New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-07
that, on second thoughts, he finds he does no

Then he knit his eyebrows together very much
| as tragic hero on the stage knits his brows.
When he became aware Of this, he felt ridiculous
and Immediately unbent his brows
1.-THE fact is, he burst out I'd rather be
hanged than say what / must say"
Then why say it?" placidly inquired the lady.
Because must 1t isn't fair to you or 10
me to go on a day longer and not make you
the confession of my mistake. I ought not TO
have asked you to be my wife"
This was certainly explicit Miss WycSham's
fingers frightened omewhat on the ponies lines,
but not so much that their sensitive mouths felt it,
She remained silent " 1t isn't of any use TO
try to soften the words" began LANDAU again,
there would be the meaning of them just the
same. and what good would it do TO tell you
of my respect and cordial liking and-and--'
here he found that his voice failed before the
| ASPECT Of the woman beside him.
If she only would not behave quite so per-
feoty LANDAU felt that his position would be
much more endurable. He did not notice her
! fingers on the reins. lie could only see that her
face had hardened a little. and it still seemed
10 preserve lis strictly wc-bred look Miss
Wyckham was indeed we'll bred, and she would
have died rather than participate in scene.
Did this man think that perhaps she was going
TO plead with him 10 marry her?
That was the question in her mind as she turned
her head and met his eyes, which revealed great
deal of suffering
| How can you ever forgive me-? he groaneu'
suddenly extending his hand to take hers'
She drew back very slightly.
Forgive you, Mr.. Landaf?" in high, clear
voice: surely you must know that am as
grateful You can be that YOU nave maui '"is
discovery in time"
Here Miss Wyckham reached forward, took thc
whip and gently touched the TANKS of the OF pony
LANDAU groancd again inarticuateY III
wanted to express something, but his Ideas
seemed TO be jumbled up in his brain. lie couIu
not construct sentence He gave up the attcmp'
and sat in the most abject misery, in when therf
was not n glimmer Of light in the consciousness
that he had been obliged to do what he had done.
In another moment Miss Wyckham had pulled
in the ponies -,
is it too much to ask you TO walk back. Mt
LANDAU ?" she inquired
The young man sprang out Of the carriage almost
! gavanically. Then he turned DacN anu N"no"
| over the low wheel.
Miss Wyckhams cold eyes did not flnch IN
! their full look at him.
| "you will never forgive me-" he cried out,
sharply. And vet. surely, surely it was tho
only thing TO do
Certainly, the only thing Why need we talk
| further on the subject"
But LANDAU held the wheel. Miss Wyckham
smiled q very little her lips tightening across her
| teeth unpleasantv she did so.
Mr. LANDAU" she said might one ask II
Miss North returns your admiration?
Thus Miss Wyckhain revealed that though
we'll bred. she was not thoroughbred.
LANDAU felt as II that whip had stung him IN
the face.
JIo bowed
ceremoniously The ponies darted on. Into tho
face of their driver there came a deeply crimson
color which. when it had subsidized, left her quit"
male She was conscious that she bad not bluShcd
before for several years.
AS for LandaG, he stood there watching the
carriage until il turned corner
Tbcn he shook himself much as a mere animal
might shake of fctters. lie looked nj his watch
Then he jumped over the roadside fence ana went
NJ the fastest walk across the pasture toward the
hotel.
As bc reached one of the entrances hc saw Miss
Wvckham's ponies being led round TO the STABLES
When the next boat left for Boston. in spite
Of all his relief he was not enjoying his NINA,
although he was on board and knew that he ma
done the only honorable thing. under the circum-
stances that there was 10 do. Still virtue very
frequently is not il. own reward. notwithstand-
LANDAU knew that II Katharine were TO bc
taken from the world thai day he could never
love Miss Wyckham He knew he had no. even
IMAGINED he loved her when he had asked her
10 marry him. There the bitterness, the
unforgivageness of his mistake. lie felt In way
dishonored that he should have done SUCH IL
thing Whether ne had met Katharine or not he
had no right to offer marriage to woman because
he liked her. and believed shc would make HIN
the kind of wife of whom he should approve.
That he had seen Katharine. Of course, had
brought all this home to him with overmaStcrins
force; but the fact had been there all the time,
ready to spring into disastrous life.
Better now than later. however
As he sat on the deck Of the steamer he
wondered if Miss Wyckham had fanccd that She
loved him. He ryas sure she had not He
wanted TO shiver as ne recalled the look in her
eyes when shc had turned toward him.
or course she had been angry. LANDAU sud
denly stood up and flung his head back as he
recalled her mention Of Miss NOrhs name.
And at the recollection rush of other emotion
came to him. He went 10 the railing and leaned
over it. following the ships track intently with
vague gaze lie forgot Miss Wyciham. HIS
thoughts ran on to the end Of his Journey lie
felt himself free to seek and ask for happl-
| ness Whether he would attain i-that he could
not guess The thraldom Of the last few weeks
was now so CALLING in his memory that he
wondered how he had endured it. But 1t had all
come through his own fault II was an episode
he would be long in forgetting. one that would
sting him TO CALLING humiliation as long az
| he lived. he thought.
Mrs LANDAU not yet tired OF Capn Mar
be's little room under the roof, or Of that con
inuous roar that sounded night and day in her elrS
She esteemed it one OF the necessities as well ~
one of the pleasures Of her life 10 give time to
mere existence, when her mind dozcd languidly
| in unison with her body