Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-04-14

which Elsa . sobs grew full OF dreary
despair.
"You mutI 70 home, Elsa"
There was protesting movement
of her palpitating line figure.
''Ies. you must go back to your
people. You are too tender, too deli
cate, too sensitive ,sor this sort of life.
You know | told y0u," the girl went
on, little wesrily, "tlIat making
ones own living and striking out in
dependently for ones self was not so
easy as it might seem. If a girl has
a good home, even though it were
ever SO simple one. she is, per-
haps, safest an d happiest in its shell
ter"
"You mean girl like me-" said
Elsa, sitting UP and nodding her head
with dreary sasacity. "You know
that nothing would induce you to go
back to the sort of life which should
lead on the farm with grandfather and
Aunt Polly. But you are different.
Some day you will surely succeed,
whereas p
Laura was silent moment.
"And Mr.. Varian?" she finally said.
She felt the presence of the blush on
the others cheek which she could not
see.
s'Don't, don'tl Don't speak of
him in-in that wayI" breathed
Elsa.
"Come in" calld Laura a week
later.
The summary invitation had evil
IDENTITY not been heard, for the knock
was repeated after discreet interval.
This time Laura rose, and, pencils
in hand, opened the door herself.
81 am very glad to see you, Mr..
Varian," she said, gravely. "Come
in
or the two it was not she who was
embarrassed. Laying down her
pencils she pushed char slightly
towards him with the gesture of a
queen
"Mr. Yarian," she said, al have
known you but short time. Practi-
cally VIC are strangers. Yet think
we shall understand each other. /
Is. :le |, sea the credit Of ILL., II. -
AN speak frankly to your 1 asAed
you 10 come here to see me for a
special reason, which shall breach at
once. You are aware" she concluded,
''that Elsa-AIiss Hart--has returned
10 her home and friends?"
"Iudeed? | had 10 idea of it.
No."
Laura dropped her eyes for mo-
ment.
"You make it more difficult for me
to say what 1 wished" she observed |
in moment. ''She has gone back to
friends because she was far too sensi-
live and dehcate little creature to
face the hand-to- mouth, struggling
existence of a female art student sue
cessfully. She should never have al
tempted it. | blame myself now, for
| love the child dearly. Still, her
year of such experience as she has
known here would do her no harm,
rather good, perhaps, were it not for
one thing" and here those gray eyes
rested full upon the young man again,
land with that you, Mr.. Yarian, are
sH?'
The gray eyes flashed scornfulIy.
at is unworthy to dissemble !"cried
Laura. 'If you have given that poor
child cause to think that you love her,
and have taught her to love you in re-
turn, there is no reason why YOU
should attempt SO to conceal the fact.
''Pardon me, have been unnecessar-
lily rude and hasty. But | am EIsa's
best friend, | think. l know her very
Her happiness seems to
have become, in some sense, my re-
sponsibility since she left the safe
shelter of her home to be with me-lo
try the same life that l have tried.
Mr.. Varian, believe Elsa is very un-
happy now. AUDI
"And you think she is unhappy be.
cause 1 have trifed with her affec-
lions? Led her to fix them upon me
when
"Of course, you are a man of the
world, Mr.. Varian, and Elsa is mere
little country girl" interrupted Laura,
with rapid utterauce. Her case, some
how, did not seem SO very clear after
all. And strong and collected as she
was. she was growing strangely ner-
vous now.
"But Elsa is worthy to be the wife
of any man." she hurried on. "And'
she paused abruptly.
81 honor you more than can say
for what l have seen of you in the
last ten minutes" said Variants voice
at this juncture. "Few women would
have had such directness, such loyalty
to friend, such courage. But there
is a mistake here. IL cannot marry
Miss Hart"
Laura raised her head. For a
moment they measured each other.
"You cannot marty
"No. Because ! do not love her.
| have looked upon her as a pretty
child-nothing more; and mindful
of her grandfather's kindness to me
the summer that | was thrown from