The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-10-16

But you viii return soon?'
81 Go not expect to return at all.
Impossible! You cannot go!' he said,
with sudden outburst; but he corrected
himself IN q restrained voice: II do not
mean, of course, that you cannot go if
you choose"
81 am quite aware, Mr.. Prime, that
this will cause you great annoyance"
said |. IF it were possible for me to re-
main until you could lind another assist
ant without neglecting duties that are
still more important, | would do So.
He made motion as though to wave
that consideration aside. mo one can
take your place. But that is not all. Let
US sit down, Miss Bailey; have some
thing to say to you. had meant to say
it very soon, but it must be said now or
never. love your
l trembled like a leaf at his avowal:
did not even yet know why.
II love you from the bottom Of my
SOUL" he said once more, and now his
words were poured out in passionate
food, to which | listened with strange
Joy that thrilled me throughand through.
'sI have never loved before You are
the first, the very first woman in the
world who has ever touched my heart.
id not know what it was to love until a
Jew days ago, and | could not under
stand how friendship should seem so
sweet. But last night, when saw you
almost trampled under foot and swept
away forever from me. knew that what
had begun to guess was the truth"
at is impossible for you to love me.
am merely poor friendless girl, with
out fortune or position" / murmured.
Eyes, yes, you are; and that is the
strange any wonderful part of it ALL l
love and adore you in spite of theory
and principle and the judgment of wise
men. But defy their laughter and their
sneers, for / can point to you and say,
Show me her match among the daugh-
tiers of the proud and wealthy. She is
the peer of any | disbelieved in the
power of nature to initiate the excellence
of woman, and l am punished for my
lack of faith. And how sweet and ex-
quisite the punishment if only, Alice,
you will tell me that my prayeris grant
I'd, and that you will be my wife"
'<Ah! but should only be burden to
you. can bring you nothing, not even
an untarnished name, for though you
see me as / am, you do not know what
others whose blood is in my veins have
done"
what is that to me:' he cried fierce
ly; sit is you that love-"
'.But you are striving to become rich.
It is your ambition. Have you not told
me so? Money is the greatest power on
earth. You said that too"
'sAnd it WIS lie. had never loved
What is money to me now? But, no,
am wrong. 1t is my ambition, and with
ou3 your sympathy and affection shall
never attain it.
He gazel at ne imploringly, and yet,
though my eyes were overlooking with
tears il the fullness of my new found
happiness, still shook my head.
Listen to me, Mr.. Prime" l said
quietly, after short silence between us.
II am very grateful to you-how could
be otherwise-for what you have said
to me. Yours were the sweetest and
most precious words to which / ever
listened. You have asked me to become
your wife because you loved me for my
self alone; that can be sure of since |
nave nothing but myself to bring you.
It makes me more happy than I dare
think of; but in spite of all you have said
to me, | cannot accept your sacrifice.
cannot consent to mar your hopes for the
future with all l lack You think you
love me now, and believe you, but the
time might come when you would see
that you had made mistake, and that
would kill me. I am not of your opinion
as to the power of nature to initiate the
excellence of woman. You were right
at first. Ladies are born, not made, and
were you to marry in the station of life
in which you see me. the scales would
some day drop from your eyes and you
would know that you had been deceived
by love. No, Mr.. Prime, I should not
be worthy to become your wife were
to accept your offer. The difference be-
tween US is too great, and the banker
and his hired female clerk will never be
on an equality to the end of the world
[ am sorry-ah, SO sorry-to wound you
thus, but l cannot permit you to throw
your life away"
''Then you do not love me:" he asked,
with a piteous cry.
Love your" l gave little joyous
laugh before l said, Il shall never love
any one else in the world"
1t would take too long to repeat the
efforts Mr.. Prime made to lead me to
reconsider my resolution. Meanwhile l
was racking my brains to find a way of
letting matters rest without depriving
him utterly of hope. As he said, the
knowledge that my heart was his only
increased the bitterness of his despair.
Happy as | was, felt bewildered and
uncertain. | shrank instinctively from
revealing my identity at once. | wanted
time to think. | scarcely knew the
character of my own emotions AT one
moment blushed with sense of the
web Of deceit that | had wound about
him, and at another with the joyful
consciousness of our mutual love. What
would he say when the truth was made
known to him? All! but he loves me
for myself alone. was the answering
thought.