The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-11-27
with low little laugh sse turned

from him to gather up the long train
of her black dress, and her gray eyes
grew bitter.
"You are far too generous, she
said, coldly. "I learned today that
you are quite expected to ask me to
marry you, Colin, by our kindly nc
quaintances. You have not disap-
pointed them-you have asked me;
but 1 am not yet so poor in soul If 1
am in purse. will not marry you
for the sake of keeping the old home,
dear as IL is. Thanks, Colin, for your
generosity. am not tempted; Itake
no advantage of it.
His face was quite white as she spoke
those cold, hard words-she who had
ever seemed so sweetly gentle, SO softly
womanly to him.
"You put it in very singular way,
but suppose you mean that since you
have no love for me, you will not
marry me for any more material rea-
son." he said at last. 81 am glad of
that; would not buy wife. But
when you do accept the hand of some
other man, Honor, my beautiful
darling, pray heaven that he may love
you as truly as / do. The old place
is yours; / would not touch a leaf on
any tree there. Good bye, dear. For
get that have spoken to you In this
way-forget that I, loving you, have
been fool enough to fancy you cared
for mel"
He turned from her and was gone
from her before she could control her
voice.
And when she stretched out her
arms and cried: Colin, my love,
my darling, come back Do not go
from mel love you'll love you !"
he was too far away to hear or heed;
and only bird perched on branch
far above her head, saw the girl fling
herself down among the grasses of
Maytime and sob as if her heart would
| break.
It did not comfort her so very much
after all, to know that now no gossip
could say she had dumped at the
chance" of becoming Colin Delorme's
wife.
How very poor thing the pride
which she had vindicated by rejecting
him seemed to her, as she wept pas
sionately for the chance of happiness
flung away for words from the lips of
q pair of vulgar women who were no
more to her than any other disagree
able strangers
81 will tell him the truth tonight,
she whispered when she was calmer.
"He loves me; he will forgive me for
my folly"
But when she reached the house she
was told that Colin Delorme had gone
to the city on urgent business and
would return the following evening
by the Z o'clock train.
Such long night, such long day,
as those were to poor Honor in her
misery of remorsel But at last they
were over, and in a few moments the
whistle which announced the arrival
of the train nt the small station below
would shrek on the evening air.
From window of her room she
knew she could see the smoke from
the engine a mile away, and at one
point, where the track ran like a
thread across an open space, some
what elevated, she could catch sight
of the line of carriages ere the shrek
OF the whistle told that they were
about to stop.
The puffs of smoke showed here and
there among the tree tops as she
looked forth, then like long black
serpent, the train darted around the
curve and sped out on the bridge.
There was a swaying of the train, a
sudden crash, which reached her
DULY from the distance, and down
through the shattered brickwork hud-
died the engine and three of the car
riages attached to it-down but few
feet, it is true, but at the bottom was
death to many-perhaps for Colin
Delorme.
Honor did not cry out, did not faint
but sndden fierce strength seemed
be infused into her slight figure, as
she sprang toward the door and
darted through. Down the corridor,
down the stairs, out at the hall dool
she ran like creature flying for hei