The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1896-01-04

,for'your generosity. I am not tempted.
l take no advantage of it."
His face was quite white rs she spoke
those cold. hard words-she who had
ever seemed SO sweetly gentle, so softly
womanly to him.
"You put it In a very singular way,
but l suppose you mean that. since you
haye 20 love for me-. you willno marry
mo TOR any Inora material r~eaaon,r he
said at last. II am glad of that. I
would not buy q wife. But when yor
do accept the hand Of some man, Hon
or, my beautiful darling, pray heaven
! lie may love you as truly us 1 do. The
old place is yours. [ would not touch a
leaf On q tree there. Goodby, dear
Forget jl,at | have spoken to you i'll this
-way-fnrge5. that /. loving. you, have
been fool enough to fancy you cared for
me- t.d ~
He turned from her and was gone be-
fore she could control her voice.
I. And when she stretched out her arms
and cried: Colin. my love, my lar-'
ling, come back Do not so from me! I
love you-I love you!' he was too far
away to hear or heed, and only a bird,
perchot on q branch far abova her head,
saw the girl fling herself down among
the grasses OF the May time and sob as
II her heart would break.
IL did not comfort her sc very much,
after all. to know that now no gossip
could say she had Jumped at the
chance Of becoming Colin Delorms's
wife.
Hc,@" very poor q thing the pride,
which The had indicated by rejecting
him seemed Go her, as she wept passion
ataly for the chance Of happiness flung
away for words from the lips Of a pair
Of vulgar women, who were no more to
her than any other disagreaahle stran-
gers,
II Will tell him the truth tonight
she whispered when she was cainer.
lie loves me. He Will forgive me for
my folly
But when she reached the house she
was told that Colin Delorma had gone
10 the city on urgent business and would
return the following evening by the ?
o'clock train.
Such a long night, such a long day
as those were to poor Honor in her mis-
cry of remorse! But at last they were
over, and in a few moments the whistle
which announced the arrival of the
train at the small station below would
shrek out or the evening air.
From q window Of her room she
knew she could see the smoke from the
engine a mile away, and at Il point,
where the track ran like a thread across
an open space. somewhat elevated, she
cou Id catch sight Of the line Of carriages
ere the shrek of the whistle told that
they were about to stop.
The puffs Of smoke showed here and
there among the tree tops as she looked
forth then, like q long black serpent.
the train darted around the curve and
sped on the bridge.
There was a swayM1 Of the train, a
sudden crash, which Reached her duly
from the distance, and down through
the shattered brickwork huddled the en-
CINE and three Of the carriages attached
to it-down but a few feet, it is true.
but at the bottom was death to many
perhaps to Colin Delorme.
Honor did not cry out. did not faint,
but a sudden fierce strength seemed to
be infused into her slight young figure
as she sprang toward the door and dart
ed through. Down the corridor, down
the stairs, out at the hall door she ran
like a creature flying for her very life.
In the drive a horse and buggy were
standing, His host was to drive to the
station for Colin.
Hatless, cloakless, with bare arms
and shoulders cleaning from the black
ness of her dinner dress, she sprang into
the vehicle and caught up the reins.
The servant at the horses head made
way for her. with a frightened glance at
her white face and dilated eyes.
She turned the animal and dashed
down the drive, out at the gates and OF
at a gallop along the highway.
1t seemed an eternity to her before
she reached the wrecked train, and 9TH
ers were there before her.
Still white as death, still silent, she
drew rein, and, leaping out, darted into
the crowd. which Vas ~endeavoring to
extricate the crushed and mangled pas
sengers from the debris about them.
One was drawn forth as she reached
the group, and at last her lips Enclosed
to give forth a cry of anguish.