The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1894-04-20

propr1ety of leaving the neighborhood at
once.
"But can you get her to write that let
ter9" asked Mr. Carnegie.
"Oh, yes" replied his wife and went
to Dollie's room, which she did not leave
until she had succeeded.
Two tears had fallen on Dollie's paper
while she was writing Mrs. Carnegie had
seen the blisters which they raised, but
Dolly had suffered SO cruelty while writ
ing the letter that it was impossible to
insist on her making clean copy. So it
went with it's blisters to Fleming and
strengthened his conviction that Dollie
was acting under coercion.
He wrote to her, but his letter was re-
turned by Mr.. Carnegie Unopened, with
the words: "You have had your dismissal
from my daughter, and you have had it
from me- l request you at once to leave
this neighborhood. Should you persist in
remaining, steps will be taken to enforce
this request.
Fleming became desperate, and being
powerless in other ways called the wisdom
of the serpent to his aid and wrote: ~
find it so hard to believe that your daugh-
ter's mind can have changed so suddenly
that entreat you to let me see her alone
for 10 minutes. If you permit this, and
she then speaks as she has written, / give
you my word of honor as gentleman to
accept her decision as final, and to leave
this place at once"
"What nuisance the man isp' exclaim-
ed Mrs. Carnegie. "We shall have to let
him come. Sir Philip returns next week.
We can't have this kind of thing going
on then"
So, with great reluctance, Mr.. Carnegie
replied: "Since you refuse to believe the
truth and insist on giving my daughter
this pain, you may come tomorrow at IL,
when she herself will tell you what her
wish is. You may see her for 10 minutes,
but her family will be present"
"But he is gentleman, thought Mrs.
Carnegie, when Fleming entered the room
where she, her husband and their two eld-
er daughters were assembled to receive
him. Mr.. Carnegie felt Dollie's hand
trembling on his arm as he led her down
and had at last to support her lest her feet
should fail her altogether.
At the drawing room door he kissed her
and said:
Be brave, darling; it will soon be over.
You could not have married him. But
will own that he is better looking than
expected"
"Is heP" she exclaimed eagerly. "Are
you quite sure that you would never have
said yes2"
"Quitel Stick to what has been agreed
on, and let us get quietly over it."
All eyes were fixed on Dollie as she came
in, looking pale, ill and scarcely able to
stand. No one spoke-all waited to hear
the words that were about to be said.
How would that faltering, frightened girl
get through her set speechf They had
expected that all that was about to be
said would be said within range of their
hearing, but Mr.. Fleming went to meet
her and then turned to the family group
and said:
Gas this interview has been permitted
entirely to satisfy me that Miss Carnegie
is acting in accordance with her own wish,
you will not object to my taking her to
the other side of the room. 1t will not be
private interview even then, but if we
can exchange few words unheard shall
be more able to accept them as final"
Something in his manner terrified Mrs
Carnegie. What was he saying? What
might not he be trying to persuade Dollie
to do? She was a weak little thing-they
ought not to have afforded him this OPP
portunity, for the girl who had yielded to
her parents, when they had asked her to
do what was contrary to the wish of her
heart, might yield to her lover when he
asked reverse.
"Charles!" she whispered, tive have
been fkols to let him see herl Who"---
''Do be quiet, my love, +" said Mr.. Car
negie. at can't be helped now" But
he was sitting, watch in hand, longing
as much as she did for the 10 minutes to
come to an end. Fleming was talking so
serious and Dollie listening SO intently.
''Time is up" Mr.. Carnegie exclaimed
almost joyously as he put his watch in
his pocket. Then he half crossed the room
and said, "Dollie, have you told this gen.
tleman by word of mouth what he refused
to believe when you wrote it,
"She has told me all want to know"
said Fleming "Thank you, sincerely,
for allowing me to see her. Thank you
also for insisting on being in the room
with us, for 1 have something to say
which requires the presence of witnesses.