The Daily bulletin., 1890-12-20

brow and neck. and she quickly with.
drew her hand Thcu The color fell uut
OF her cheeks. leaving them deadher
white than ever, and she dropped hcf
face into her hands ~ she inuunuredi
ooh You herel You 10 see mel'
didn't understand the emphasis ON |
the prououn, but only answered;
"Do not send mc away before tell yon |
II was accident brought re hore and |
sympathy detained me You seem very |
miserable"
She glanced shyly Mt me from under
the swollen lids.
81 was a little while ago. But don't
feel so now" she whispered.
The deucel Here was an odd return
for my sympathetic interference.
rather liked it, however, for | seemed to
do the poor child good, and | felt so
wretched and alone in the world.
But, oh! what must you think of
me-" she cried suddenly, and again the
face went into the hands aud again the
bushes mounted up to the eartips.
al think-I-that isl am very, very
sorry to see you suffer-" | answered,
somewhat inconsequently.
But to think you of all people But
you will never tell himY'
Why l, "of all people," couldn't con-
ceive, but it was very safe to promise
about "him," as l had never set eyes on
the grief producing Goldwin. Therefore
answered honestly;
"On my word, never"
But then you know all! Oh, how
forward, how unmaidenly, how bold
you must think mel"
What in the deuce the girl meant why
should think her bold for not wanting
to marry her grandfather l could not
conceive. So l only shook my head
sagely. In medic tutissimus ibis
But then this never has seemed like
honse," she went on. 'Auntie tries to
be very good, but she doesn't know
how. And then young girl may have
strong feelings, and oh, do love so ut
terlyv
"Wh-atr' | gasped, surprised out of
propriety. The devil you dol" 1t was
very improper; but then to think of her
being sold to man of 60, and then ''lov-
ing so utterly" Wonderful creatures are
: women. Ny abruptness made her recoil
but it was only for a moment.
,, "Then you won't think me immodest
-unwomanly? could not bear it. You,
of i'll people in the world"
There it was again. Why in the deuce
did she care for my opinion so much If
she loved Goodwin $50 utterly?"
!, "Unwomanly! never!' l said vaguely.
"Oh, thark you! thank your She was
beginning to get excited again. 81 felt
, You would understand; you have seen
more of me than any one else; you can
make allowance for a young girls feel
ings overstepping the bounds of prudish-
ness"
! i rose and walked to the mantel,
began to believe that the stone sphinx
that upheld it had turned suddenly soft
and blonde and crept into the form of
the White Mouse. She was surely talk
= ing in riddles of the deepest.
Tell me once MORE" she said, follow
ing me to the hearth, "that lose moth
ing ir your eyes by-by what you know" "
II nder any circumstances, began.
waiily, "real, deep love-
''Oh, and how | do love! God knows
q how deep and pure is the passion that
. makes me forget all bonds and almost all
= proprietes, What else could excuse my
= being able to speak of it now-to you:
y You know | am pledged unwillingly to
h another'-
: TO what!' almost shrieled.
: To Mr.. Goodwin, whom I-yes, whom
= hlter' the girl answered with ten times
I the spirit thought in her.
: And you don't-it isn't-you don't
mean it's Goodwin you care forg'' STAN
mered in confusion.
Goodwin! Oh, how can you jest with
me at such moment? You know whom
Lyou have long guessed even before
confessed my love for-for-a another!"
Again the purple flood dyed her brow
and neck, and then died quickly out.
felt deuced queer. Here was | alone al
midnight with a timid White Mouse
who had suddenly asserted herself, and
told me she did not love the man she was
engaged to, and did so" love somebody
else. There was nobody else except Tom
> Jones, now talking terrier with the
groom up stairs, and-myself! Grea
heavens! conld the girl mean me? No
nonsense! l must be mistaken. smiled
a sickly smile to reassure myself. Then
said, 81 dont-that is, you know-I-
could not-you would not suspect me o.
jesting about a-um-your sacred feel
ings." She seized my hand impulsively
and pressed it.
''They are sacredW' she cried-"sacret
as the first worship of a pure girls hear
must ever be. Oh, you know, you mus
feel how strong and all absorbing is the
passion that can change me into sci
asserting woman! that can make mt
" defy prejudice and custom, as you see
:, do, when say that will give up HON,
Il and friends-that l will face all TIN
D. world and tell them boldly, as now d.
a you, that from the bottom of my heart
10 love!"
~ She dropped her face into her hands a
- she spoke the last word, but all the res
! she had said with her eye fixed un
swervingly upon mine and looking dow
- into my very SOUL am considered b,
70 most of my friends to be rather a modes
a man. On this particular occasion mus
= confess that | was rather taken abacl
= and became rather misty in the mind
But there could be no doubt as to wha
- y the girl meant. Driven to desperation
- by her forced engagement, feeling tn
unbearable grasp of hated fate tight
+, ening on her, she was-yes, there was n
- room for doubt-she was making lov
:, to me!
- For a second the base idea crept int
Dlxytl 4 l.