The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-10-11

mo, no, no." said Mildred. "You
do not begin to guess how impossible it |
would be for me to marry, to give up |
everything | have planned and worked |
for. You do not realize how little /
think of anything except my appointed
work, the necessity of fulfilling my own
individual destiny. l am very much
interested in myself" she pursued with
a brief laugh; I" l intend to give my
self free play and see what can make
of my life. L have not even finished
my education yet. | expect to go back
TO the Victorian after a year or two,
and study for Phi. ID. have all sorts
of schemes. l intend to take life
time for them and not to hurry"
He drew in long breath as she
spoke.
He averted his eyes, he bit his lip.
Schemes in which have no part"
he said, heavily. We'll, wish you all
happiness, Miss Gray But no. will
not be insincere. | can't wish you to be
happy without me. The day become
purely disinterested, shall suffer less
than at this moment. | see that Mrs.
Fabian's carriage is drawn up at the
curve, and that she is beckoning to you.
Permit me to take you to her."
He raised his hat to Mrs. Fabian, led
Mildred across the intervening space,
assisted her to the victoria, then, say
ing, must bid you good afternoon"
he walked rapidly away.
Mildred, left TO find explanations and
comments for Mr.. Fabian, could hardly
gather her thoughts together. A thou
hn hnI ~ ar
TO Basil burned in her heart, and her
tongue was stiff and stubborn. 1t had
all been so sudden; he had been so i'm
patient. All, that impotence, which
was a dominant note of character in
him as in all men! That narrowness,
that exclusiveness, that jealousy! As
if the CRATE and the veil were to be pre-
scribtd to women.
In the thrill his words had awakened
she had not shot the rejoinder which
now occurred to her. Indeed, she had
altogether been taken by surprise, and
felt she had not made her case clear.
She could have found incontrovertible
arguments against his selfish, not to
say grasping. state of mind. She would
have pointed out to him that the trouble
lay in the prevalent foolish fable that
men must fall in love with girls, and
that girls are always dreaming Of lovers.
Danish this CON monplace adherence to
to WORKOUT medieval romance, and the
mental tendency to falling in love is
banshed.
She could not at first believe that he
had deserted her. What had she said,
what had she done, that she should in
moment renounce the pleasant inter
course which had become their daily
habit? She had for years denounced
men, and this was like man, selfshly
to desire the attainment of his object,
Indifferent to the wishes and interests
of others! Yet, when she recalled his
words, his tones, his glances during
that interview in the park, she was no
longer inclined to be angry; in recol-
lection they gained new efiicacy-she
was thrilled as his meaning became
magnified and intensified. Then, con-
scious that she was sof,ening, she would
/ cry: !" Is it |, or another who believes
that, if woman is to be the powerful
moving force of the twentieth century,
she must be wise, strong, consistent,
true to herself?"
All her powers had rushed in one
current with her energies towards the
hope of developing this new type of
woman, and yet Basil had tried to lure
her into the beaten track. All these
eight weeks that she had known him
she had been conscious of stimulus, OF
unexpected intellectual resources, q
sense of power.
How insidious his influence had been
-hattering her that she was free, yet
all the time imprisoning her in meshe;
which, light as gossamer though they
might be, she found it hard to throw
off. For she was obliged to confess
that, now she longer saw him, although
she was to all appearance leading the
life she had hitherto led, the Interest
had fatty gone out of it; it lacked the
central moving figure.
One morning Mrs. Fabian, with {
glance at her husband, read out the an
nouncement from her morning paper
that DR.. French was to sail for Europe
on May II.
1t was already May 10. Here wa'
implacable reality for Mildred; her,
was also release from her dilemma
She had wasted time of late. Now, sh'
lOlu ueTStIl, lueTe WOuIu DC no INFER
ruptiOn, no more wavering between OPP
posite ideals. She would now reserv,
herself for what was great, serious ant
important.
She was sorry she had promised t
address The Germ on the subject o
realistic novels-not because of DR.
Basil French's scruples, but becaus,
it me ant more frittering away of time
and declension from her highest aims
He had objected from his own private
point of view, which she need not il
the least regard. She would neve
think Of him again. Then, having de
cided never to think of him, she wen
on thinking of every word he ha,
uttered, of the general why and where
fore, of things tangled which nigh
have been smooth, of what is, compare,
with what might have been, until Ma
: 10, on the evening of which day sh
was to address The Germ.
She had read up nothing about real
: istic novels, she had made no effort t.
enlarge her knowledge on the subject
What she felt about the whole occasion