost,
indeed, with some trace of Joyous assur-
ance-"She would not have long to plead,
I think And then again, at any moment,
nv circumstances might be so altered as to
give you all the guarantee for the future
which you seem to think necessary. A
word from Lay father tomorrow might settle
that; il wen. to him, and could get him to
understand what Maisre really was. Or
might obtain some definite post; / have
some good friends; lam going up to London
tomorrow, and could begin to make in
quiries In the meantime" he added
hastily-for he heard someone on the stair
-'do you object to my telling Maisrie what
YOU have said?'
"What 1 have said? I dare say she
knows" old George Bethune made answer,
in an absent sort of wav-and at this mo-
ment Maisrie entered the room, bringing
her sewing with her, and further speech
was impossible. .--., ,..-,
1t was on this same afternoon that Lord
Musselburgh carried along to his iair fancee
a report of the interview he had had with
Vincent in the morning. The young widow
was dreadtully alarmed.
"Oh, my goodnessP she exclaimed, and
she began to pace up and down the room in
her agitation. "Marry the gif1 at once?
Why, it is destructionl Fancy what all our
plans and interests, all our lives, would be
with Vim cut outl 1t cannot bet shall
not bet must be prevented at any cost!
He would be dead-worse than dead-we
should be pitying hiTu always, and knowing
where he was, and not able to go near him.
You don't mean to say he is definitely re-
she demanded in her desperation.
Indeed, there is no doubt about it-he
spoke as plainly as you could wish" said
Lord Musselburgh. "And he has argued
the thing out; his head is clear enough, for
all this wild infatuation of his. He sees
that his father will not consent-be forehand;