Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-02-21


ing her thin hands. Let him go, If
he would, his ungrateful and headlong
way; he should find her implacable.
She had so thoroughly impressed
her two listeners that for few mo-
ments neither Of them spoke. Milly
did not know how TO begin; Owen was
more taken aback than he had expect
ed TO be, or than he cared TO show.
"She takes 1t worse than Ieypected,
Milly. / didn't think there would be
quite such fuss as this"
Milly was too truly concerned.
woman though she was, to remind
him that she had told him so. There
was another brief silence. Owen
went to the window, and stood looking
out rather blankly. He turned round
presently.
II say, Milly, do you think she
means itp'
I'm afraid so"
That's PLEASANT Then his spirits
revived n little. after all, It's only
talk, you know-and talk doesn't
amount to much"
mot Lady Elizabeth's talkP" re-
turned the girl quietly" I'm afraid
she does mean it. Owen-it would not
be true If were to say anything else,
sorry as | am to say this. / don't
think any who know her wou d attempt
to defy her unless they we q fully pre-
pared to carry their defiance through.
and bear the consequences.
Owen turned towards the door, look
ing rather pale, and feeling more OBJ
stinate than ever.
"All right; am prepared to carry
it through then-that's all about it.
Lady Elizabeth hasn't got the only
will in the word wouldn't go back
now if | could. Goodbye Millyr-
and he was gone. She heard the beat
OF his horses hoofs down the lane.
Milly, like the affectionate sym
pathetic little soul that the was, burst
into tears now that there was no one
to see, and cried till her pretty eye
lids were red. She was sorry for
Owen. sorry for Lady Elizabe h, and
sorry for Lily. She la ked the courage
to go to Lady Eli7abeth, who did not
re-appcar; and, no message coming
to summon her, she passed the warm,
sunny afternoon in doleful musing.
1t was nearly six o'clock when she
heard The sound of horse hoofs
again, coming at "A smart hard gallop
this time, and, going TO the window,
she caught glimpse OF Owens face
as he passed it. Milly was almost
frightened-it looked so angry and
white-more so than it had done when
he went out, she thought He was in
the room in few moments, and she
saw that something else was wrong
with him.
'Oh, what is the matter, Owen?
What is it?" she cried, almost trem-
bling.
"What should be the matter?" he
replied with laugh. You're a
woman yourself, Milly- you ought to
kuow-she has thrown me over, that S
all. "
Lilly has?" cried Millicent.
Oily has. Says she can't be a bur-
den to me-that she cares too much
for me to ruin my prospects in life
that she could never bear to feel that
l was a poor man through her, and
lot more COMPOUNDED, unselfsh, self
sacrificing rubbish of that sort. It's
very hard-she is sorry-perhaps she
is, for she cried all the time; but
could no more move her than could
lift this house. 1t is all over between
us; and unless can obtain Lady
Elizabeth's consent, I'm not to go to
the Thatched Cottage again. There
now, you've got the whole of it, and
I'm OF 10 London tonight! I'll not
stop in this place another day. l wish
I'd never seen it,
Lady Eli abeth came down to dinner
a little paler than usual perhaps, but
as handsome and composed as ever.
Only Milly and herself sat down to the
meal; but, although her eyes wander
ed more than once to the vacant seat
at the other end of the oval table, il
was not until the servants were gone
that she spoke of it.
"Has not Owen returned, MILL
cent?"
"Yes, Lady Elizabeth" faltered the
girl.
"Why is he not at dinner, thenP"
"He is gone again" said Milly.
"WhereP" questioned her ladyship
sternly. TO London"
docs he intend to remainP"
"I-I believe so, Lady Elizabeth. y
81 hope that when he returns he
will be cured OF this ridiculous fancy,
and more sensible both of his position
aud OF his duty TO me-" said Lady
Elizabeth coldly; but there was q
touch OF stern satisfaction in her face,
for she interpreted his absence in her
own way. There is enough said up
on the subject, Millicent," she added,
seeing that the girl would have spok-
en-. IL have no desire to hear any
thing further upon subject that is to
me both unpleasant and OBJ. ectionable.
l was sorry to see some disposition
upon your part to side with Owen this
afternoon; pray have sufficient sense
not TO plead for him in the future. As
/ said, trust that Owen will return
to n sense OF his duty in all ways"
| Millv wisely said nothing we'll ne