Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-06
81 shall walk" answered the squire.

hndll Walk, answered the squire.
1T Is a long way
! "Ouly six miles"
( Then, il you are going to walk, / mustn't
detain you. said the doctor coldlv.
Il am not in any hurry" said the squire, and
then seeing no Vay of leading up to his subject,
he plunged into it at once.
Il wanted to have "a little talk with you doc
tor, tonight The fact is, sir, l am in love with
your daughter Marjory. J love her. l will not
say as she deserves to be loved, but with all
my heart. She is all the world to ME. Have
You any objections to my asking her to marry
meI'
"Yes"
Guy looked up quickly. Did the doctor
mean that he had objections to the match?
Surely not. Yet his tone was far from con-
c;liatory.
do you mean, sir" he began.
II mean that have objections, very strong
objections, to such a marriage. 1t cannot be.
1t is impossible
Ingleton could hardly believe his ears. He
conld not help knowing that the position he was
| offering Marjory was far better one than the
old man could reasonably have expected for his
| child.
II hope, sir, you have nothing against me
personally" he said, with a touch OF pride in
his voice.
"No"
''Nor against my family?'
"No; it is much better than my own"
marriage?''
Il am not obliged to give you nv reasons 1t
is enough that do object, most strongly
If you fear that Marjory would not be well
received, / assure you that my mother is pre-
pared"
"Ahi You have been talking it over. then?
But it doesn't matter. You and Marjory can
never come together. l ought not to have al
lowed YOU 10 meet-but that could hardly be
avoided and l could not tell that you would be
11ti oh g,I hA-
mind. sTake my advice, sir-leave for time.
By and by you will meet some other girl. After
time YOU will forget her.
"Never!' cried Guy, in voice that startled
the old man. Doctor Brancepeth." he con-
tinued in a softer tome ''let us be frank with
each other. What is it that has raised up a
barrier. as it were, between you and us, ever
since my poor fathers death? You and he were
such friends. that were it only for his sake, we
hoped the old intimacy would have continued.
But 1t has not. You have been cold and dis
tant. You have not seemed to care for Mar
jory and my sisters being together. Have we
sighted or offended You in any way? If SO, 1
am heartily sorry for 1t.
mo, Mr.. Ingleton, l have nothing to COM
plain of. The fault has been entirely on nv
side. But cannot speak of it further. You
must excuse me. I think / will 90 in now.
But put all thoughts of a marriage between you
and Marjory out of your head. l am sorry for
you both. but it can never be. Good night
DR.. Brancepeth did not go indoors as he had
said he would do. For more than an hour he
remained pacing up and down the path which
Guy and Marjory had traversed together
mo" he was saying, in snswer to some appeal
within his own breast. mo. my old friend =
illness not fatal. He might have recovered
He died by my hand. II his son knew-if Mar
jory knew-and dare not tell them. Oh In
gleton, my friend, wish had died in your
place"
From, a,,cb v,,orb;1 onJ ,looo,r {ho,oht, a. :,
doctor was seldom free. He might have stayed
there half the night had not Marjory come out
and entreated him to come in.
young Ingleton has been speaking to me-"
he began abruptly.
HAS he, papa?'
Marjorys hand trembled on her father
arm. and she turned toward him, laying her
forehead on his shoulder.
"And have told him, my child, that such q
marriage is impossible 1t must never be- You
understand that, my girl2''
Marjory was very still. When her father
looked at her he thought she was about to
faint.
'He ought not to have said anything to you
he began angrily. Then. remembering how
naturally they must have taken his consent for
granted, he stopped himself
''But we've love each other, papa" she
stammered out.
Child. tell you it cannot be. Perhaps,
when L am on my deathbed. will tell you my
reason. You may please yourself then-when
am dead. But think if you did such a thing
the curse of the dead-not mine, but-another' 8
must fall on you"
They were standing in the hall when this was
said. The only light came from the open door
Of the dining room. The doctor could Just see
how white and wan the poor girl looked. She
looked bewildered, too-her fathers words were
incomprehensible.
"My poor darling" he said, and for a mo-
&oln >al hsv Al al -.
spirit that prosecuted him whispered in his ear
Remember. you are a manslayer. Your hands
are red with blood. You are not fit to touch
your innocent child"
Suddenly he set her free, went to his room
and locked himself in.