Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-01-17
NON.sUITED.


be more to each other than we are
now. We are both penniless. and, in
! addition, am up to the collar-bone
in debt
timidly ~
"Love! Bah! !hat IS love? A
nonsensical a1Mce. Born to-day,
dead tomorrow. Perhaps did love
you once; but-wcll, one can't live on
sentiment. One day our feelings lead
us astray; next. stern circumstances
compels us to be more philosophical.
We have both been wrong; YOU for
loving me, and I for being foolish
enough to encourage it. But. Edith,
our ciandestine courtship must cease
/ from tonight. You are but the gov
erress, you know, whilst I--well, So
ciety expects great things from ME.
You must see how absurd 4 thought
of marriage is for u.s."
81 bsl rd!' she murJnured, scarcely
realizing that such leyity and cruelty
wers possible from the man whom
she had contided her trust some
months before.
/ eyes, utterly absurd. Now, be sensi-
BILE. Look at the matter in Il reason
able light. don't want to hurt your
feelings, you know, but you are aware
that your position in my uncles house
~; n hn nf
marriage between us. Of course, you
will always have friend in me. l
shall always be glad to advise, and
"Frark" she interrupted.
! "Don't be hysterical, Edith. There's
really no need for any fuss, you know.
You are poor; so am 1. But have a
position to maintain. You haven't.
Come, let us put an end to our fool
ishness. There's George Markham.
the curate, you know. He's head over
ears in love with you and-and you
wouldn't have any difficulty with him.
7 He'd make a good husband, and-and
all that sort of thing"
The poor, deluded girl hung her
head in silence. Her breast heaved
tumultuously as she endeavored to
suppress her emotion. She trembled
in every limb, and for brief moment
the tears stood in her fair blue eyes.
But Edith Malvern, the poor, friend
less little governess, had more phil
oscphy in her nature than the heart
less an walking by her side in his
uncle's grounds gave her credit for.
! This was a staggering blow to her
To have her hopes dashed to the
ground and her heart stabbed with
one sudden, unexpected lunge, was
torture in the extreme. But there was
that within her which enabled her to
hold her feelings in check. Such
words were concentrated cruelty and
bitterness. But they had unlocked
and opered a capacity within her
heart which she had previously been
unaware existed there. 1t was the
power to feel and to be thankful fol
what she had escaped from. A man
whose opinions of love and Of mar
riage-the most sacred passion and
bond in the univcrse-were so ALSO
lutely debased, must be worthless. Te
have been compelled to call such q
man Husband would have been tt
one of her nature more fearful than
this sudden shattering of her hopes
Had she discovered his hateful, true
inwardness after she had been ire
vocably yoked to him, her life would
have been one prolonged misery.
Calmly she withdrew her hand from
his arm. Her grief seemed suddenly
assuaged. She paused by his side
and, looking steadily into his face
said:
'It shall be as you wish. Yes, have
been foolish. 1 am, as you have said
poor, and Of no account in the world
I am parentless as well as penniless
tit would be-absurd to think Of
. marriage. Let us forget the past
be as though we had never met. YOU
words have forever obliterated the
past in my mind. could not, would
not, h. ! our wife. though all the worlG
I urged me to it. But your debts, YOU
position! How are you going to extri
cate yourself from the one and main
tain the other?"
"How unsophisticated you are
Edith
"But you do not surely intend tt
make marriage your enancipator:'
she asked.
He smiled at her earnest, plying
semi-credulous look, and then replied
"Well, perhaps such a propose
seems-a-peculiar to you; but, m.
dear girl, look at things sensibly
There's Mary, for instance, my cousin
She's an heiress. believe shc--well
thinks a great deal about me. Yo1
must have seen it, Edith Now"
'But, for PHYS sake, think Of wha
you are going to do. Do not deceive
and betray Miss Mary. Pause before
you attempt to win her love for suc]
sordid ends. Is it not enough tina
you should chill one heart. without de
liberately breaking another? She il
of such disposition that when sh'
discovered-as she undoubtedly woult
some day-that you had more regart
for her wealth than for herself, i
would kill her. 1 entreat you, consid
err. For myself, care not; can bea
the revelation. But Mary-no, sh
shall not be thus deceived. Oh, con
sider!'
There was great deal of considera
ton in Frank Vaughn's nature. H
was full Of it. But, unfortunately, i
was all for himself. He did conside