The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-02-07

~ lS e"ta1A aho
Lady Marcia FoljambeY" and he
laughed.
She looked round at him and
laughed too.
"would you like itT" he asked.
cit will v be, or I suppose l
not laugh" she replied sem
tentiously.
"Never bel Why not7n
"Because papa is not such a fool as
to marry anyone"
"Do you look upon marriage as
foil, ?" and he looked SO astonished
that Elvira was immensely amused.
"Of course ! do, especially when
there is nothing 10 be gained by it
and a good deal to be lost"
"What would Mr.. Delane lose II
ho married Lady Marcia2 she is very
charming"
"The most precious Of all gifts
his liberty
"Oh, Miss Delane, I am SO sorry to
hear you talk Ike that"
"Why? What difference can my
sentiments on this matter possibly
make to your"
And the question was put so
sharply that Sir Miles became AZ
once very shy and uncomfoxtnb IN
shawaa not backward aks usssing
his thoughts, At any pficefs nlos
prevent him from prop ding, but
before she had time to divert the
conversation into a channel less dan
gerous than that of marriage in the
abstract he said very seriously:
81 regard marriage as such a ga
cred rite, a condition 30 fraught with
holiness and love that | cannot bear
to hear you term it a mere loss Of
liberty. Is it not rather dual liberty
freedom of thought-absoluJe un-
restraint which that other being TO
whom you dare unfold your soul
alone can comprehend"
1t was E.vira's turn to look aston
ished. She had never contemplated
marriage from such a standpoint
before nor heard any of her fippant
acquaintances describe it thus.
"Wbat ecstatic idealism! Why,
Sir Miles, I did not know You were a
poet and a dreamer.n
But Notwithstanding the finland
air with which she sought to turn 1t
aside, there was no doubt that Elvira
was touched-touched by what was
very apparent-the truth and earn
estness of this man, whom not even
his worst enemy would have desig-
mated a prig.
"If could only bring you to see
the matter in the same light he re-
piled, ''ecstatic idealism, that is ex
actly what happy married life should
represent"
"Weil, when next you 60 to q
country fair you shall buy me a pain
of rose-tinted glasses" she said,
''and then perhaps the marriage
knot will be of pink ribbon, For al
the glasses l possess are smoky, and
my friends marriages seem mex
akin to failures"
Sir Miles ioqAed ga ., @a,
strange SO serious a man should love
so frivolous a woman, but bumaI
nature is prone to such anomalies.
Elvira laughed gaily as she looked
at his grave face, then it struck hel
that she must be more conciliating i
she would retain this man as an ally
and though she did not acknowledge
it yet she felt that it would make hel
Nciy sdu " ioSo IIc iIlcIuouip VI pil
Miles Berkeley, who was so immeas'
urably superior to any of the mer
who had as yet idled about her path
so with a spontaneity that was lst {
little dangerous she held out hel
hand to him.
"Forgive me. l did not mean tt
vex you. l was only teasing"
The sunshine came back to his face
even as she spoke the words.
All! what power this woman hat
to change Miles Be'keloy's mood
He was beginning to ind it out, anc
a little bit TO glory in it; but for tbs
moment she was awed and a littlt
frig tened, for he pressed her bano
warmly and imprinted a kiss on it.
"If l might only dare," he wills
pered.
But again her mood had changed
ANU ohC bhdttutu HtI uhhu away III
terrupting.
do not dare anything TO -day, i
is much too hot" she said, ~springint
up.
The sunshine on his face was one
more clouded. If she would only lie
him love her how fondly and Wild,
could he. The riddle OF women
hearts was not within Sir Miles
guessing, else perchance he nigh
have known that they often prefer
those who apparently care the leas
about them. Elvira cared more fol
Pierce Vaughan's little finger thar
she did for all the deep fund Of good
ness and affection there was within
the nobler mans expansive nature
Let us go out, I am choking Ii
this oppressive room. Lady Marcii
has been boring me with platitudel