Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-01-30
eat least I should not marry you

81 would promise you anything you
asked of me-" he said, reluctantly.
And SO it was decided.
But Hopetoun did not sleep that
night because Of the new doubt that
had been instilled into his mind.
The question harassed him until
daylight stole into the room. Would
Miss Cnrstuirs refuse to release him or
not? The more he pondered, the more
he was convinced now that Bella would
decline to take things easily. "She
would even go to Canada rather than
lose you altogether" The words re-
Cured to him impressively. He had
presentiment that his mission was 60
ing to fail, and the ominous sensation
deepened when he rose.
Breakfast was tasteless to him. His
train left the Deercourt station at IL,
and he spent the interval endeavoring
to persuade Kate to reconsider her de-
termination.
She would not listen, or, at any rate,
she would not heed.
go to town." she repeated, land
sneak to her. If she consents, come
back to me. If you fail, do not! don't
want to see you then-it would be bad
for both of u.s.
They were hard instructions; he
seemed predestined to failure indeedl
He stepped into the train gloomily.
When he arrived he went into the buff
fet at Easton, and had a brandy and
soda with u double allowance of bran
dy. He felt better after that, but it
chugrined him to reflect that the i'm
proyement would have evclorated be-
fore his hanson reached the house.
He hailed one, and told the man TO
drive rapidly. He was dismayed be-
yond words to learn that the ladies had
not come back from the country yet.
They were expected tomorrow, the lit
tie servant said. She would say he
called.
Say will come again tomorrow"
he said.
He babe the man stop at the Swiss
Cottage station, and from there he dis
patched telegram to Deercourt.
After he sent it, he drove TO his
rooms, and tried to make himself COM
Portable there. 1t was not successful
attempt.
The rain was coming down still.
What on earth should he do with HIM
self? He might have stayed another
| day ut Deercourt as things had turned
out; he wished he had returned there
instead of wiring. BY iove, why should
he not do so now!
He caught the afternoon express,
aud walked in upon her where she was
dreaming beside window. The sun
was shining at Deercourt; here every
thing was bright.
She welcomed him with cry of as
constituent:
"You!"
81 couldn't stand it," he explained.
".After l had sent of your telegram 1
went go my place, and suffered an eter-
nifty of tediousness that lasted at least
two hours. You know those eternitiesl
Then this inspiration struck me and
here l ami"
He dropped into low chair, looking
at her.
"You did not expect ?" he sid
letters that came for you after you left.
Arnold l have missed you horribly.
have been imagining all sorts of things.
was so glad to get your message-it
was thoughtful OF you, dear! And
then l wondered what you would do
with yourself all day. l hoped you
would go to thenter in the evening, or
your club; didn't want you to be lone
ly, because"
"BccauseP"
because I was being lonely enough
for both of us"
She had never been more tender,
more delightful to him than in this
unanticipated prolongation of their
suspense. He had, as it were, fallen
from the clouds to her this afternoon,
and her resolution went down before
. her surprise. 1t might be their last day
how could she he charming enough!
"Will you give me soaic music to-
, night, Kate?"
} She sang to him as he pegged. and
Drillingham came in to listen. He al
ways liked to hear her singing; it re-
, minded him of one of the women whom
he had nearly married-an ideal that
J had never been destroyed. Hopetouu
loved to hear her too, for her voice said
much to him that she never yet trusted
herself to speak. When he reflected
that his possession of her hung upon
another woman's word, his impotence
to affect his own destiny frenzied him.
Inactivity Is the hardest thing for n
man to bear, and that was what Arnold
Hopetoun was condemned to. HI was
!. like spectator Of game of cards, who
is also the stake for which the game is
played. His deepest interests were in
volved, and yet he could only watch.
He landed at the Euston platform at
! something past five ON the following
afternoon, and drove, as on the previous
day, straight to the Hampstead house.
Mrs. Carstairs-they are imp
"No, sir, they are not coming to-day"
, "What?" he exclaimed, angrily. do
YOU mean to say their return is post
poned again"
! "Yes, sir. They have not come back"
Hopetoun stared at the little servants
vacuous face with resentment
"And when,' he inquired, twill they
be baclt?"
, 81 can tsay, sir. Would you leave any
, message?"
"No," he said; mo, never mind
will write"