The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-10-28
NO.. T..


neys; had called upon some old and in
huential friends of his own and secured
letters to the governor which he should
present i'll person tomorrow. Not very
much, but Chalmers encouraged her to
hope for the best.
After he had finished this recital, dur
ing which it required his utmost eau
ton to avoid any reference to Leonie or
to her part III Georges trouble, he said
to her:
Last night you told me that you
were still ready to marry him, If | have
no success, and he must remain there
his full time, will you wait for him and
marry him them"
1t was a cruel question but the girl
lid not finch
~ Will If he wishes it. ] promised
nlm that she answered readily.
And you said last night" he con-
tinued, "that you would do this because
you knew he had not meant wrong. If
he had been really wicked, criminal
at heart, would you then marry hin1?''
81 don't see how we can know that
any man is wicked at heart" said the
girl slowly. But if you mean, If he
had done this from base or sordid
motives, if he had taken this money
meanly and used it for low PURPOSES
ii you mean that, can answer YOU.
could never marry one who had willfully
forfeited his claim to my respect.
George has not done that"
1t was hard to keep his peace when
she said that. With word he could
shatter every tie that bound her to him,
that linked her future with the future
of this man who had proved himself so
unworthy of her; and if loosed from him
and from this false idol that she had set
up in her heart and endowed with every
manly and virtuous attribute las women
do endow all men whom they endow
likewise with their love-, would there
not in time be chance for him to gain
that which he had hoped for so long ago?
He could not help asking himself
these things, although never for Il mo-
ment did it really occur to him that he
might thus play his brother false, to the
better accomplishment of his cwn ends;
and if it had, and if he had done so,
would it have profited him? Did any
woman ever learn to think kindly of the
one who unmasked 70 her her own de-
lusionr I'VE will do our best" said
Chalmers breaking the silence that had
Ialleu between them, ''to put George
speedily back in The world and among
men again, where he may have the
chance to make a new place for himself"
Don't speak rs if he had lost his
place in the world answered Miss Ten
nant impatiently. ''He has made a
single mistake. Many men make
dozen, do they not? And because they
happen not to come to the surface, to
the knowledge of the world, they do not
count. Oh, do believe the world thinks
it less of a crime to commit crime than
to be discovered in it,
II am afraid you are getting worldly
WISE" answered Chalmers. There is
too much truth in what you say. But
if he is discovered, the inexorable fact
remains that he must go to the wall. A
man takes his chances; George has
taken his and lost"
mo, you must not say that. You
must not let him think it. l shall not.
If he We're here it should be just the same
with us as it has been in the past. 1
would not let him see that / knew any
difference"
He did not say so to her, but Chalmers
wondered if her courage would hold out,
and if it did, and her pride sustained
her to the end, would not the effort be
SO great that it would kill her love2
Doubtless she loved him well enough to
do this, but would she love him so well
after it was done; Up to a certain point
women like to suffer for their love; be-
yond that Under other circumstances
he would have liked to pursue this meta
physical problem.
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