Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-10-21

appeared outrageous to the your.o r,,a,,
whose own patrimony was less s,nnss
tfan lie could bayo wished Il. tl,ar !
mere girl and o stripping should eacl
nave inherited such wealth. That o..
me STRIPPING riding by now. and tbe ,,il
parK Fellow with him was his tutor. /,
occurred to Tom Eeyery 70 wondsr T.
passing. whether the tutor ever sau
much Of his pupils sister.
Mslst be rather rough on the poor che !,
he's susceptible at air.
y was week later, and Miss RrocLta,,
was not only at home this time. bnt ha i
oeen sitting with Mr. Revery for nearly
There had now fallen over the room !.
neavy silence. 1t lasted only few sec.
ohds, but the pause seemed an endless
one. Miss Brockton had risen suddenIy
ana was standing with an elbow apains,
tne mantel. As her visitor seemed helr.
lessiy to tumble for the fitting word III
repeated little nervously;
= am sorry-very sorry--for this mis-.
understanding. But-I--cannot marry
you, Mr.. Revery. Ishall never marry Il
ALL ~
At this unlikely statement the mitor
regained courage. $500
Miss Brockton! Gcraldiner,
NO; 1t Is improbable that sbop,d
ever marry. OF course, many men MOL,
% tempted to propose to me, thinking
me rich. But my property will soon, bv
my own desire, be so disposed OF that
shall have only a moderate income
Even should marry, my will is SO made
tnat nothing have, in case Of nv death
would go to my husband. So Won seq
such considerations may act as deter.
rents"
Miss Brockton, you = you cannot
.h,nk, 1t is not possible that you would
believe me"-Revery was turning. IN
rapid succession, from red to white.
from white to red. The girl pitied his
discontinue.
Not at all. Mr.. Revery. suspect
you OF no interested motives. But do
not care for you-in the way Won mean .
Five minutes afterwards she was sit.
ting BY the fire alone, scornfuI smile
on her lips that presently faded awav
and into sigh. Some one came in Al,
the door as she sat there, but turned
again, retreating. At the sound Ger.
aldine glanced around.
Don't go, Mr.. Severn; let me tell YOU
OF an interview have just had.'
She had started to her feet again and
stood in the attitude she had assumed o
little before, with her arms resting an
the chimney top. Dusk was coming on
ana thereon was in a penumbra. ga q
for the freight. These leaping flames
Illuminated the face above them. Sucl,
face! Arthur Severn felt dizzy for
moment. He had never seen her look
like that. She had never flashed that
smile, that eyebeam, upon him. She lad
pever addressed him In that friendly.
testing tone. She was suddenly all life.
all softness, all charm. She seemed ia
wish to atone for her sullenness. her
arrogance. What will-o'-the-wisp she
was! Changeful as witch.
AN interview" said the young man
guardedly. He would not let himself
go. He Kept tight rein on himself.
with Dir. Revery; yes-fancyl have
all at once come to the conclusion that
wish to be married, If am married at
all, for myself. The heiress, Miss Brock
ton. will in short time have practically
ceased to exist and there will remain
only Geraldine Brockton, with a small
income. Well, l told Mr.. Reyery this.
And would you believe it. He did not
propose to Geraldine Brockton, though a
moment before he had offered his hand
and heart to Miss Brockten, the heiressr
She was laughing now. Her eyes con-
tinued to flash upon him with that
strange lambert persistence. 1t was al
most like challenge. What could she
mean? Again Severn seemed to turn
dizzy. He kept his outward composure
by tremendous effort.
''If what you say is true, Miss Brock
ton, you will regret it, perhaps"
Regret giving nearly all my fortune
to charitable institutions? All, you Judge
as the world judges, do you? l had
thought differently of you, Mr.. Severn.
Why should l wish to be so rich:' she
cried, with sort of fierceness- "Other
women may be able to stand the test. l
could not. 1t was making me hard, sus-
picious. 1t was making me doubt the
whole world. 1t was sitting me. shall
have enough left for all the decencies
and comforts of life. And l am free!
Yes. | am free now. Before | was a
slave-a slave to flatterers. to fortune
hunters, to every form of human hypoc-
risy. Other people may feel themselves
exalted by such a position. felt my
self degradedr'
She stopped. She almost seemed to
pant. The blood rushed to Severn's
brain. He took a step forward. What
was he about to do-what to say? What
ever it might have been, the portiere was
drawn aside and Mrs. Gwynne came in.
The words remained unuttered on his
lips.
But Miss Brockton spoke. A strange
spirit appeared to possess her, urging
her on, goading her to abrupt disclos-
ures.
"Ah, Aunt Martha, l wonder if you'll
be surprised, too, at my news. | have
made an announcement which has
stricken two men dumb with astonish-
ment already. And yet it does not seem
SO strange, does it? Mr.. Severn seems
scarcely to believe that l have given
away nearly all my fortune"
"What nonsense" said Mrs. Gwynne
Severn had vanished.
You do say such extraordinary things
at times, declared Mrs. Gwynne. "Peo-
pie will really believe, at length, that