Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1895-01-04

utterly down, md would have fallen
Into his arms II 1t had not been for the
ehildren playihg so near. AS it was.
/ Tile tears rolled along her checks, and
her owes emphasized the low whisper
/ hi which she begged forgiveness Tor
having wrongcd him, oven when things
! seemed SO pronounced against him.
when your father failed and died.
he said, for we tell his story in his own
words, though less qisiointed by far.
..my impulse was to ty at once But
as was not m accepted lover--as dtd
not know. indeed, whether | ever would
/ be--your manner now makes me fear
/ lave, and never had. but little hope
for--I had ID wait the c,tstolilaty con.
vent; onal period befose calling oil you:
Meant me, thought it my duty to tell
my father that loved you, and that l
intended to tell you so the first NON.
ent saw YOU, had expected some
oppositiou But / was surprised at the
extent of it. Ny father, alasl good as
liz was to me. worthy ;ts lie was in
most respects. had that excessive love
| of money which so many successful
| bankers acquire. He was DESTROYS that
| should marry an he'll ess. Rumor
had once linked my nam6 with that of
Nj SIS Marlton. but | had never serioiis-
| ly thought of her. In fact, after saw
YOU at tina, first Patriarchs' ball--oh.
shall | ever forget it'll knew there
was but one woman n the whole
world that coud ever love. Stay. do
not shake your head. Hear me out. /
| S,ya1 al LII nv ~ nd,
| to lily father. | was bound bv duty
in Sonic degree; at least. Well. my
| father, after Il stormy interview. pro-
posed q compromise: If went to you,
he said he would never forgive me. He
| did not believe in my affection; it was
only q youthful fancy, were his words;
rs for Won, he had understood. from
Your father. that an alliance for you
had been settled elsewhere. False,
you say? Thank YOU for the words.
They arc the first kind oncs--do you
| know?-- you have spoken to me. My
fatllcr. then, had Lcen ilisinformcd
But it staggered ME. ALI! you
say there was some ground for
it, ns Your father had really wished
such match. And YOU would have
nothing to do with itp Bless YOU
again. Oh, had I only known that!
Finally, NV father, as | have said,
promised that, if l would 60 abroad
for two years. giving my word OF
honor not TO see you or write TO you.
he would, at the end of that period.
consent TO my wish, if still said /
loved you. He urged that this was not
much for him to ask, as he had always
been good parent to me. which, God
knows" with emotion, he was. Thus
entreated. for he fairly begged now
with tears in his eyes, | consented.
Perhaps | did wrong. have often
thought did. No? You never would
have married me. you say, against my
fathers W shes? You would have torn
me from your heart first? Does that
mean. with cry of jov, 'that you
have given me place there that you
will marry me now? Oh! Grace, if you
will only have pity. if you will only re-
alize how much love you! / went
abroad. But my father relented, at
The end Of the first year and l was
coming home when | heard of his
death. Since that time have search
cd everywhere for YOU But you had
disappeared--lost TO your old world
completely; no clew to you was left.
Yet you say that, three days ago, you
met Miss Marlton. and that you are
sure she knew you? That she saw you
again. yesterday? Why, it was only
then that, for the twentieth time. that !
was telling her of my anxiety to find
you. II love with her? My manner
like it? All, if you would only believe
whom / do love" All this so earnest
ly that Grace felt she had mistaken his
manner, through her own sensitiveness,
no doubt; for, after all, could a gem
t'eman refuse an invitation from a
lady? And, when he accepted ought
he not TO accept slaciously? so you
really he went on, impetuously.
catching her eye now. forgive me all.
at lasta Oh, dearest!
The little romance, rs Mrs. Leigh
persisted in calling it, of Grace and
Mortimer, made u great sensation at
Seaverge and in New York. 1T was
quite bit out of u story book, rs
the dowager. Mrs. Goldenrod, said.
at is like fairy tale" SAID little May,
Eyes it's better than even Cinderella"
added the other sister; and she danced,
in rrepressi5le glee. up and down the
school room. 'And he's q bully fell
low-he gave me his pocket knife, "
chimed in Master Jack. proudly dis
playing one with something like 20
blades.
Almost the only one who thought or
spoke otherwise was NJ SIS Marlton. She
had tried II vain to conceal her cha
grin. but her efforts to cntrap Morli
mcr had been too publ c. and. to es-
cape he sarcastic coincidence of her
'.thousand and one' society friends.
she was forced TO go abroad. depart
ing in tine to avoid the wedding-day
OF Mortimer and Mrs. Leigh's COVER
ness.