Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1891-02-28

4 know how to begin. / was as nervous
as recruit under fire for the first time;
my heart thumped away as if it didn't
/ like the business and was anxious to
get out and away. What | did possess
ed at all events the charm of unconven-
| tionality.
l grasped Mary's hand suddenly, and
before she had time to utter a word
said, looking her straight in the face:
MARY, will you give me a kiss"
She blusLed violently; she returned
my point blank look and what she saw
in my eyes apparently satisfied her, for
in moment l was hugging her to my
breast and sealing our troth with a
loving kiss.
How happy was! Happy? l felt as
/ if heaven itself had been opened to me.
! And she?
Charlie" she said q had hated the
name before. but how sweet it sounded
now, ''Charlie, my darling-I never
thought you-do you really love ne?"
One more kiss-the last got for many
a long and weary d;.y-and we went back
to the hotel. The others had not returned
Mrs. Afacfarlane was just awake.
Il should like some tea, Mary" she
said.
Tea! Arnbrosia-nectar-w more in
my way. could scarcely realize that
Mary cared for me But | was happy
/ beyond measure. As to the future
what was TO come Of it ala fco for the
future! How We got back to town l
coach, perhaps, or balloon was our ve-
hicle All | know is that Mary was sit
ting opposite me, her blessed eyes ever
and anon meeting mine and giving me
assurance of love. The Bolds and | saw
them of. at last, in Mrs. Macfarlane's $
carriage, and then we returned to the
/ Temple. must have been very incohe-
rent.
what jolly girls the Macfarlanes
are." Edward remarked.
'.She is-lovely.' replied.
''She? Who?"
! "W ny all of them ventured.
And then. in fear that should betray
myself, suddenly remembered ar
appointment OF the Lotus club and
went of on q long walk. Involuntarily
l found myself in Inverness terrace, gaz-
ing up at the drawing room windows.
They were open, but there was no sign
of Mary. l trudged away. down the
Bayswater road, across Addison road to
Kensington, and so back to the Temple.
shut myself into my room, lit my lamp
and tried to read.
Suddenly grim shadow crossed my
mind. Mr.. Campbell Bruce-what would
,-.c say to ell this?
He was reputed to be wealthy, and
knew he was proud. What would he
think? Was it likely that he would give
his daughter to a man whose income
was but $3.50 year and what he could
earn as guerrilla of the press? Was it
likely?
1t was not. No use blinking the fact.
1t was improbable in the highest degree.
Expectation, even, l had none. The
only person who was at all likely to
leave me any money was my Aunt
Johanna; and she, good soul, was as
tough as grenadier and as long lived
as a parrot. Her personal appearance,
moreover, reminded one of that beauty
fowl. Out Of clear three thousand a
year she spent about five hundred, SC
that her accumulation must, knew, be
large and her income increasing year by
year. But would she make me an allow
ance? That was the question. Or would
she-but no! | knew the old lady toe
well. She was as tenacious of her money
as a dog of bone and as proud of it as
a cook of her copper. Once when was
in a petuniary scrape at Oxford | had
applied to her. Her reply was charac-
teristic:
VILLA CAaPANARE, NICE
Ny DEAR CHAELE5-Ie were to accede to your
request for SD | shoull be doing you a great
/ wrong. By having "a get out of your scrapes
yourself. .Sau will learn to avoid them and acquire
self reliance. Thirty pounds my dear Charles, is
sum of money. Avoid debt, aud you will be
spared what cannot but be painful to you. Read
the enclosed. Your affectionate aunt,
/ JOHANNA
ITO DE CONTINUED