Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-08-20
'Before Were Married.;
By HENRY c. PARKER.
By HENRY c. PARKER.


You called II, TO CLOAK or foster my
own desires"
Louise apparently had nothing To
say when he paused, so he continued;
Even if she were not coming to stay
with you, l should probably not be
long in speaking, for other reasons
that do not need to tell you. | must
know how | stand, Louise pardon me
the name slipped out unawares.
Il don't see why friends shouldn't
speak to one another by their first
names she murmured, little incon
seQuentially.
Il shouldn't want to use your given
name he responded "uuloss had the
best right in the world, right that IS
greater than friendship can bestow. |
presume | may be telling YOU nothing
new. Perhaps you felt all along that
| loved YOU
Il didn't know it, wasn't certain -
hut YOU guessed It" Tell me,
Louise"
She looked UP at him with wide open.
ingenious eyes.
What shall | tell YOU she asked.
Whether YOU love me-
She patted her foot on the floor and
looked wist fully at the mountains far
beyond the Miniski. The doctor felt
as if he could not catch his breath. so
great was his anxiety.
What are the other reasons that
you say YOU do not need to tell me-
she asked
The question was poser for pr
Williams. He felt that he Was man
fully prepared for a direct rejection,
and it passed his comprehension that
there could be any doubt on such sub
ject in Il girls mind If there were no
doubt, why shouldn't she say one thing
or the other at once? Tie had no doubt
as to his own feelings; how could she
possibly have any doubt as to herself.
Especially when, as she partially ad-
mitted, the fact that he was in love had
been perceived by her?
These vain questions, natural enough
to young man who was outspoken 10
a fault, fitted confusingly through his
mind while he tried to frame an an
swer.
Il supposed you would understand at
once" he replied at last, land would
spare me the necessity of stating them.
a man cannot help wanting to know
where he stands, Miss Drummond,
when he sees the possibility that an
other may take the place he would like
to occupy
Louise smiled slightly.
You mean Mr. Philbrick?' she
asked.
who else could | mean"
Her cheeks softly suffused with red
as she looked at her folded hands and
thought She was reviewing the events
of the morning subsequent to the en-
trance of Mr.. Phlbrick to Fairyiew via
the Miniski. So the doctor felt thai
she had made an impression on the
agreeable stranger. She had not
thought that she could be mistaken
He was undoubtedly well yersed in
making his way with women; quite
likely he was an iGcorrigible tlrt. such
men usually are, but he was bright and
interesting, and 1t had really seemed
as if he found her So too, What if il
should really be the ease that Mr. Phil
brick had been seriously smitten? Such
thing would not be impossible She
wondered who he was.
And so, while the doctor waited pa
tiently but with growing anxiety for
his answer, Louise was thinking in
tently of the other man. Ali at once
she looked up with something like
ROBUSTNESS in her eyes and said
You haven't told me about your face
yet"
IN tell you, Miss Drummond, re
sponded the doctor, taking a sudden
resolution to confess even %thing at once
and stand or fall on the truth; i quar-
relied with Philbrick 1917
About me, DR.. Williams" She inter
rupted, in accents of dignifcd reproach
No, not about you directly; and yet
you were concerned in it, If it hadn't
been for YOU ! should probably not
have taken offense at hia sneers ! say
it in explanation, not justification, OF
my conduct.
1t was very wrong in you to permit
a quarrel TO occur about me even in
directly. You had no right to
Louise pontod and looked indeed Of
Tended, but the doctor, who blusheI and
stared uneasily at the moor, did no,
see the sparkle in her eyes that she
could not repress, She was thinking
again Of Mr. Philbrick and Of the doc
tor, too; but she was trying 10 remem-
Der how they compared in size. and she
wondered how the other had Jared in
the quarrel
q know it, responded the doctor
huskily, and that isn't the worst Of it
l struck first
At the moment Louise was not struck
with the downright honesty Of this
made as ii was without
any attempt at paliation nor a word
about provoca ion; before her somewhat
startled mind there flashed a vision Of
two stalwart men battling fercely
against one another, and while she felt
a glow of exultaticn al the thought that