The Portland daily press., 1894-10-25
NONSUITED.

"Tt is no use, Edith. We can never BE
are both penniless, and Idition I am
up to the collar bone in debt.
''But-buu you love me?" she asked
timidly.
Love! BAIL What is love? A nonsen-
steal caprice. Born today, 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 compcls us to be more philosophic-
al. We have both been wrong-you for
loving me, and for being foolish enough
to encourage it. But, Edith, our clandes-
tine 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 marriage is for u.s.
Absurd she murmured, scarcely
realizing that such levity and cruelty were
possible from the man to whom she had
confided her trust some months before.
Eyes, utterly absurd. Now, be sensible.
Look at the matter in q reasonable light
1 don't want to hurt your feelings, you
know, but you are aware that your posi-
tion in my uncle's house would of itself
ridicule the idea of marriage between us.
OF course you will always have friend
in me. I shall always be glad to advise,
and"-
''FrankP' she interrupted.
Don't be hysterical, Edith There's
really no need for any fuss, you know.
You are poor. So am I. But I have posi-
ton to maintain. You haven't. Come, let
us put an end to our foolishness. There s
George Markham, the curate, you know.
He's head over ears in love with you and
and you wouldn't have any difficulty
with him. He'd make good husband,
and-and all that sort of thing
The poor, deluded girl hung her head in
silence. Her breast heaved unanimously
as she endeavored to suppress her emotion
She trembled in every limb, and for a
brief moment the tears stood in her fms
blue eyes. But Edith Malvern, the poor
friendless little governess, had more phi
losophy in her nature than the heartless
man walking by her side in his unele's
grounds gave her credit for.
This was a staggering blow to her. TIC
have her hopes dashed to the ground and
her heart stabbed with one sudden, unex-
pected lunge was torture in the extreme,
but there was that within her which en-
Ahled her to hold her feelings in check.
Such words were concentrated cruelty and
bitterness, but they had unlocked and
opened capacity within her heart which
she had previously been unaware existed
there Tt was the power to feel and to be
thanked for what she had escaped from.
A man whose opinions of love and of mar
riage-the most sacred passion and bond
in the universe were SO absolutely de-
based must be worthless. To have been
compelled to call such 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 irrevo-
cably 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 stead
lily into his face said:
sit shall be as you wish. Yes, have
been foolish am, as you have said, poor
and of no account in the world. am par
entless as well 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 oblit.