Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-31
SHALL HE MARRY HERR
On,
BETWEEN THE LEAVES OF THE
PROPHESY OF ISAIAH.
WRITTEN FOB THE EVENING STAR BY
ANNA KATHERINE GREEN.
CHAPTER I.

w the other night he looked 90 cheerful I
scarcely knew him
What is it?" cried I, advancing with out
stretched hand.
Il am going to be married" was his gay re-
ply. This is my last night ut the club"
was glad and showed it. Taylor is q man
for whom domestic life is a necessity. He has
never been at home with US, though we all
liked him and he in his way liked Us.
And who is the fortunate hdy?' / inquired;
for I had been out Of town for some time and
had not as yet been made acquainted with the
latest society news.
Ny intended bride is Mrs. walworth, the
young widow"
He must have seen change take place in my
expression, for he stopped.
"You know her. Of course" he added after .
short study Of my face.
had by this time regained my self-possession.
"Of course, i repeated "and / have always
thought her one Of the most attractive women
in town. Another shake upon it, old man.
But my heart was heavy and my mind per-
picked notwithstanding the forced cordiality Of
my tones and took an early opportunity to
withdraw BY myself and think over the situa-
ton.
Mrs. walworthl She was a pretty woman
and what was more she was to all appearance
woman whose winning manners bespoke kindly
heart Just the person." / contemplated,
whom would pick out for the helpmate of my
somewhat exacting friend, i'll paused on that
H. IL was formidable one and grew none the
smaller or less important under my broodings.
Indeed 1t seemed to dilate until it assumed
gigantic proportions, worrying me and weigh
ing so heavily upon my conscience that 1 at last
rose from the newspaper at which mad been
hopelessly staring and, looking up Taylor again,
asked him how soon he expected to become
Benedict.
His answer startled me. I'm q week he re-
piled, and If have not asked you to the cere-
rnony, 1t Is because Helen is not in position
/ supposed he finished the sentence. but did
not hear him. If the marriage was near, of
course it would be folly on my part to attempt
to hinder it. drew of for the second time.
But could not remain easy. Taylor is a
good fellow and it would be a shame to allow
him to marry Q woman with whom he could
never be happy. He would feel any such dis
appointment so keenly, so much more keenly
than most men. A lack of principle or even of
ssnsibillty on her part would make him miser-
able Anticipating heaven, it would not take q
hell to make him wretched. a purgatory would
do it. Was right ther in letting him proceed
IN his intentions regarding Mrs. Walworth,
when she possibly was tbs woman who Il
paused and tried to cali up her countenance be-
fore me- 1t was a sweat one and possibly a
true one. might have trusted her for myself,
but do not look for perfection and Taylor
does: and will certainly go to the bad if he is
tCCcNcu IN his expecLAtlOnS- But IN week.
Ii is too late for interference-only it is never
too late till the knot is tied. As I thought Of
tins decided impulsively and, perhaps. you
may say unwisely, to give him a hint of his
danger and did 1t in this wise:
Taylor" said i, when / had him safely in
my own rooms, 81 am going to tell you bit of
personal history, curious enough, think, to
interest you, even upon the eve of your mar
rage do not know when 1 shall see you
again and / should like you to know how a
LAWYER and OF the world he
taken in"
He nodded. accepting the situation good
humoredly, though / saw by the abstraction
with which he gazed into the fire that should
nave to be very interesting to lure him from
the thoughts that engrossed him. As meant
to be very interesting this did not greatly con-
Germ me.
One morning last spring." began. 81 re-
eeived In my morning mail letter, the delicate
penmanship Of which at once attracted my at
tentlon and awakened my curiosity. Turning
to the signature, 1 read the name Of young
lady friend OF mine, and somewhat startled at
the thought that this was the first time had
ever seen the handwriting of one L knew well,
perused the letter with an interest that pres
emily became painful as / realized the tenor of
its contents. will not quote the letter though
could, but confine myself to saying that after
modest recognition OF my friendship for her
quite fatherly friendship, / assure you as she
Is only eighteen and 1. as you know am well
on toward ffty-she proceeded to ask in an
humble ard confiding spirit for the loan-to not
start-of $50. Such a request. coming from a
young girl wen connected and with every WISH
BILE sign OF being generously provided Cor by
her father, was certainly startling to an old
batchelor Of settled ways and strict notions.
but remembering her youth and the childish
innocence OF her manner, / turned over the
page and read as her reason for proffering sucn
q request that her heart was set upon aiding a
certain poor family that stood in immediate
need OF food, clothes and medicines, but
f1f.u ,%rrt1 -N.,~ l.
che had already spent all the money allowed
her by her father for such purposes and dared
not go to him for more. she had once before
offended him by doing this and feared il she
repeated her fault he would carry out the
threat he had then made of stopping her allow
ance altogether. But the family was a desery-
ing one and she could not see any member Of it
starve, 80 she came to me, of who % goodness
she was assured, convinced would understand
her perplexity and excuse her-and so forth
and 80 forth, in language quite childliLe and
entreating. which, il il did not satisfy nv ideas
of propriety. at least touched my heart and
made any action which could take in the mat
ter extremely difficult.
TO refuse her request would be at once to
mortify and aggrieve her; to accede to it and
give her the $50 she asked-a sum, by the way
could not well spare-would be to encourage
an action easily pardoned once, but which, il
repeated, would lead TO unpleasant complica-
tons to say the least The third course Of in
forming her father Of what she needed did
not even consider, for knew him well enough
10 be sure that nothing but pain to her would
De the result l., therefore, compromised the
AFFAIR by inclosing the money in u letter in
which i told her that comprehended her diff
Guilty and sent with pleasure the amount she
needed, but that as a friend must add that
while In the present instance she had run no
risk Of being misunderstood unkindly CEN
sured, that such q request made TO another
nian and under other circumstances might
provoke surprise capable Of leading to the