Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-01-07
"CHRIS.'


ward march, and Gerald was walking beside
her without let or hindrance. She had per-
haps forgotten that she had begun by refus"
ing his escort; at any rate, she did not intena
to DO alone with him again, and she wanted
to have some pleasant memories OF their last
private interview to think over in the lonely
Yeas that were coming.
81 don't think you have much to thank
your aunt for" was his answer to her ques-
ton. AS you say, she couldn't take her
money with her, and dare say you wouldn't
have considered yourself ill-used II she had
left il to somebody else"
81 almost wish she had" sighed Chris.
Everybody gains something by being rich,
suppose, but it seems to me that gain less
by It than the generality of people would.
and it has it's disadvantages. 1t makes one
ungenerous and suspicious, I think. The
moment that saw Mr.. Richardson l sus.
pected that he had heard of my inheritance,
and that that was why he had sought me out
aftor had told him that did not wish ever
to see him again. In this case l was right |;
but few months ago shouldn't have had
such suspicious, and now l suppose 1 shall
have them more or less about everybody to
the end Of my days."
Gerald remained silent for some time, and
his heart grew heavy within him. AS Il mat
tor of theory, he thought that there was no
great harm in marrying woman with money!
that 1t was rather q clever thing to do than
otherwise, that 1t was what lots of fellows did,
and what ones people expected of one,and so
forth; but, iliogically enough, he was of
opinion that tho case was very different If you
happened to be in love with the woman who
possessed the money. He had been moro
than willing to marry Chris in the days OF her
poverty but when he found out why he had
been summoned to Cannes, he was at once
attacked by scruples which to his mother
would have seemed as incomprehersble rs
they were ridiculous. He had not impaired
these scruples to his mother; but he had
brooded over them all day at Monte Carlo,
| and the conclusion to which he had come was
| that, even IL Miss Compton should prove to
! be free, 1t would be extremely difficult for
| him to avow his love to her, and still more
difficult to get her to believe in it. She would
believe, no doubt, that he had been to some
extent in love with her at Brentstow; for in-
deed she had been as good as turned out OF
the house on that very account. But the fact
remained that he had kept his sentiments to
himself ever since; and how was she to know
| that he had called in Balnclava Terrace for
| the purpose OF declaring them?
| Here, therefore, were two people who were
| deeply in love with one another, yet each OF
whom was persuaded, or very nearly so, tina!
| they must part. As there was no adequate
cause for their parting, and rs certain reso-
| lute persons In inc nciSnLDfnUou Olu NOT lH'
tend to let them do any such thing, the
| situation was scarcely as serious they
imagined 1t to be. Still 1t is probable that
they would have taken leave Of each other
that evening in very formal and distant
fashion but for the triainS circumstance
that, just as she was nearing tho entrance tc
DR.. Lavergne's villa, Chris trod upon a loose
| stone. She missed her footing, and would
have fallen fiat upon her face if Gerald hat
not caught her; and somehow or other
when Gerald found her in his arms he die
| not let her go again.