The record-union., 1892-04-02
won't believe it. I'll make her tell me


train for Foxton. 1t was o'clock when
he reached the village, and it was an hour
later when he sent his card TO Miss MARI
boro.
You have lost no time in finding your
way up here" she said, snilingly, as
soon as they We're together. Although
she smiled, his sudden coming had
stirred her as she had never been stirred
before.
Il hope you are gladto see nne,' he be-
gan. gravels.
es, very glad
II want TO speak to you, and hope you
Will forgive me il [ seem abrupt
She paled slightly.
What have you to say?" she asked.
simply this. You know that I love
you, Dorothy"
trembled.
But you, Dorothy. Do you love me?"
she smoothed sofa cushion with quiv
ering fingers. Undoubtedly she was I'M
der some extraordinary spell. What,
alter all, did it matter whether John Cru
ger loved her? Why was her whole be-
ing moved by some deep, perverse inn
pulse?
How can 1 tell?'' was all that she
could bring herself to say in reply to his
question.
BE just" he exclaimed, pass,onately.
II want to be.''
shall ] go?'' he asked gloomily.
No, don CO."
Then be just" he repeated.
JUST" she echoed. "How? / may
| may not-love you. Perhaps l have not
learned the meaning Of loves
II must have an answer he declared,
fixing his eyes upon her sternly. Il de-
mand an answer, Dorothy"
She continued to work her hands nerv-
ously, and she dropped her eyes before
his. Her self-control had deserted her.
She could not explain her own feebleness.
Yet she felt it-felt it with bitter humil-
iation not unmiXed with exultation.
Il can't answer" she said falterngly
"Then you do not love me- he re-
joined, coldly. do you love Rothbury?''
She started, but murmured with sur
priSed sincerity.
Mo-
Are you engaged to him?'
MOO
III you marry him?'
That pardon els my affair, Mr..
Cruger."
L know it, Dorothy. But I am in
earnest-terribly in earnest. Will you
marry me?"
There was a long pause, full of agony
for the man, full of struggle for the
woman. Surely Dorothy was not her
self. She who had brought every one to
Hous spirit, at the mercy of John Cruger's
powerful will. For moment she was
transformed, and in that moment she
loved him-loved him as our elemental
life loves the strength of the storm. She
moved toward him, her glance kindling
under half-dropped lashes. With head
thrown back, she drew close to his side
an enchanting picture of self-abandon-
ment-and offered him her hand-and
her lips.
1t was a moment of ecstasy for both.
But while it meant to one the surrender
of life, 1t meant only fresh experience
to the other.
The engagement of this ill-assorted
couple, not less ill-assorted than truth
and falsehood, came to the ears of Lord
Rothbury as he was leaving his club one
afternoon a few days later. The English
man was at first inclined to scott at the
report. Then, when there could be no
question in his mind that the engagement
was fact, his rage got the better Of him
and he SWore a little. His impulse was
to rush up to FoXton and denounce Dor
othy FOR her perfidy. Fortunately, how
ever, Lord Rothbury was not man who
acted upon impulses. Clear Judgment
soon drove out his bad desire to heap his
wrathtul feelings upon the faithless Dor
othy. The more he reasoned the more
calm he grew. He set his teeth sharply
head,'i he unused. Its case of sponta-
neous combustion. She believes she
loves that man. But there's no fire in
her that lasts. Her toy to-day will be
broken tomorrow. She would ruin the
life of almost any man. But l can man
age her, and Pm in love with her enough
totry. Let MIR. Cruger have his little dav.
then. All the same, she will be Lady
Rothbury. pll make her quickly sorry
OF her new bargain"
Lord Rothbury played his cards neatly.
very neatly. He went up to Foxton and.
far from upbraiding Dorothy, was smil-
ingly congratulatory. He congratulated
John, too, and was extraordinarily polite
to him. There was not the faintest trace
of the disappointed lover in either his ap-
pearance or manner. He seemed to give
the impression, not with anxiety. but
quite naturally. that he was rather glad.
on the whole, that things had turned out
as they had. Nor was his urbanity sug-
gestive Of coXcombry. There was moth
ing about it, that is to say, indicative of a
conceited Indifference, so often assumed
by lovers who fail and who in their fail
ure strive to make the world believe that
they stand very well in their own esteem.
His astute conduct charmed poor John,
who had never shown special aptitude at
seeing through a milestone. But if it
charmed John, It veXed and disconnected
Dorothy. She had supposed that, inevita-
bly,, Lord Rothbury would be furious at
her duplicity. She had looked forward
to ''scene" with him, and not without a
large spice Of malice. For depriving her
of this pleasure or satisfaction She warmed
grudge against him. This grudge fed
itself and grew as days went by, and as
her grudge grew her temper toward John
began to change. She reproached herself
for having yielded too submissively. AT
the same time, she could not bring herself
to admit that her yielding had amounted
to folly. Her vanity preserved her from
such an admission. 1t would have been
a grave reflection upon her discernment.
And so, what with secret anger at Lord
Rothbury's cool good humor and irrita-
ton at Johns broad complacency, there
was little enough to content her.
For a brief time, it is true, she endeay-
orded to act honorably toward John. to
consider him and respect him as the man
of her choice. But that became a tire
some business. The one supreme and
sincere burst of passion which had car
ried her away when herlips first touched
Johns was never repeated. II had left
her cold and querulous, and it was not
| long before John perceived that his ma
ture demanded of her far more than it
got. Once or twice he expostulated with
her-kindly and gently-begged her to
give him more of her heart, blind to the
fact that she had no heart to give. But
his bashful advances were met with fret
full annoyance Then for awhile he was
grateful for what scraps of comfort were
thrown to him, and rebuked himself for
demanding something sweeter. Yet the
unfortunate fellow could not hide his dis
appointment, and his speaking face was a
biting thorn in Dorothy's breast.
Lord Rothbury looked and laughed.
| When, at a carefully calculated moment.
| he started mild and apparently innocu-
Gus tlirtationwith Dorothy--just as though
| he was some careless new acquaintance
he noted with cynical amusement that
she caught readily at his bait. He pro-