The Penn's Grove record., 1894-03-02

"You make it more difficult for NJ
to say what | wished" she observe
in a moment. ''She has gone bac
to her friends because she was far to
sensitive and delicate a little cTeatur
to face the hand-t to. mouth, strugglin
existence of a female art student sue
cessfully. She should never have at
tempted it. i blame myself now, 70
| love the child dearly. Still, he
year of such experience as she ha
known here would dc her no hary
rather good, perhaps, were it not 70
one thing" and here those gray eye
rested full upon the young man again
sand with that you, Mr., Yarian, ar,
connected.
"I?"
The gray eve flashed scornfullv.
ut is unworthy to dissemble,'
criel Laura. IF O have giycr
that moo child cause TO think that
Won love her, and have taught her t.
love Won IN return. there is no reason
whv Won shonld attempt so TO conceal
the fac
upardOn me. have been unncceS.
soriIv rude and bostv, INT l am
Elsa's hest friend, | think, | know
her yery thoroughly. Her happiness
seems TO have ne ,ome. in some sense,
INV responsibility since she left
The safe shelter Of her home
In be with me-to try tho same
life that | have tried. Mr.. Varian,
I hcIjcyc Elsa is very unhappy now.
And -,
.,And Won think she 1s unhappy be-
,ouse I have trifsd with her affec.
Lions2 led her ia Az them upon me-
whon-"
s4Of coursa vou arc n man of the
world Mr. VorIon and Elsa is a
mere little country girl," INTERRUPTED
Iaura. with ranjd ~utterance. Her
case somahow did not seem so very
eiror after ali, And strong and col.
! Ierted az she always was she was
yrnwinc strangely nervous now
"But Elsa is a good. pure girl
worthy IN he the wife Of anv man. ,
she hurried on "And-n She
naused abruntIv.
IL bnnor Won moro than 7 can saw
for what have seer of Won within
the last ten minntesn said Variants
! voice Mt this iuncture Flew women
would have had such directness. such
LOYALTY 70 a friend snch courage,
Bnt there ia a mistake here, IL
.annot marry Miss Hart
/ Iaura raised her head. For A mo-
ment they measured each other.
you cannot marry"
NO Because | do not love her.
/ have looked upon her as a pretty
child-nothing more; and mindful Of
her prandfather's Kindness to me the
summer that | was thrown from my
horse when riding near his place and
laid up under his roof for weeks, /
have tried to do what little | could
for Der. That is all. ! sought her
| out. not for herself, but because she
was your friend-because she wa
near YOU"
She had turned ashy pale. The
pallor Of her cheek was reflected on
Verian's. He had not thought to
speak so soon. Their eyes held each
other for a long, breathless pause. In
an instant the young man was on his
knees At her side.
Laura. Laura
mo, no, no." She shrank away
from his touch; but he had e the
EXPRESSION Of her ewes, and all his
pulse beat in the intoxication of a
new hope.
'You must go away; you must
never come back, she said, hoarsely.
laura You can't mean that?"
the poor fellow gasped.
She had risen to her feet.
"Why? Why?" lie stammered.
following her as she retreated from
MIN, A light burst upon him, in
iuced by something in her lace.
lit cannot he that You are
not thinking of Elsa, of Miss Hart?
But this is folly, madness! For a
girl like you-head and shoulders
incomprehensible."
''She loved you; she trusted me-"
sN +A@N
sad Laura, rigid and white in her
effort at selfcontrol.
''Good heavcn.n the man exclaimed,
driven to bay, ',you would not have
ne marry a girl l do not love simply
because She happened TO fancy other
wise? | deplore the delusion, but
what more can | do? Laura" he
pleaded, 'you will not send me
lway9"
.Yesn She still stood rigid with
lowncaSt avne
uAt least he nleaded apain alto,
moment Of silence. .twlII Won nor
tell mo that Won care for me-a
little?n
Not even then would she raise her
eyes.
N"yery we'll. I shall 90 now Init 7
shall come back. Do Won hear ne9
Time works MANY changes-and 7
shall returnn
And. so saving. he left her.
y
But she never honed for his raturr
She never expected it.
The last of the warm DAYS had
rown tho antumn afterroons wnra