The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1896-11-05
CONSTANCE BARTON"

days after writing this letter, Il can
not do it,
But. my dearest, you must! You
know it is only Il week to The day YOU
start, and your passage is taken, and
all; and your trousseau has gone. and
it is really quite easy; and Colonel and
Mrs. Gore vii! look after You. and
What is the good of talking, moth
er? You know l would travel any
where: it is the thought of meeting
him at the endr'
"Yes, dear" sighed Mrs. BlrtOn. 81
quite understand; but you won't mind
in little while. 1t will soon wear
off"
But it will mott How often must !
tell you that thiSis no sudden freak:
i have thought about it for weeks and
weeks"
Why did you not tell me. theny
said the mother, reproachfully.
Because l could not be certain whai
1 could endure. Yes"-answering a
startled look in her hearers face-"en.
dure. l meant to marry him without
loving him; it seemed quite easy, bu,
last night | found
MY dear Constance, go on! What
could have influenced you last night ~
I'VE were coming home from choir
practice. and the sun was setting just
as we got to the top of the hill-and |
stopped at the gate into the first field
and watched the sun go down behind
the fir trees and the mists come over
the fields-and-I found | could not
leave it."
"What! Leave wlNatT'
'.rhat gate. mother! No. you cannot
understand it; you never wouid-sO
just try and forgive me, if you can"
Constance. surely you cannot be
thinking-After all these years-
NO. mother: | never think, as YOU
say, after ali these years. Tue present
is quite enough to think about. and-do
you understand? l will no. go out to
India. | will not marry Major Mer-
ton, and so-will you tell my father, or
shall I:'
81 will,''
Mrs. Barton went down the stairs
with heavy heart, and on reaching
her husbands study sank into the first
chair and sighed.
Constance refuses to marry Major
Mertonr'
The rector gasped. but before he
could say a word an indignant girlish
voice broke in from the other end of
the room.
1t is shame. How dare she?'
Are you there. Maud?" slid Mrs.
Barton. Never mind; should have
had to tell you. l think it is a great
pity"
"A pity! (scornfully). It is disgrace
full. And how-how will he bear it? To
have Iris love treated like that She
took it as though it were her right,
and now she filings it away without
thinking of his eart-breaking-"
and something very like sob sounded
through the lSom.
Don't be silly, Maud" said her
mother, in the tone which hetrays how
familiar is the sentence and Maud had
heard it all her life in response to her
most enthusiastic ideas. as well as to
her daily chatter, so its effect was
small.
Her father and mother began 10 con-
slider the position. Major Merton ex-
pecting a bride; their friends. Colonel
and Mrs. Gore, waiting to escort Con-
stance to Bombay and be present at
the wedding; and. most important to
the female mind, the trousseau, which
was already on its way to Brindisi.
What was to be done?
Wire to Major Merton" suggested
the rector. mo. Constance or Con
stance refuses.
NO" said Mrs. Barton, decidedly,
''tlse Cores must take our letters, and
when he sees them alone on the steam
TT ldil lle lOTce VI lle dow Will be
broken; he will see something is
wrong and that will be much better
than a telegram
Yes said Maud, because he will
not lave to wait fortnight for the
explanation
''Of course said Mrs. Barton, pitt
fully, though that had not struck me-
And. by-the-bye, Maud, this will put
an end to your Indian trip" and her
mother looked bewildered.
Why said Maud. quickly. and the
sharp tones of her voice reduced the
confused objections surging IN her pa
rents minds into feeble II. would not
do But through the long argument
that followed. they found her imperious
"Wly nOt!" so difficult to answer, that
she left them in the end saying wonder
ingly to each other, And why n0t?'
The Ganges was steaming iuto Bom-
bay harbor early one December morn
ing. The passengers. most of them re-
turning from leave. stood on deck