Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-05-08

tell Won. have been lonely man all my HE.
At sea | was lonely, and since have come
into this fortune have been lonelier still.
never loved anybody or anything till l began
m love Won. And then / loved you more
and more and more, till now have only one
thought in all my life, and that thought Is OF
Won While am awake think of you, and
when | am asleep dream OF you. Listen,
Beatrice. listen! | have never loved any
other woman. l have scarcely spoken 70
one-only YOU, Beatrice. can give you
rreat deal; and everything have shall be
yours only should be jealous of you-yes,
very jealous"
Here she glanced at his face. 1t was out
wardly calm. but white as death, and in the
blue eyes. generally so placid, shone fire
that by contrast looked almost unholy.
~ think that you hRye said enough, MIR.
Davies y she answered II am very much
Obliged to YOU am very much honored,
for in some ways am not your equal; but !
do not love you, and cannot marry you,
and think it best to tell you so plainly, once
and for ALL and unconsciously she wont on
digging the holes.
ooh. do not say that" he answered, almost
in a moan, ''For Gods sake don't say thatl
It will kill me to lose you, think should go
mad Marry me and you will learn to love
me-"
Beatrice glanced at him again, and pang
~ nity pierced her heart She did not know
il was SO bad a case as this. 1t struck her,
too. that she was doing foolish thing from a
worldly point Of view. The man loved her
and was very eligible. He only asked OF her
what most women are willing enough to give
under circumstances SO favorable to their
we'll being-herself. But she had never liked
him. he had always repealed her, and she was
not a woman to marry man whom she did
not like Also, during the last week this dis
like and repulsion had hardened and strength
ened. Vaguely, as he pleaded with her,
Beatrice wondered why, and as she did 80 her
eve fell upon the pattern ahe was automatic
ally pricking in the sand. 1t had taken the
form of letters, and the letters were
EOFFRE. Great hsaven Could that
be the answerl She blushed crimson with
shame at the thought. and passed her foot
across the tell tale letters, as she believed,
obliterating them.
Owen saw the softening Of her eyes and saw
the blush, and misinterpreted them. Think
ing that she was relenting, by instinct rather
than from any teaching Of experience, he at
tempted TO take her hand. With turn OF
the arm, so quick that even Elizabeth watch
ing with all her eyes saw nothing OF the
movement, Beatrice twisted herself free.
"Don't touch me-" she said sharply; you
have no right to touch me. / have answered
you, Mr.. Davies"
Owen withdrew his hand abashed, and for
a moment sat still, his chin resting on his
breast. a very picture of despair Nothing,
indeed, could break the stolid calm OF his
features. but the violence Of his emotion was
evident in the quick shivering Of his limbs
and his short, deep breaths
"Can you give me no hope" be said at last
in a slow. heavy voice "For Gods sake,
think before you answer; you don't know
what it means TO me- 1t Is nothing to you;
Won cannot feel | feel and your words cut
like a knife. | know that am heavy and
stupid, but / feel as though you had killed
me. You are heartless, quite heartless-
| Again Beatrice softened little She was
touched and fiattered.
Surprising | should say yes to you" she
said to him, 'supposing that l married YOU
not loving you, what would II be forf for
your money and your position, and TO De
called a married woman, and what do you
suppose / should think OF myself In my heart
them No, no, / may be bad, but have mol
| fallen so low as that Find another wife, Mr.
Davies; the world is wide, and there are
plenty Of women In it who will love you foi
your own sake, or who at any rate will moi
be so particular. Forget me- and leave me z
| 20 my own way--it is not your way.
Leave you TO 90 your own way he an
swered almost with passion--"that Is, leave
YOU 70 some other man. Obi cannot beai
to think OF it. / am jealous Of every mar
who comes near you. Do you know how
beautiful YOU arel You are too beautiful
every man must love you as do. Oh, II yol
took anybody else think that | should kil
him"
"Do not speak like that, Mr.. Davies, or
shall gon
He stopped at once. Don't go, he said
mploringly. Listen Yeu said that yo'
would not marry me because you did no
love me. Surprising that you learned TO low
me- say In years time, Beatrice, would yo'
marry me thenp
II would marry any man whom loved,
she answered,
'Then if you learn to love me you vii
marry mef'
sOh, this is ridiculous she said. 1t
not probable it is hardly possible, that suc
a thing should happen. II it had been goinl
to happen it would have happened before"
ut might come about, he answered; ''you
heart might soften towards me- Oh, say "
to this. 1t Is small request, 1t costs yo
nothing and it gives me hope, without which
cannot live. Say that may ask you ono
more, and that then If you love me you wi
marry me.r
Beatrice thought for a moment. Such
promise could do her no harm, and in th
course OF six months or a year he might &c
used to the idea OF living without her. Ais
1t would prevent a scene 1t was weak Of hei
but she dreaded the idea Of her having refuse
Owen Davies coming to her fathers ears.
III you wish It, Mr.. Davies, she said, IS
be it. Only ask you to understand this,
am in no way tied to you. | give you n
hope that my answer, should you renew tn
offer year hence, or at any other time, wi
differ from that give you today. do nc
, think there is the slightest probability {
, such a thing. Also, it must be understoo