The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1894-01-18

StCrunS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF SuOrL
comingS the only result of her acquain.
lance with Robert Warren. perceiving
that on many points he thought better
of her than she deserved, she Strove-
half uncOnsciouSly perhapS-to attain
the high character he attributed to her.
1t is Il base nature that is not stirred
by praise to be the very thing which in
the eyes of affection 1t seems to be.
And now, after all the pleasant
words and conSiderate acts which she
had received at his hands, after having
| learned to think of him as one whose
regard was sure, whose kindness was
Steadfast and to be relied on, she found
herself suddenly divided from him as by
a great blank wall. And the conviction
was forced upon her that she had been
misrepresented to him utterly. Per-
haps now he thought of her with con-
tempt, as vulgar, Scheming woman,
without delicacy. or dignity! The
thought ate into her spirit like a can
ker. There came moments of reaction
when she rebelled against the injustice
| she had been subjected to by Mrs.
Boddington. He is as bad as his
sister, and he has not the instinct Of
gentleman, if he does not know ME to
be incapable of the designs she accuses
me OFF, cried Bell. But depression soon
followed these bursts of Indignation
She was simply forgotten by Mr. War
rem, as the rest. After all. why should
he try to keep up an acquaintance with
the governess of his sisters children?
What was she to him? She had eXag-
| gerated a few kind words, of course,
into expressions of serious friendship!
And then the tears would flow down
Bells cheeks, which had lost all the
pretty rose bloom and were growing
hollow as well as pale
Although the weather had now be-
| come too chilly to make it prudent
Mrs. Jack did not abandon her habit
of sitting out of doors in the little
wood. She was to be found there
every afternoon, when it did not abso-
lutely rain, wrapped in a shawl, sitting
on Il rough bench which one Of the
farm servants had placed under the
copper beach tree for her accommoda-
ton. The wood was her boudOir, her
sanctum, her secret bower-a somewhat
dreary and leafleSs bower by this time,
but solitary and secluded. Hither Mrs.
Jack carried letter one day which
had just arrived from Codlington, in
order to read it at leisure.
The letter was from Barney, of
course. Barney was her only CORE
spondent. 1t had been written two
days previous and intrusted to the
carrier who piled between Codlington
and Beck's Heath, and who could not
be got to comprehend that it was
matter of any consequence whether a
letter reached it's destination to-day or
tomorrow.
Poor, kind Barney" exclaimed Mrs.
Jack, after she had deciphered her
friends crooked, cramped handwriting.
What a good old dear she ISL
/ Then reading one passage over again,
she said quite aloud, What nonsense
they all haye got into their heads about
| sending me to Italy That wouldn't
do me any good, and, besides, how
on earth am l to get to Italy by my
self"
''Wtli you go with me, Isabel?' said
q low voice at her ear, And she was
SO violently startled that she nearly
fell off the wooden bench and let the
letter drop from her shaking hand
among the dead leaves at her feet
'Ah! what thOughtless brute | was
to startle you SO" ''cried Robert War
| rem.
He stood in front of her and took her
! cold hands IN his, and looked down on
her face, which, from having become
deadly white, was now glowing with a
deep crimson blush. She could not ut
ter sound for minute, but kept gaz-
ing up at him with an expression like
that of a wondering child in her hazel
eyes. rs it your she gasped out at
|
ment, she withdrew her hands from
his and stood up. But her knees trem-
blCd so much that she had to support
herself against the trunk of a tree
How weak you are!' he said, in a
low voice 'Sit down again. Pray
sit down.
NO; must go. I must go into the
house. I-I-can't stay here, Mr.. War
rem"
She spoke very fast and breathlessly
and looked at him no more, but turned
her face away.
mot until you have answered my
question. l have asked you a ques-
ton, you know. They have recon-
mended you to so to Italy for the win
ter, Will you give me the right to take
you there and to watch over you, and
to cherish you for the rest Of my life?
Will you go to Italy with me, Isabel?'
To this straightforward demand Mrs.
Jack made no straightforward reply,
She clasped her hands, turned and
looked Robert Warren earnestly in the
face for second or so, and then, with
the tears streaming down her face
she sobbed out: ooh, how happy
9mr' and dropped into his supporting
arms with the pretty shrinking move
me- MT of a nesting bird.
And you don't ask where have been
all this time, nor what I have been
doing, nor when came back to Beach
Grove, and mustered up courage to
know my fate and to ask you that ques
tiOn," said Mr.. Warren after a minute
or two.
mo; I ask nothing. Ten minutes
ago I wanted a heap of explanations
LOW / am quite content to have none
: Whatever you have done has been right
and kind. That is enough for me.
am not quite sure, but think / never
doubted you in my heart. Only
: was lonely and fretful, and"
And Ill, my darling! How pale anG
thin you have growth"
II am not i'll now; / am quite Well
And Bell glanced up into Mr.. Warren'G
face with bright smile and flush which
made her look for a moment like thu
Mrs. Jack Of six months ago.
!, But nevertheless Mr. Warren ordered
her to come at once into the houss,
! with a little air of authority which
/ was wonderfully sweet to Bell. Sht
1 obeyed with docility, although she pout
| ed LITTLE and muttered something
about the wood being pleasanter thar
that "stuffy parlor.'
: However, in the stuffy parlor the!
sat down side by side, and then Rober
: Warren told herewith sundry episod
ical interruptions-how he had purpose
ly kept out of her way, finding that sh
! was becoming daily dearer and NOR
! precious in his eyes, because lie fearet
, to make fool of himself and risk mis-
, taking ingenious, frank good natur
: and gratitude for warmer feeling.
! How could 1 think that you-s
; young and pretty and admirable
would care for White-headtd, brown