The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-02-10
DORIS Hollis VALENTINE
TcoNrrNuEp FROM FIRST pAeEl


DWell, he answered slowly; I'VE must
support them"
"But you can marry her, my dear.
"But I must, mother I'm bound in
honor. I'll ask her as soon as she comes
back
ooh, my dear boy, it's such solemn
thing to be forced into by accident. |
shall never forgive myself if you're not
happy. And there were tears in her
eyes as she spoke.
at is a solemn thing, aud nothing was
further from my thoughts. But, after
all. it is about time | thought of getting
married. and I'm sure no one could have
a better wife than Doris
But somehow the idea of proposing to
his old chum, Doris, made him smile in
much the same way as his supposed offer
had made Doris smile on receiving it.
"Now, as you say, it was very sacred
confidence which she was begniled into
making. So we had better forget about
the manner of it, and let it be buried for
ever | have come down from town,
mother dear, to look for a wife. What
do YOU think of Doris Holt?'
And on this new footing he discussed
the question in all its bearings, and con-
cluded that, for many reasons, many
worse days work might have been done
than that of yesterday.
As the evening was closing in, the sound
of wheels was heard in the drive, and soon
steps and voices in the hall.
"Hullo cried the clear voice of Minna,
IA hat
s'Oh. Minna p said Alice, "heres Jackos
stick"
And rush was made for the drawing
room. where the said Jacko was basking in
the freight,
dive come down to pay you ont for that
thing you sent me yesterday, said he,
after greetings; but he looked a little anx-
iously toward the door for the third figure.
Doris had stayed behind moment to Sc
cure her self-posseSsion under this sudden
shock: but she was not treasured by being
greeted before she was well in the door
way, by Alice calling out:
'Doris, he's come down about that thing
that was sent yesterday.
Doris's heart stood still moment; but
Jack, being equally on the alert, saw the
second sense of the remark, and came to
her rescue by saying,
81 don't think it was Dolly's drawing;
she may have written something on it
though.
So she saw what was the subject, and
came to welcome him in her usual manner.
''Yon can give Jack some tea In the
schoolroom, my dears, said Lady Glum-
glass, after some conversation.
But when they went to the sehool-rOom.
Doris was detained, and she and Jack had
short talk by the freight,
Presently they came together to the
school-room He felt that there was an
element of strangeness about this new re-
lation, which might spread to the rest OF
the party and spoil the old habits of COM
plete confidence; so it was necessary from
the very beginning to get into the old
groove with ALL But it was with some
trepidation of mind that he entered their
sanctum with Dolly as his promised wife.
"Who'd like to hear secret, Minna 2"
he asked quietly.
sob, yes, should, please, Jacko." For
Minna had weakness for hearing secrets,
no matter how public they were, nor was
she ever known under any circumstances
to keep one.
"Well, Dolly isn't going away, after all,
the governess scheme is exploded for good.
.sOh !" from both. which expressed more
than IA torrent of eloquenee. Dolly's de-
parture, though not often mentioned, had
been hanging more and more heavily over
them, for they all felt that it must be get
ting very much nearer now.
aNo. I've asked Dolly to be my wife,
and she has said yes.
There was Il moments silence, which
rather alarmed Jack, and then Alice, her
face beaming with love and delight, came
and kissed him, while Nlinna said
s'Oh. you dear old fellow; you're always
doing something nice" as though he had
planned some pleasant expedition, or pro-
duced a new marvel in bon-bons, and then
she followed Aice's example, and Rugged
him, too.
That evening was very happy one. A
threatening cloud, which had married their
peace secretly for some months, was In a
moment dispersed; and love-affalr quite
in their own Eden on both sides was very
charming: for they were but womankind
after ALL
The state of Doris's mind and the cur
rent of her thoughts enabled her, without
any effort, to play her part in this little
comedy of errors to perfection. A certain
onietude and reserve seemed both natural
and appropriate under the circumstances.
She was, in truth, somewhat oppressed by
the novel relation into which she had been
led, though the actual responsibilities and
duties of married life were still distant and
vague; and so little had such subjects oc-
cupied her thoughts that she would have
felt less strange if she had found herself
betrothed to Mr. Wescot, and talking over
her future with brother Jack. But her