The Forrest City times., 1891-02-27
of the dark destiny which Edgar Mer- ton had marked out for heri

of the dark destiny which Edgar Mer- ton had marked out for her!
 Almost daily thereafter he called at MT. Woodfern's shop to order flowers for every fashionable occasion. and almost invariably it would be Phyllis Payne who was summoned to wait up- on him.
 How she shrank from the prettily turned compliments aud the admiring gances which he artfully contrived to ,ningle with his compliments on the flowers she selected.
 At last. one day. when no one elss was near the end of the counter at which they stood. Mir. Merton venturod upon bolder stroke.
 Miss Payne-my dear little Phyllis" :" he began, abruptly dropping his voice to sn undertone and fixing his hand some black eyes upon her face with a look so boldly impassioned that she drew back from him pale and terribly startled, you must have seen long ago that love you. Of course it is simply for the purpose of seeing you that l come in here so often. 1 fell in love with you that night you brought the flowers to my rooms. Accept my love, Philiis, and the position 1 am ready to offer you and no lady in the city shall be grander than you. lam rich
 "And the position you speak of of- 'ering me, Mir. Mertonpn questioned Phyllis, the frightened pallor of her lace changing to vivid scarlet as she looked straight into his with her clear, pure, dark-blue eyes. Am I to un- derstand that it is an honorable oneP- such as you would offer to lady in your own social sphere, or
 She paused, her pure lips refusing to frame the other question that rose to them.
 The man flinched and shifted his glance uneasily beneath the clear gaze of those true, innocent eyes, and at her last words dark-red flush suddenly shot up to his very temples
 II don't understand why any one should think it dishonorable he re- turned, with a half-shamed half-inso- lent voice, and with averted eyes. Al most any girl as poor and beautiful as you are Phyllis, would be glad--n
 Stop sir!'' she broke in imperious. ly, her low voice intense with scorn, her blue eyes fairly scorching him with the lightning fires of her iudigna- tion. Il scorn and despise both your cowardly offer and-yourself From this moment, let it be understood we are absolute strangers. You are not to speak to me again upon any pre- tense whatever, l trust that is plain enough. sir.n
 Phyllis, take care.n he retorted warningly, his suppressed voice half choked with anger and chagrin. Do not make me your enemy. It is in my power to make your life harder than you think You had better retract those reckless words
 She had moved away from him. and her only response to his warning speech was glance of such whitening contempt that, without another word he turned on his heel and left the store.
 A little smile, half-sad, half-exutant. crossed the girls pale lips as she watched him 70, but her heart ached with a dull, portentious pain for all that.
 Il am not rid of him yet" she thought. uneaslly. ''lIe will do me solue harm unless l get away from here-go somewhere beyond his reach. Yes, I must resign my place here, and look for work elsewhere. But oh, it may be so hard-so hard to lind it."
 And so it proved. great deal hard CT than she had feared. Days and weeks passed by in the weary search, and poor Phyllis began to feel an aw- ful terror of the future that stared her in the face. for she was almost penni- loss, and the prospect of work seemed as far of as over.
 One dark, dismal evening she was returning to her room. after another long and bitterly disappointing quest, when she heard rapid footsteps behind her. and the next moment hand was laid firmly on her arm. and Phyllis looked up to meet the handsome. cruel black eyes of Edgar Merton smiling down upon her.
 'Ah! you might have known we should meet again. my darling Phyllis" he exclaimed. mockingly. No. you need not look so scornful. nor try to Jerk your arm free, for neither will do you any good whatever. You are in my power, just as you have been ever since. you left old Woodfern shop Yes, "-in answer to the astonished. mortified look she gave him now you can understand. perhaps, why you have found it impossible to obtain work anywhere, It is an unmanly thing to say, no doubt. with touch of shame sounding in his voice-..but Phyllis. l loved you and 1 wanted you wholly in my power,so that you would be forced to choose between my pro. lection and Godr~~with an in- voluntary shudder at the thought starvation. Phyllis. yog wilt not. cannot refuse my love to meet such . fate?"
 "'Cowardt' she cried out. with pas sionate bitterness, Il scorn you and your insulting love as you call it, shis moment as I did at tirst--as l shall forever. Let go my arml tel. you. once for all, that 1 would accept starvation yes, death in any form rather than the love you offer nsr
 For an instant Merton stood watch Ing her In silence, looking in speech less wonder upon the colorlcss. passion ate little face. the proud. qui'ering lips. and the beautiful blue eyes whose lightning blazed upon him fiercely enough, at most. to have laid him dead