The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-05-09

a fuss. Give them to me as they are"
'What are you going to do with them?"
as he takes them from my trembling hands.
'sPut them in the ire!' and he turns to
do so.
mo, no, mop cry. springing forward
anti laying a OBTAINING hand on his arm.
ooh, don't, Jack!'
"Why not?" pausing. "You don't want
them, and Pm sure don't"
ell do Please give them back to me-"
"What for?"
ITO keep! To remind me'-
"Of my folly?"
"Of my own. p
''Your folly is over and done with. Our
engagement is broken off, p he says moodi
ly Better forget it ever existed"
II cannot do that" with an irrepressible
little sob. II apl waiting for those let
ters."
''Take them, then" and he throws them
down on the table. keep them to COM
pare with Horne's, if you like. 1 don't
care"
How can you insult me SO? What right
have you to think me so mean, so heart
less?" cry Indignantly. "And you cared
for me once, or pretended to"
II did care, 1 care now, though l know
Pm only fool for my pains" bitterly.
"Heartless, do you say? How can I help
thinking you heartless after your conduct
last night?"
my conduct? and what of yours? If
danced with Frank, and, yes, flirted with
him a little, you were flirting all the time
with Celia and Mollie, and, oh, there
wasn't girl in the room that you didn't
firt with. You know there wasn't"
s.Yas and Won Sh0ut6 know that thera
is safety in numbers" he retorts, fixing
his dark eyes on mine reproachfully. but
you, Maud, you firted with Frank all the
time, and no one but Frank. A very diff
ferent thing"
And what was to do when you deserted
me? Sit still and look miserable? Thanks,
no. Really, you are unreasonable"
.You forget that did not desert you, as
you call it, till after you gave me to under
stand that I wasn't wanted. You told me
to go, and went"
"You did-on the instant"
"And you blame me for that now? Did
| you not mean me to take you at your word?"
| l look at him as he stands, very tall and
erect, on the other side of the fireplace, his
| brown eyes, with certain defiance in them,
watching me intently, and I feel thankful
that at least we are not going to part in 81
lence. His love may not be strong enough
to stand the test of our quarrel, but still
he loves me- Oh, if only
| Did you not mean me to take you at
your words" he repeats.
mot like that" slowly. "You went
oh, yes-as if you were glad to go. / dare
/ say you were, but you needn't have be-
trayed your feelings quite so plainly"
81 haven't the smallest intention of be-
traying my feelings for your qualification"
he says with some warmth "You have
treated me shamefully. but see little use
in discussing it now. don't want to re-
proach you for jilting me- You've done it,
and that's enough"
'Jilting you! Oh, Jackp'
"Call it what you please" and he turns
away YEARLY. I'VE won't quarrel about
that. Celia was right, see."
"Celia?"
Eyes. She said it would only make mat
tiers worse if I saw you'll I didn't believe
her, butt
Cecilia tried to stop your coming?"
I IF you like to put it in that way, yes, .
with a look of surprise. But thought ]
ought to bring those letters myself, so
came"
''From a bitter sense of duty, under
stand"
mot altogether that" He hesitates q
moment and then adds quickly: Il may as
well tell you all since | am here / thought
that is, hoped-there might have beer
some misunderstanding, and you have sale
more than you really meant. 1t all seem:
so sudden to me, you know, for had not
grown tired of our engagement, whatever
you may have done. But since you evi
| CHI 10 T
stand in your way. You might have trust
ed me, though, as you have trusted Celia
Celia againi 1 begin to hate the SOUND
of her namel
Cecilia seems to have been unwarrantably
busy with my affairs" 1 say coldly. g
don't know, of course, what she may o.
may not have told you, but this do know
that l have never trusted her, and that
trust her less than ever now"
you are ungrateful surely. She tried
to spare you this interview"
Had it not been for her it would nevel
have been necessary. But go to her, sinc'
you'd rather take her word than mine, ,
passionately. go to her and tell her tina
she has succeeded, thanks to my folly an(
your
break off, unable to speak for the rising
sobs that choke my utterance, and turf
away abruptly to the window.
Succeeded? Cellar" he repeats more t,
himself than to me. MAUD, what is thu
meaning of all this? Is it possible tina
Celia misunderstood"-
''She misunderstood nothing" I speal
in a dull. expressionless way, and withou
turning round. ''She is far too clever fo
that. 1t is youw who misunderstood, and L.
''What have I misunderstood? Oh, i
you won't tell me, I must go to Cell;
and"-
Eyes. go to her. What are you staying
here for?"
Nothing now" And he walks to tn
door, In another instant he will be gone.
Can let him go like this? No, thou
sand times no.
"Wait," and 1 turn impulsively, "you-
you have forgotten something" VI ~
s'Have L? And what?" -
"Your ring. have no right to it now, a
you say"
81 never said so, butt he checks him
self. "Give it to me, then"