The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-11-25


"sAY THE WORD AND THEY ARE YOURS.
her mother, she shall have all the COM
forts and pleasures Of lie, and live a
lady among the grandest."
Harry Pearson was not q hardened lib
ertinc, though he was unprincipled;
and it requires soul lost to all shame
and feeling to deliberately plot away
the virtue and innocence Of young,
trustful girl. Pearson's conscience
priclsed him deeply. now that he was ap-
preaching the climax of his purpose,
and to palliate it he sought by every
means to smooth away the evils of his
course and leave only the good it prom
;sed to the poor girl-as though there
could any good come of q life OF
shame, or any enjoyment from stolen
money.
His baser nature having in this in
stance, as in all others, asserted itself,
Pearson soon succeeded in putting away
all shame and self-reproach, and with
calm determination took up the su bject
again.
Louise" he said, "it is not impossi-
bic for you to make the change I spoke
of. said society, wealth and pleasure
were within your reach. They are, and
all you have to do is say the word and
they are yours. ="
He had stopped now and placed him
self before her. His breath came fast
and his blood coursed wildly. Grasping
her hand and holding it in spite OF her
frantic efforts to release it, he went on
in rapid, hoarse tone:
Louise, I love you, and if you will
be mine you can have everything that
it is in my power to get you-every-
thing that love can suggest and money
buy. You shall have friends among
the highest, you shall have home
among the finest, you shall have all the
pleasures that the rich enjoy. In short,
Louise, be mine and you shall Lever
again know what it is to have wish
ungratifed. You shall never feel the
pinch Of want or the cruel touch of 4
cold world. I will make it my study
and my work to serve you, and you
shall be my queen. Oh, Louise, do not
weep, do not look distressed. Be mine,
Louise. Say you will"
During this passionate delivery the
young man attempted to draw Louise
to him, but she shrank away and made
another Intellectual effort to release her
hand. She was startled by his words
no less than by his earnest, pleading
tone. She feared and abhorred him,
and every syllable he uttered went to
her heart like q dagger.
Hardly had he ceased speaking when
her pride asserted itself. and resent.
ment flashed from her eyes.
"Mr. Pearson" she said, what right
have you to say such things to me?"
81 love you,". he replied, "aud can
not suppress my feelings. Louise, you
do not know what power you hold
over me, nor to what lengths would
go for your sake. I love you as never
woman was loved before, and do not
feel that have done any wrong in say
ing So"
For little while Louise did not re-
ply, and during the silence the anger
melted out of her eyes and look OF
pity succeeded it Perhaps she believed
Pearson in earnest and felt sorry that
she must blight his hopes. She knew
what she would suffer should Paul fail
to return her love-what pangs of
poignant pain that would cause her,
and doubtless she thought Pearson's
feelings similar to her own. She may
have remembered his generosity to her
father and mother, and experienced bit
ter regret that she was able to requite
his goodness so cruelty. But whatever
the thought that possessed her, she be-
came sad and sorrowful, and her voice
as she spoke trembled perceptibly.
81 am sorry" she began, ''that you
have said what you have. You had no
right to judge me so lily. # I loved
you, Mr.. Pearson. it would require no
promises Of riches to lead me to be-
come your wife. I am poor and have
known little enough Of pleasure, God
knows, but I sn not so poor that I
would sell my heart, my life, my hap
p;ness and my hope of eternity. The
man I love need offer no wealth to IN
duce me to become his wife, and no
man whom I do not love need think me
base enough TO be influenced by such
an offer. I respect you, Mr.. Pearson,
for the sake of what you have done for
those l love. I feel under q thousand
obligations to You, but do not and can.
not love you. My hearts another's, and
when I marry my hand shall go where
my heart is"
The girls reply, though far from
what the generality of lovers would
wish, was not displeasins to Pearson.
1t was more than he had dared to hope
for, since he knew that She did not love
him, and he was satisfied that she ex'
pressed for him respect and pity.
s'She respects me-" he mused, land
that will make my victory easy. She
will bow to the inevitable and will &C
cede to nv wishes all the more readily
because Of that. It would be hard te
force her to sacrifice herself to man
she did not even respect. am salts
fed vita M progress so far, and 1t only
remains to be seen which IS the
stronger. her love for herself or her love
for her father and mother"
Aloud Pearson said:
Forgive me, Miss Green, for presun
ing to utter such sentiments. | did moi
mean - say what my words imply. Fal
be it from me to suggest that your hear
can be won bv such thin@s as I offered
Toaly meant to say what would dc
for you in order TO show you the depth
of my affection. Will you forgive me
Miss Green, and think Of my words only
as meant them?"
ssI hold no i'll feeling, NJ Pearson,
said Louise, promptly, and I will no'
think the less of you fo- what you have
said. The subject is one unpleasant tc
me, and TO continue it can be Of no ben
eft to either of US, so let US drop it, i:
you please"