The record-union., 1891-08-29

not grasp their full meaning. The color
surged to her cheeks and then receded,
leaving her very pale.
Nv hat do you mean, Walter? What
has happened? You cannot be in earn
est"
But l am in earnest. / have brought
myself to this after the hardest mental
struggle a man could possibly undergo.
] must be III earnest about this. 1t is my
duty. l would be dishonorable if l did
otherwise. But | am talking wildly-at
random. / hardly know what 1 am say
ing or what TO say, or how to say it. l
heard some advice to-day. 1t came from
your father. l am in honor bound TO fol-
low it. This is what he told me-"
Walter rather incoherently recOunted
what Judge Sharpe had told him of the
case of Lewis VS.. Lewis, and the COM
''And is that all?" asked Nellie when
he had finished. She smiled u little as
she asked the question, and close OBJ
server would have noticed that sigh OF
relief had passed her lips.
IAN? Is it not too much? Knowing
that your father holds this view, can l do
otherwise than give you up?'
II thought you had more pluck?" said
the young girl, with just suggestion of
scorn in her voice.
''It is not q matter of courage, but of
conscience, Of honor. Can | go to the
man who gives me such advice as / have
received, who tells me never TO marry a
woman who is beyond my station fnan-
cially, and ask him to give to me his
daughter who is dearer to him than all
else? l am poor. l have none but the
most prOblematical prospects; while you
we'll, i need not say more; you can
readily see my position"
But [ can't see il in the light in which
you place it. [ thought you had sulii
cient faith IN me not to believe that
would do as that dreadful woman did Of
whom my father told you. Your pros
poets are certainly better than you repre-
sent them. Furthermore, my father
would yield to my wishes"
II do not lack faith in you. Heaven
knows how strong that faith is. II is be-
cause 1 would feel that l had acted
treacherously toward one who has been
my best friend if l held you to your
your promise, that l have decided to do
that which win take all happiness out of
my life"
that the happiness Of anyone else might
suffer. It seems that am not considered
at ALL"
You will soon forget. You will be
happier than | could ever make you"
ooh! certainly, women forget SO easily;
it is only the men that remember; only
the hearts of men that are broken. How
ever, since you wish it so it is not for me
to object
ut is not what l wish, it is what
must dO.'
But suppose l should refuse to accept
your decision; suppose | should assert
my rights. Suppose | should insist, at
least, on your trying for term Of years
to bring your financial condition up to
what you consider the proper standard"
1T would be wrong to keep you bound
by promise to one who would have to
struggle, perhaps, for years, and might
fail at last"
81 see it is vain to reason with one
who is unreasonable. 1t shall be as you
wish"
Just then Judge Sharpe entered the
room, and the painful meeting was alb
ruptly ended.
y Jew months later Judge Sharpe's
clerk came into Walter LOSsing's office
one day and told him that the Judge
wanted to see him.
1t seemed to Walter that the Judge
looked unusually stern when he re-
sponded to the latter's summons a few
minutes later. Come in here, want 10
talk to you" said the Judge. as he mo-
toned to Walter to follow him into his
private office.
'Sit down. I will come to the point at
once. l am instructed by a client Of mine
to bring suit against you. We have the
clearest kind of a case and should GER
tainly win in the courts; but we desire to
give you an opportunity to compromise
the matter. You may wish to escape the
nOtoriety,n
ga suit? Why, who could want to
sue me? l owe nothing; there is no cause,
no grOund-you must be joking"
Never was more serious. There is a
cause, and good one, as you will learn
presently. My clients case is hawless;
she-'
''She! All! I see. some blackmailing
scheme; some advent"
There, there, don't get excited; it is
nothing Of the kind. The plaintiff in this
case is eminently respectable, as you
yourself will admit"
"Who is she? What is the cause of ac-
ton? Why don't you tell me at once in
stead Of beating about the bush?"
The cause Of action is breach of prom
ise," said the old Judge impressively.
Breach of promiscl Why, never"
perhaps you can guess the plaintiff s
name nOW," suggested the Judge.
You see," continued he, as Walter
still sat like one stricken dumb, the
young lady thinks that you have been
influenced by something that was said
to you in a general way by one who in
tended to make no specific application Of
his remarks; she believes that if the mat
ter is presented to you in the proper light
no extreme measures will be necessary
to make you see that you were altogether
wrong in arriving at a certain decision
based on the case OF Lewis VS.. Lewis"
Walter grasped the Judges hand; he
said nothing; ne couldn't have said any
thing just then, for there was a great, big
lump in his throat
II need partner" ," resumed the Judge
Il have more work than l can manage
alone. [ think you are just the kind Of
man l want; and then, you know, being
partners, we could easily compromise
this matter which I have mentioned.
You would have no objections to such an
arrangement, suppose?'-Arthur Lucas
in Epoch.
A cOlored man who was running AWAY