Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1894-11-28
TWO STARS.
NoN.suITEp, WITH COSTS.

now. We are both penniless, and,
IN addition, am up to the collar
bone in debt.
"But-but you love mep" she
asked, timidly.
"Love! Bah! What is loveP
A nonsensical caprice. Born to-day,
dead tomorrow. Perhaps did love
you once; but--well. one can't live
on sentiment. One day our feelings
lead us astray; next, stern circum-
stance compels us to be more phil
osophical. We have both been
wrong; you for loving me, and !
for being foolish enough to encour-
age it. But, Edith, our clandestine
courtship must cease from tonight.
You are but the governess, you
know, while well, society expects
great things from me. You must
see how absurd a thought of mar
riage is for us"
"Absurdw she murmured, scarce.
ly realizing that such levity and
cruelty were possible from the man
to whom she had confided her trust
some months before.
"Yes, utterly absurd. Now, be
sensible. Look at the matter in a
reasonable light. ] don't want to
hurt your feelings, you know, but
you are aware that your position in
my uncle's house would of itself
ridicule the idea Of marriage be-
tween us. Of course, you will al
ways have friend in me. | shall
always be glad to advise, and"
Frank" she interrupted.
Don't be hysterical, Edith
There's really no need for any fuss
you know. You are poor; so am |
But | have position to maintain
You haven't. Come, let us put al
end to our foolishness. There's
George Markham, the curate, yor
know. He's head over ears il
love with you, and-and you
wouldn't have any difficulty witt
him. He'd make a good husband
and-and all that sort of thing"
The poor, deluded girl hung hel
head in silence. Her breast heaveC
tumultuously as she endeavored tc
suppress her emotion. She tremblet
in every limb, and for brief mo
ment the tears stood in her fine
blue eyes. But Edith Malvern, tn,
poor, friendless Little governess, hat
more philosophy in her nature thar
the heartless man walking by hel
side in his uncle's grounds gave hel
credit for.
This was a staggering blow t.
her. To have her hopes dashed t.
the ground and her heart stabbed
with one sudden, unexpected lunge
was torture in the extreme. Blu
there was that within her which
enabled her to hold her feelings il
check. Such words were concen
trated cruelty and bitterness. But
they had unlocked and opened &
capacity within her heart which she
had previously been unaware existed
there. 1t was the power to feel and
be thankful for what she had es.
capped from. A man whose opinions
of love and of marriage--the most
sacred passion and bond in the
universe-were so absolutely de.
based, must be worthless. To have
been compelled to call such a man
husband" would have been to one
of her nature more fearful than this
sudden shattering of her hopes
Had she discovered his hateful, true
inwardness after she had been ir-
revocably yoked 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 steadily into
his face, said:-
ut shall be as you wish. Yes,
have been foolish. | am, as you
have said, poor, and Of no account
in the world. | am parentless as
we'll as penniless. lit would be
absurd-to think Of marriage. Let
us forget the past-be as though we
had never met. Your words have
forever obliterated the past in my
mind. | could not, | would not,
be your wife, though all the world
urged me to do it. But your debts,
your position! How are you going
to extricate yourself from the one
and maintain the other?"
"How unsophisticated you are,
Edith?"
"But you do not surely intend to
make marriage your emancipatorP''
she asked.
He smiled at her earnest, plying,
semi-credulous look, and then re-
piled:
swell, perhaps such a proposal
seems--a-peculiar to you; but, my
dear girl, look at things sensibly.
There's Mary, for instance, my
cousin. She's an heiress. / believe
she-well, 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 betray Miss Mary
Pause before you attempt to win
her love for such sordid ends. Is
il not enough that you should chill
one heart, without deliberately break
ing anotherp She is of such dis
position that when she discovered
AS she undoubtedly would some
day--that you had more regard for
her wealth than for herself, IL would