The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-02-01
ARSeSH \ Elm PURE

eide, remarked Miss Marquand sweetly.
Il think you could drive most any one
to suicide if you set out, he said gloom
lily, leaving Miss Chatworth and stand
ing By Julia Marquand's chair.
ssOh, haven't so much influence as
you think. Over you. for example, J
have none at all"
sIsn't that rash conclusionw
mo, Alex. 1t rests on sure founda-
ton
What, prayF'
s.Your conduct last April, F" she said,
dropping her voice.
ssYou are sevcre-too severe. i know
broke an engagement with You with
out apology; but consider the ssnubs'
you had given me during the season"
Il was only acting the part Of pru-
dence''
True. Twas beggarly fellow with
out any visible means of support in that
long ago"
ssAnd now you have competence and
a keeper So convenient to inherit
them together"
Vincent bit his lip. Julia Marquand
had got hold Of the story of Gideon
Danes will somehow, and she chose to
insinuate whenever opportunity offered
that Alexis engagement to Miss Dane
was his means of securing the fortune.
That otherwise And there she paused.
But there were mutual friends who re-
membered that Vincent had been
sssweet" on Julia Marquand in days
gone by.
well, must look after my keeper
it seems he said, lightly, lifting his
straw hat to the ladies and setting out
in the direction Gwendoline had taken.
Alex had New Englander's horror Of
scenes" He could not help admiring
Julia Marquand's tact and repose in con.
trast to Gwendoline's impulsive self be
trayals.
Gwendoline, on her great plantation,
mistress Of all she surveyed, was the most
brilliant and seductive creature he had
ever known; but Gwendoline in society
was-he admitte:i-a little too demon
stiatiye for correct taste Her jealousy
Of Julia Marquand, be told himself, was
absurd. He had fancied Miss Marqnand
-he did not deny that he once had fan
cied her. But then no was ssno good as
match, and she had .ssnubbed" him.
It ticlled his vanity to find that now
when he was known to have inherited
some money-she would gladly have got
him back. During the first week OF
their stay at the seashore together, be-
fore his engagement was announced,
Julia indeed made all the advances that
good taste permitted. And helm re-
menbrance of her past triAing -was just
sufficiently attentive to induce her to go
as far as she would. It was during this
skirmishing that Gwendoline's jealousy
had been aroused.
Vincent took his way in leisurely
fashion over the sand dunes. He expect
ed to find Gwendoline in tears, to be pas
sionately reproached, eagerly forgiven,
and at last tenderly adored
But Gwendoline was not in tears.
She stood upright in her black gown,
her arms hanging istless, her hat on the
rock at her feet, her face lifted in sort
of mute appeal to the gray sky. Vincent
sauntered slowly along to her.
lyon make us both rather ridiculous"
he said. 1--WE northerners don't do
things in this high tragedy fashion.
What is the natter
She turned, and he quailed little
the same sort of feeling he had had when
Blanche laid her firm white forepaws on
his shoulders.
eve viii not be ridiculous any
more" she said. sour engagement il
at an end, Mr.. Vincent"
ssYou are hasty, Gwendoline, and alb
surdly jealous. Youare jealous If look
at another woman"
II suppose am jealous, as you say
she replied quietly. ~Love means SO
much to me. / can't conceive it except
as entire, except as complete. These
fragments of fiji sltion-but I'll not talk.
You love your own vanity more than
you do me. ! was stranger here and
in your power, There was rumor thai
you were marrying me for money. You
did not take the trouble to let your con.
duct contradict it. You exulted in ex.
hibiting your power over-more than
one woman. Well, leave you-to the
other one. couldn't take half heart.
I have loved you'll love you. But l am
too exacting to take the return you offer.
/ will go back-to my dogs
She frightened him a little for the first
time.
Upon my soul, Gwendoline, / love
you alone"
"You permit Miss Marquand to make
fun of me. You half encourage her"
Very well, let US leave Miss Mar.
quand's society. Let Us go to the mount
aims anywhere away from here"
run away from rivall Lift it came
to that, / would ratherr-
.sWhat?"
sNo matter. / should shock you if !
said it. don't care to shock you. But
/ will never be cowed into submission
as cowed poor Blanche. You remem.
Der she was jealous
ssThis is trifing talk. What can dc
to suit your"
Nothing more-that you are willing
to do.n
80 be it, then, 4" he said angrily. aYou
are wholly unreasonable. accept your
release
He turned away. He did not see poor
Gwendoli1aase 1iffo5 hs,,ar ~ -. 4.-11-