Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-12-26

sacrinclng my happiness to my honor?
oh, Sgd, say that you viii forgive me,
and that when we are far away from
one another, you win not think OF ne
with hate and bitterness? 1t win b.
my sweetest consolation to know that
you and part friends"
''And when we part we part forever,
l supposey"
Eyes, dear-it seems to me that It
would be fur better thus"
Naturally. Also, 1t might save you
deal Of worry aud Inconvenience In
the future. You can make your mind
quite easy on that score, Miss Devcr-
eux. l shall not be likely to trouble
you after you leave Sandsfoot."
Madeline looked up In amazement.
The change In Sydney's voice acted
upon Ter nerves much as II he had
poured jug OF ice-water down her
back.
"You are cruel" she murmured. Il
come to you for sympathy In my Dis
tress. My heart Ia broken. / shall
never know happiness again. You arc
harsh and hard, Sydney, but the time
will come when once the wound
heals"
',rhe wound has healed now, you sill
ly little fool"
Miss Devereux positively gasped in
her establishment She saw to her
amazement that Parton's face was not
drawn with pain, his features We're not
white and set, and there was smile
of quiet amusement in his eyes. The
cigarette he was lighting never trem-
bled at ALL
''Sir," Madeline said with dignity.
"why do you insult me?"
Parton laughed pleasantly. There
was a satiriral smile on his face which
Madeline didn't remember to have
seen there before.
II called you silly little FOOL the
victim replied cOolly. "You are. Why
try and humbug me about your seilile
peer, whose name is Chatterleigh, az
/ could have told you? My dear child,
you haunted that poor man. fiattering
his vanity until he proposed to you,
and then you kept him dangling on
until he got impatient and wouldn't
wait any longer. or course, am con-
ceited enough to know that you pre-
fer me to him; but then l am not an
eligible, and you have inherited your
fathers business eye to the future. l
had to be dismissed, or perhaps you
would have found me a nuisance later
on. Now can you deny that every word
say is true!"
Madeline gasped again. The light.
ironical touch was more merciless than
any passionate reprOach could be. The
latter would have gratified her vanity;
You make an accusation" she said,
with sorry attempt ut pathos and
born misery. Insult me as you like.
but prove your words"
with pleasure. / am Chatterleigh's
nephew. Some day or other-unless
you are blessed with a family shall
have the title. 1t would he worth all
my disappointment, should that very
desirable event ever come off. to see
you i'm the role of the devoted mother"
II know who you are Madeline
cried. Il ought to have guessed it be-
fore. You must be Victor Vidal the
author. And yet you allowed me to
think that you were an intelligent rus
tic"
Parton laughed gently. He was en-
jOying the scene immensely. AS Tor
Madeline, her face turned deadly pale:
then the slammed crimson overspread ii.
She knew the most brilliant author Of
the day was Chatterleigh's nephew.
but she had no idea what his name
really was. And 10. when she fondly
dreamed that she was playing pleas
ant little comedy with the simple.
| hearted country gentleman, all the time
she had been laying bare the weak
frivOlity of her mind to the keenest,
most merciless critic of human fool.
ishness i'm the world of letters.
You have fooled me- she said bit
terly. II have been deceived"
"And what about me?' Parton
asked quietly. Il suited you down to
the ground. was not bad-looking, and
could play platonics in the moor
hSbt " PCiiVNtiOh. IOu tiOuSIit Il
was an apt pupil, and that my progress
was inspired by the love l felt for ypu.
Bah! i have had more practice at this
kind Of lunacy than you ever heard Of
But you did not know that. You
thought / had fallen under the glamour
Of your beauty, and that you could
thOw me on one side at the end of your
J holiday, careless whether my heart was
broken or not. But not even my vani.
| ty is hurt. 1t has scarcely been touch
ed. Great Heaven! could you think
that / should be fool enough to be de
ceived by pair Of shallow blue eyes
and IA pretty, exquisite little face, will
no more soul in 1t than that of a doll
But ] bear no malice. You have af
forded me six weeks wonderful amuse
ment."
The ready tears rose to Madeline's
eyes; the disenchantment was cruz,
He had never cared for her. He had
fooled her to the top of her bent, and
as Madeline recalled some of hel
own most foolish speeches she fol,
inclined to cry with vexation and
wounded pride.
Then you never loved me at all?'
she said in choked voice.
Not ], my dear child. You were
simply an amusing analytical stud,
of not very high type. Had you no
been so dreadfully vain, you would
have seen how / was humbuggi,i.
you. But my revenge will not be S,
very terrible. shall let you marry
my noble kinsman."