Telegram-herald., 1890-12-25
PURPOSES
A Christmas E psrisnce in Seven Chapters.
BY T {. DELE0N.
Author OF ~CreoIe aud Puritan .The Rock the Rye
~Foar Years IN lseoei Capitals" etc.


s18.sd. csrele-sly. 'f5r my aunt eoulo
ee1 ns AnsEy VITA ne week. she
wouli fgT<eg her diSApp ppoinlzaoGt--we
sAaala eoth ae s44-lly 4e,-r ~ her
Hege aas halia la Gile.si. for the an
clsat Griffin. besi lss ths Grove estate.
ws.s repated very warm ! looked
theaghtfuly into the fre. and the words
tea Epon nay shocked mo-iesty and sore
won4erment hke sootalng bAlsam h4ll-
road shares bsak sh2res-coFneFs IA
ETIe-broNu front ou the aYenue-aA
passed IN rapid panorama between my
eyee anl the glowing cohs. There was
a half nlenung in my voice As / said.
Are you very sure of that.'
Very sure. But what q that he
whom love" and the girl fixed her
eyes fun npon mine with never ;, blink
nor tremor-"he whom | love would
value II al As Trash.
The deuce be would, Then | little
knew myself But the Information Just
given was sufficient and began 20 see
daylight / actually believe for the last
ten minutes / had forgotten the very ex-
is.euce of Bette Blythe. | had not even
reIaem bered the little shock 10 nay pride
al finding out her duphcity-had lost
even my ire al Tom Jones perfidy.
was doing a little sum IN mental arith-
merc, IN which the White Mouse was
the exponent Of an unknown power Of
farm, manor house and woodland.
But could not restrain nv desire 10
speak at least part Of the truth. She
wac leaning now upon the rnantel, her
pale forehead resting upon her right
hand and her left hanging carelessly by
Der side. took that left hand in my
own, not without a twinge Of conscience.
"You and have long been friends,
sid I'VE are sympathetic, perhaps,
ut we hardly know each other well
enough yet TO speak surely of certain
things"
She withdrew her hand very gently.
why not?" she asked.
because il may be-that is"-(it was
horribly embarrassing to explain)-'are
you very sure that you love-a-that you
know your own nlind?"
''As sure as that / live!" She spoke
earnestly and absently, but looked
straight into the fire and not at me.
''And you do-you think-that is you
have--in your own mind you have reason
TO trust that
Had not certainty beyond trust
beyond reason" she broke in-'I had
been false to my sex 70 speak tonight to
you"
Wonderful power of lovel Wonderful
confidence of passion!
But where in the deuce had ever given
her one reason to believe l cared for her?
Once more the triple jury held hasty
session over me; once more | was tri-
umphantly acquitted.
Gamma" | said-very gently now
perhaps your aunt would not forgive.
Would you be willing to sacrifice every
thing, TO endure poverty even, for the
sake of your lover The girl only looked
at me for answer, but that strange smile
fiickered once more around her lips.
"And suppose you do another more than
iustice-suppose your loss of fortune
should change feelings you now be-
leve"-
NtNtI. Suc sdiA W iCfS = OEO
secure for that"
"And would it override ali obstacles?
Would it forgive a recent rivalry and the
love that is even now scarcely driven
from the heart you would make your
ownr'
Anna Bolton, the White Mouse. turned
short upon me. Something in my words
transfgured her. She was very Py-
thoness, and her eyes flashed fire as she
drew her slender height up before me.
"Silence. sirl" she cried Perhaps
am rightly punished for forgetting was
still a maiden who should not speak.
When you spoke Of money, you merely
injured me. To intimate the possibility
of rival is INSULT After all have said
TO you, after all you know, it is bitter
insult, which | viii not listen to.
And the young person swept ont of
the room, utterly ignoring the hand
stretched out 10 detain her.
looked stupidly into the fire.
And even as | gazed the face that rose
before me was not Anna's, but Bette
Blythe's.