Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-12-14
NONSUITED.

~ lt is no use, EQlth. we can never be
more to each other than we are now. We
are both pcnniless, and in addition l am
up t. the collar bono in debt"
"But-buJ you love D'a?" sho asked
timidly.
"Lovcl BAH What is love? A nonscn-
steal caprice. Born today, dead tomorrow.
PERHAPS ] did love You once, but-well,
one cant live on sentiment. One day our
feelings lead us astray; next stern Circum-
stance compcls us to be moro philosophic-
al. We have both been wrong-you for
loving me, and for being foolish enough
to encourage it. But, Edith, our clandes-
tine cOurtship must cease from tonight
You are but the govcrness, yon Know
while well, society expects great things
from me. You must see how absurd Il
thought marriage is for us"
"Absurd!' she murmured, scarcely
realizing that such lcvity and cruelty We're
possible from the man to whom she had
conldod her trust some months before.
Eyes, utterly absurd. Now, be sensible.
Look at the matter in reasonable light.
l don't want to hurt your feelings, you
know, but You are aware that your posi-
tion in my uncc's house would of itself
ridiculC the idea Of marriage between us.
or course you will always have a friend
in me. l shall always be glad to advise
and
"Frank!'' she interrupted.
Don't be hystcricaI, Edith. There's
really no need for any fuss, you know
You are poor. So am l. Butt have u posi-
ton to maintain. You haven't. Come, let
us put an end to our foolishncss. There's
George Markham, tho curatc you know.
He's head over ears in love with You, and
and you wouldn't have any difficulty
with him. He'd make II good husband
and-and all that sort of thing"
The poor deludrd girl hung her head in
silence. Her breast hcaved tumultuuusly
as she cndcavorcd to suppress her emotion
She trrmhlrd in every limb and for n
brief moment the tears stood in her fine
blue eyes But Edith Malvern, the poor
fricndlcss little govcrncss, had more PIN
loSophy in her nature than the hcartlcNs
man walking by her side in his umcle's
grounds gave her credit for.
This was staggering blow to her To
have her hopes dashed to the ground and
her heart stabbed with one sudden, uncx.
pectcd lunge waS torture in the extreme
but there was that within her which en-
ablpd her to hold her feelings in check.
Such words were concentrated cruelty and
bitterness, but they had unlocked and
opened II capacity within her heart which
she had previously been unaware existed
there. 1t was the power to feel and to he
thanked for what she had escaped from.
A man whose opinions of love and of mar.
TiagC-the most sacred passion and bond
in the ADVERTISEMENT 50 absolutely de.
based must nc worthless. 70 have been
compelled to call such u man "hushand"
would have been to one of her nature more
fearful than this sudden SCATTERING of her
hopes. Had she discovered his hateful
true inwardnCss after she had been irruvu-
Cnbly yUkcd to him her life would Have
been one prolonged misery.
Calmly she withdrew her hand from his
arm. Her grief seemed suddenly assuaged.
She paused by his side, and looking stead
lily into his face said:
at shall be as you wish. Yes, have
been foolish. I am, as you have said, poor
and of no account in the world. l am par
entless as well as pennilcss. lit would
be-absurd to think of marriage. Let us
forget the past-be as though we had
mover met. Your words have forever oblit.
Grated the past in my mind. l could not,
l would not be your wife, though all the
world urged me to it, but your debts, your
position! How are you going to eXtricato
yourself from the one and maintain the
Othcri"
'How unsophisticated you are, Edithp'
"But you do not surely intend to make
marriage your cmancipator;" she asked.
He smiled at her earnest, plying, semi
crcdulous look and then replied:
well, perhaps such proposal seems
a-peculiar to you; but, my dear girl, look
at things sCnsibly. There's Mary, for III
stance my cousin. She's an heiress be-
licve shc--wcll, thinks a great deal about
me. You must have seen it, Edith. Now
But, for PHYS sake, think of what you
are going to do. Do not deceive and be-
tray Miss Mary. Pause before you attempts
to win her love for such sordid ends Is
it not enough that you should chill one
heart, without deliberately breaking an
other? She is of such disposition that
when she discovered, as she undoubtedly
would some day, that you had more regard
for her wealth than for herself, it would
kill her l entreat you, consider. For my
self l care not. l can bear the revelation.
But Mary-no, she shall not be thus de-
ceivcd. Oh, considcr!'
There was a great deal of consideration
in Frank Vaughan's nature. He was full
of it. But unfortunately it was all for
himself. He did consider Mary truly, but
tIg,,