The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-04-13
sNSBURG. PA. FRIDAY. April. I3. 1894.
BE it so. l will listen To you. i"

y
She continued then vehemently:
81 know that you believe that in
fuenced your uncle l know that you
believe me responsible for his change
of mind toward you and guilty of hav-
ing captured his estate. | know that
you believe me avaricious, a liar, 4 plot
ter. However, L am none of these
things"
''Ah! then, you are not his heiress?'' i
asked, with bitter irony.
'.Eesi / am his heiress, But / did
nothing that the most scrupulous del
icacy could object to! / often begged
your uncle to send for you and l only
ceased when the doctor assured me
that my constant demands worried the
patient. Your uncle was my benefac-
tor. He saved me from misery and j
could not do anything which wouid
prove me ungrateful When he was
attacked with The strange whim of
prcferring me to you, | was obliged to
submit. As he was then too i'll to be
opposed"
But you inherit the estate!' re-
peated, with The same melancholy
irony.
Il inherit it-well?'
She gaZcd fiXeily at me.
''If you were in my place, what would
you thinh?" | exclaimed.
just what you will think" and she
drew small packet from her pocket
and handed IL to me, saying: Forgive
the old man and destroy this proof of
his delirium."
was too much astonished to speak
My hands trembled. Confusedly | re-
allied how wrong | had been in blam-
ing her.
What do you mean?'' finally STAN
mered
THAT is the will. I give it to you,
and you remain the heir of your unhap-
Py uncle"
| was SO overcome by her answer
that Twas obliged to lean against the
wall for support-so ashamed that |
could not look her in the face-her
whom had SO basely accused.
After Il few minutes | collected my
self and begged in a supplicating voice
Forgive me! Take back this packet,
i would rather die than accept the es-
tate on such conditions"
And L." she exclaimed, vehemently
and disdainfully. DO you think that
will touch it? Do you think l would
detile myself by stealng?"
II have misunderstood YOU" / ex-
a Il
am q miserable fool"
1t does not matter now We shall
probably never see each other again"
She 81 olle gently in an absent manner.
Her beautiful eyes had faraway look,
and now 1 knew that she was really
pure. innocent. stainless.
''Ahi" i murmured ''Of what use is
the money to me? To receive il thus
iS he hu of
ishments. | will not have it! To re-
ceive it from you, who refused me so
coldly; from you, who despise me with
such humiliating gentleness! l should
consider myself disgraced for life. "
What do you say? Disgraced be-
cause / return to You what belongs to
you? Because | refuse To profit by the
unreasonable whim of an invalid?''
She retreated few steps, and her ad =
mIrable beauty filled my heart with
alteration. 'Ah! why should you not
accept my love?" | cried. ''Why would
you let me have no part in your life?''
81 was a poor girl. treated with kind
ness and trusted. 1 should have be
trayed that kindness and trust in listen
ing to you
would you have listened 70 me then
if you had been rich?' | exclaimed.
She east down her eyes and remained
minute undecided. Then lifting her
long cyelashes she said simply:
81 think sol''
My excitement increased, words
failed me, and l could only stammer:
But now-you can -"
She motioned me to be silent. After
a few minutes of deep thought she said:
To-day think that l have the right
to listen to you. My refusal or accept
anee depends now only upon my own
inclination"
approached and implored her:
Accept my life or refuse it,
| Il will not refuse" she answered
| gently. And suddenly smiling sweetly
| she said with subtle feminine irony:
Il would never have refused it, for if
you fell quickly in love with me l, too,
was not slow in loving you
| | caught Laure's hands and kissed
! them humbly, but she gently drew
them away, and begged me to remem-
Der the presence of the dead, which, to
| tell the truth, had almost forgotten.
Thus | captured my inheritance. -
| Romance.