Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-12-29
CHAPTER III

CHAPTER III.
"Are you going to the Leighs' dance
this evening, Pauline?" Mrs. Delamore
asked abruptly.
Il cannot tell YOU" and she looked
up with listlesS eyes from book. She
bad been pretending 10 read, but she
had not turned single page in the last
hour. Is it worth while? That is the
question:
1t seems always to be the question
with you nowadays. don't know what
you want, am sure"
And as l hardly know myself I'm
afraid l cannot tell you. Oh. yes, I
suppose I shall go. It's less trouble to
so than to say why I remain at home.
And GOdiya would be disappointed.
OF course, she will want all her girl
friends to be there tonight to see her
in her new dignity. All. Pauline. YOU
really ought to think Of following her
example"
Are you so anxious to be rid Of me?"
For your own sake, my love; only
for your own sake. You could have
married anyone Of them, you know, but
you didn't seem to care about it. and
you haven't been engaged for long
time. now"
No; l suppose not" slowly.
"Never-to my knowledge-since
that odd affair with young Liston. l
never could understand it al, but he
certainly behaved very badly. Oh, you
needn't tell me he didn't. for know
betteri As | tod his uncle, it was all
very well TO talk OF business. but bust
ness had nothing to do with his go
ing away as he did It was just be-
cause he was ashamed to stay in the
same place with YOU
Then his sense of honor was finer
than mine, the girl said quietly. for I
did not hesitate to remain in the same
place as the others"
L treated Jack DISCARD about as bad
ly as any of them. and vet he came
back and wished 10 marry me after
all"
"And-finding that out of the ques-
Extraordinarily married Godiva?
You haven't much to reproach yourself
with there"
Il don't blame him." hastily.
Nor do L. You can hardly expect
him 10 try his luck a third time"
Then as to Charley-poOr Charley"
You have no cause for anxiety. He
always got engaged TO every pretty girl
he came across; you were the sixth"
Mamma, how can you know?" in
dignantly.
"Oh, l have it on the best authority
his own. l don't want 10 hurt your
feelings. my dear child. but I'm sure it's
better for you TO realize that if you
have been amusing yourself with these
experiments, other people have been
doing the same"
on, don't say any more about it.
mammal l already realize that I'm a
fool. l assure YOU"
Then, my love, there is every prob
ability that YOU will end by becoming
a wise woman"
yes, when it Is too late"
Mrs. DelamOre did not hear the last
woros-nOr was she. intended to hear
them. She left the room. and her
daughter-lO longer keeping I'D the
unnecessary pretense of reading-let
the book fall on her lap and gazed drea-
rily out at the sunllt garden, the
brightness of which cOntrasted so cru
ely with her gloomy thoughts.
Assuredly, when Paunline had made
up her mind so lightly to dismiss Ger
aid ListOn that evening in the garden.
she had never dreamed that no such
dismissal on her part would be neces-
Sary.
When next l see YOU, I shall ask for
your decision he had said; and she
judging from her past experience with
those Others" of whom she was not
unreasonably jealOus-had confidently
expected him that evening. or, at
least, some time in the course OF the
following das l
He never came.
More than a year had passed since
he left her that evening. and she had
never seen him again; never, for one
brief moment, in all those dreary
months. She had never even heard
from him; she had not received a sin
gle line of explanation or reproach; he
had disappeared from her life as COM
pletely as if the earth had opened and
swallowed him up; and nothing re-
manned to her of that past episode but
a painful memory.
The uncle in whose Office he had
been working of late offered no expla-
nation of the young mans sudden dis
appearance. beyond vague allusion
to business" which Pauline thought
he had no direct reference to the mat
ter. What could business" have to
do with his treatment Of her? 1t might
take him abroad. certainly, and at
very short notice as to prevent his
seeking one farewell interview, or at
least to explain that he was unable to
do so.
And Pauline did not complain; she
had so much grace left. If she suffer
ed deeply. she suffered in silence, and
she did not blame Gerald even in the
confidential moments OF solitude. She
blamed herself. for had she not seen
brief note penned to Godiva on the
very evening of his departure, a very
brief note. which yet revealed whole
history to one who held a key to 1t.
.It is only fair to tell you that l am
only one of Pauline's experiments.
Pauline said nothing, but took her
amusement in silence. and no one even
snsnected that she was being punished
at all-or so she thought.
CHAPTER II.
Godiva. now a contented young mat