The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-08-29
ieht have expected in the circum.

brushing away. her tears, she asked:
Can you tell me her reason for such
anxious haste, and whether it was
mostly on your account or on mine?"
ION account of both, Hannah. Julia
seemed to have found out somehow
the feeling had for you"
'sDut what about me? From what
you say, she must have believed that
all ] needed from you was the asking"
Some paleness took the place of the
redness that now retired from her
face. The bearing down of her eyes
upon him seemed to confound him, so
unexpected was the attitude taken by
her. Difficulties in his mind having
appertained only to calculations Us to
what would be best for himself, doubt
suddenly raised, added to the sight Of
her beauty, which never before had
seemed so enticing created and every
moment stimulated eagerness to have
her. laundering in his wordR, he re-
piled:
"Why, of course, Hannah, Julia--I
don't know what reason she had for 1t
but she seemed to believe that-that
you and both would be likely-that
is, in time--that both of us might
think such thing, in all the circum-
stances, the best thing to do"
'Then, according to your notion,
Sister Julia, who in all her previous
lifetime kept herself outside of fschemes
Of every sort, undertook, while on her
deathbed, one for you and for me, and
even, as you say, was anxious about
it."
"Why, Hannah, you-you know what
sort of woman Julia WASP"
Eyes, )" she answered, looking upward
reverently. II knew her partly before
her last swift decline, but not until
then did know how far she was
above the lot in which she lived. That
her end was not long ago, suppose
was because the good God meant to
show to her what, for His sake, she
could endure. Knowing the blessed
ness of suffering to an innocent spirit,
He let it fall upon her in many ways;
but the sorest pang no doubt was
when she was led to suspect something
between you and me. That it should
have moved her to feel and to express
such wish as you report showed that
she was absolutely ripe for the King
dom of Heaven. / would wonder at
your repeating her words to me, except
that from what know Of you could
not wonder at anything you would do
on the line of comprising any purpose
of your own"
Her calmness was as of one disposed
almost to smile.
Hannah" he spoke rapidly, ''such
talk surprises me more than any
What can you mean?"
GLOW came Sister Julia to suppose
that I'd marry you? Did you tell her
you thought sop
~ did not. suppose-1've told you
what l suppose about it. julia was
worried about the way father had left
his will, and Eve no doubt she thought
that was the best way to make things
equal between u.s."
'Did she know of that scene in thl
garden when you behaved so to me tht
last time was at your house before
Cullen dicd?v
"Of course she didn't"
/ "But she did. She saw it. and thai
was what made her ask you to marry
me after her death, and as soon as pos
sible Did YOU promise her that yor
would do SOP"
my Lord, Hannah, How could 6
man, man thltha any feeling, make
such promise to--at such time al
that--and in such circumstanccs?"
''Did she intimate to you that unless
you made some sort of compromise
about your fathers estate you nigh
have to submit to terms different from
what now ] understand you to pro
pose?"
"Sho did not. She was very anxious
for settlement, and"
Didn't warn you In any way? How
ever, that is question that perhaps
ought not to have asked. | take
back. noticed that you didn't shov
any regret when I told you of Julia
seeing you kiss me in the garden"
"Why, there was no great harm il
that, Hannah"
"She thought there was, and tina
was why she advised you as she did
What is your opinion now as to whethe
l told Cullen of it or not?"
"You may have told him for all
know"
"You didn't believe at the time
would tell him, that warrant"
'No, didn't"
"But l did tell him; yet not until h
was taken sick. did not before mair
ly because 1t would have incensed hir
so that he might have killed you.
am thankful that did not, and tina
the telling, except for moment, too
nothing from the peace of his dying
In your terms to me now," she cor
tinued, with coldness that awed hin
"did you intend to include any allow
ance for Cullen's child?"
Lord, Hannah, isn't Pearce you
child too?"
''Let me make q proposal in m
turn"
There was something approachin
cunning in the kindly smile with whic
she submitted her terms
"If you will 60 to the courthouse
take that viii and destroy it, or II yo
will make over to me and Pearce ha'
the property left by your father
will"