The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-10

looking man Of about three or four and
twenty. He was devoted 10 Laura. who
received his attentions with manifest un-
easiness Her manner to him made me
doubt whether the engagement was a
fact. After dinner / followed her into the
f conservatory. and asked her 10 tell me
the truth. ] shall never forget the startled
and yet angry expression OF her eyes.
mo. ] am not engaged 10 VIII Staple
I ton she replied. My father wishes the
{ marriage. but IL don't care for him.
And Won do for me2' / said quickly.
I forgot myself; her extreme beauty turn
I ed my head
i do FOR you" she repeated. stretching
I out a tlmid hand
The next moment She was clasped IN my
. arms. and / was kissing her frantically.
/ You shall never marry any one but
me" I said.
/ was interrupted in my passionate
words by the indignant voice Of her ia
. ther He had entered the conservatory
T unohserved, had heard my words and
[ seen my actions. OF course ] was turned
/ from the house. and Laura was forbidden
I ever to speak 10 me again. / could not
/ forget the look Of despair she gave me
/ when / left her She evidently thought
/ her fathers decree ineXorable. but she lit
] tie knew my character I was determ-
/ ined that no living power should stand
! between ms and that l would win her at
I any cost.
! contrived 70 see her secretly The
/ place at Chaplain boasted of a large.
4 walled-in garden. once induced Laura
/ 10 climb a ladder and scale the garden
| wall She sat on top of the wall and /
stood underneath. We talked eager words
/ Of love. although we could not touch each
other. Laura told me that her father
I daily urged VIII Stapleton's suit and
day by day she refused TO have anything
to do with him. She said further that
VIII himself urged his own suit with a
persistence which alarmed her.
But I viii never marry him." she said,
shaking her pretty head. 1.-The trouble
Of it all wears me out. but / will never
yield, never. l love you, and / will marry
no one but YOU"
l begged Of her to consent to a secret
marriage, but she was not ready for this
proposal then. and shrank from II in
timldity and terror
NO" she said, Il can't do that Have
patience. Jasper. My father must yield
to our wishes in time. In any case he
cannot force me to marry VIII against
my own determination"
We exchanged few more expressions
OF undying attachment. Then she de-
scended her ladder and DISAPPEARED.
My passion was at a white heat.
could think OF nothing but Laura. She
comprised the whole world to me. ]
spent much of my time writing letters to
her, which / bribed one of the servants
to deliver.
one day / was startled at receiving a
visit from my detested rival, VIII Sta
pleton.
1 could scarcely smother the hatred
which filled me as he entered the room.
His superior height and breadth, the
beauty of his face, the laughing hooking
sort of light in his eyes-all combined
10 madden mi I Enau we'll that Stanlp-
ton had the advantage of me in personal
appearance. 1t was amazing to think
that Laura preferred me to him.
] motioned him to a chair. He sat
down in his easy way, crossed one leg
over the other and looked at me intently.
/ felt sure that he was saying to himself
that / was but weakling, that the odds
were undoubtedly in his favor, and that
he had but to bide his time to win. When
he favored me with that cool, critical, neg
ligent gaze, l had to press in my hand
against a letter of Laura's which lay in
my breast pocket, in order to control my
emotions.
each other, l presume" said Stapleton.
You have no cause to love me and have
none to love you"
What is the object of your visit?"
asked in a choking voice.
"Well," he answered, that will proba-
bly, surprise you. l have made up my
mind to resign Laura White in your IA
vor."
l could not help gasping. The whole
room seemed to whirl round with me for
a giddy moment. ] felt that If did not
/ hold myself in stern control should say
| or do something idiotic.
YES" pursued Stapleton, 81 am willing
| to own that l am beaten. I have asked
/ Laura at least thirty times to be my wife.
/ She has refused me as often. She has
been perfectly frank in her refusal. She
| has always said the same words to me,
| i love Jasper Lawson. ! will only marry
| Jasper Lawson l can tell you. Lawson,
that have wished YOU at the devil often
| enough, but no amount of wishes for good
or bad will alter the facts Laura does
not love me, and shee does love you. She
is very unhappy, and her health is falling.
How soon are you prepared to marry her?''
Now I said, springing to my feet.
| Nonsense. Don't talk so wildly. You
can't marry her now, but you can in a
| few days-that is, If you will take my ad-
! vice. Laura is minor, and no amount
| of persuasion will induce old White Ia
consent to your marriage There are
/ important reasons in connections with
his business which make me the only
| desirable son-in-law for him. 1 love
Laura quite as well as you do, but / won't
! lead an unwilling bride TO the altar
White won't give her to you as long as
remain above ground. but II you run
away with her and marry her quietly
White will, of course, be forced to ac-
! quiesce in the inevitable. Laura is en-
titled to a large fortune on her mother
side. so you won't have a penniless bride
by any means. Now are you prepared
to marry her secretly?"
Am l prepared" I exclaimed, 'I'd
go through fire and water for her-Td
take her anyhow, in any style, az any
risk. You are a right good fellow. Sta
pleton-in fact your goodness unm ans
me altogether. and l hated you'll don't
mind confessing it now.
Your hatred was quite natural" reptile
Stapleton. He was doing the most gen.
erous deed in the world but he could not
conquer his sneering manner I'VE won't
talk about feelings" he said. Let us
come to actions. This morning l took
Laura into my confidence. I told her that
I would give her up and would prom ote
her marriage with you. The dear little
thing cried and blessed me, and, and
hope you won't mind, Lawson, she kissed
me two or three times in her gratitude
! 1 turned my head aside. There was such
a demon of mad jealousy within me thai
1 began to hate Stapleton again Just be-
cause Laura had kissed him.