The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-02-28
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Suogo0. Sn0 paused Dy MS elQe, ana
looking steadily into his face said:
1T shall be a. you wish. Yes, have
been foolish. I am, a. you have said,
poor and Of no account in the world. I
am parentless as we'll as pennilesa It.
Il would be-absurd to think Of mar.
riage Let us forget the past-be as
though we had never met. Your words
have forever obliterated the past In my
mind. I could not, would not, be your
wife, though all the world urged me to
it. But your debts, your positionl How
are you going to extricate yourself from
the one and maintain the other?'
'How unsophisticated you are.
Edithr'
'But you do not surely intend to
make marriage your emanoipator?" she
asked.
He smiled at her earnest, plying,
semicredulous look and then replied:
"Well, perhaps such proposal seems
a-peculiar to you; but, my dear
girl, look at things sensibly. There's
Mary, for instance, my cousin. She's
a, heiress believe she-well, thinks
great deal about me. You must have
seen it, Edith. Now
'But, for PHYS sake, think Of what
you are going to dol Do not deceive and
betray Miss Mary. Pause before you at
tempt to win her love for such sordid
ends. Is IL not enough that You should
chill one heart without deliberately
breaking another? She is Of such dis
position that when she discovered, as
she undoubtedly would some day, that
you had more regard for her wealth
than for herself, it would kill her. en-
treat you, consider. For myself I care
not I can bear the revelation. But Ma.
ry-no, she shall not be thus deceived.
oh, considerv'
=
There was great deal Of considera.
tion in Frank Vaughan's nature. He
was full of it. But unfortunately it was
all for himself. He did consider Mary
truly, but not in the manner enjoined
by the feeling girl he had deceived He
considered his cousin heaven sent
blessing She was good match. With
plenty of money in her own right from
her deceased mother and as heiress to
her fathers great acoumulations she
was just the wife for him. True, she
was q trife slow, but then that would
not matter She could follow the bent
of her own inclinations, and with her
money he could do the same On the
whole, Edith had taken things very
calmly. All, she was sensiblel It would
have done no good to create fuss, as
he had told her. He had certainly ex.
k4l - Oh Aon L.
had thought she had given her heart to
him. But then women's hearts are very
flexible things. In fact, women them
selves are. OF course they don't feel
things like men do.
Things seemed to go very smoothly
and pleasantly with Mary. Frank found
her even more susceptible than he had
imagined. All, not much difficulty here!
How pleased she was with his atten-
tionsl How she fingered over the pleas
ant, artful phrases he whispered to her
day by day! How impressionable she
was! She would be ripe for proposal
in no time.
And Edith! Poor girl, as the weeks
went by she noted the effect this man
was producing in his cousin. If love
was not already full grown in Mary, it
was in embryo What should she do?
She could not. knowing as she did the
motive power at work behind the man,
stand idly by and allow another wom-
ans heart to be deceived. Mary and she
had always been great friends, though
she was but the governess. She must
save her. 1t was her duty. Nevertheless
when Edith came to speak to Mary on
such delicate matter she felt her task
difficult one, but she persisted in it.
Nor did she confine herself to vague
warning That might have been miscon-
strued. Edith boldly related all that had
passed between herself and Frank and
detailed that final, cruel conversation
word for word, and Mary listened with
pity. She put her arms around Edith's
neck and kissed her in gratitude and
sympathy.
Mary was not one to say much, but
she thought great deal She knew that
ere long her cousin Frank would again
be suitor at the court Of love; that
his petition would be presented to her,
in fact. And two days afterward the &C.
tion was set down for hearing They
were alone in the grounds, seated in al
most the same spot as Edith and he had
stood in when his chill words had fro.
zen her heart. Frank took Mary's hand
in his. She trembled slightly, but he,
bending over her, told her of his love
and asked her to become his wife. He
was surprised. startled, at her answer.
''Love" she exclaimed, with light
laugh. "What is love? A nonsensical
caprice. Born today, dead tomorrow.
''But not such love as mine, Mary"
said he. "Do you not love me?"
Glove you! Well, perhaps did once,
but-well, one can't live ON sentiment,
you know. 1t is foolish of you to love
me, and have been foolish to encour-
age it. Besides. you know, Frank, you
are only briefless barrister, penniless
and in debt, while am An heiress. and
society expects great things from me. I"