The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-06-12
SMisceIlanenus.
PROVED HIS COURAGE.

| ROYED IilO OSOItHNII
"Then this is your final decision
Marion p said Hugh Curtis, pausing
suddenly in his rapid walk up and
down the room.
lit most certainly isl replied a
naughty girl, flashing Il disdainful
look at the white, agitated face before
her.
You do really wish Inc to go away
from you forever"
THAT is what | said. Is it not
enough ?"
Yes he answered bitterly, Il I'M
derstand." And yet he looked at her
longingly. his dark eyes pleading for
OBTAINING word.
gaze, her cheeks flushed deeply, and
her eyes grew bright with anger;
"Why don't you go?' she demanded
passionately.
Il am going, Marion, but before |
leave let me warn you against admit
ting that scoundrel, Thane LenoX, in
to Your heart and home,' exclaimed
Hugh, trying to steady his voice.
| Save yourself the trouble, sir
| Scoundrel or not, Thane LenoX is no
coward. He said all the haunting,
mean things he could think of right to
| your face, but even when he struck
| YOU, YOU refused to resent the insult"
| He was drunk, Marion, and could
not suffer my name to be mixed up il
| such a brawl." -
You are too cowardly to defend
yourself and afterward sent back the
| challenge he was brave enough to
make. Had | been insulted in public
as you were nothing but blood would
| have satisfied me-"
Il am not tired of living, Marion;
neither do | wish to go through lite
| with the brand of Cain upon my
| brow" answered Hugh.
Then you do not intend to recon
slider your decision? You will not
fight him?''
Most certainly, l will not, Marion
Not even if l demand it?'
Not even if you demand it, was
| the firm reply.
| Hugh Curtis, you are too cowardly
| to merit the regard of Il high spirited
| woman. The whole village is sneering
at you. Hugh Curtis, coward That
is what you have won by your lack OF
| bravery"
You do not understand everything,
| 1
| have always been true to you.h
stop that silly sentiment. Go, l
| say, before you drive HE mad"
| Without another word Hugh turned
away, and from the window she saw
| him going with rapid strides down the
| path that led to the public highway.
| Once she rose to her feet, determined
| to call him back, but he neither turn
| ed his head to the right nor left, and
she sat down again muttering: Let
| him go. He will be back soon. lean
| stand ii as long as he can"
| In spite of her determination to be
brave, the warm tears crept up to her
| ewes, dimming her vision and thus
shutting out the loved one from view.
The two had been lifelong friends,
| and though their lips had never eX-
| changed formal vows she had worn his
ring for many happy months, and all
| the neighbors understood that Hugh
| Curtis would make Marion his wife.
| At his mothers knee Hugh had
| imbibed his peculiar ideas of keeping
| the peace, and in his boyhood he
had often been numerically twitted
| for allowing his companions to impose
| upon him. This was not the first
time that he had been called a cow
ard, and as he walked along the dusty
road that bright May morning he be
| gan to wonder if, after all, his con-
| scientious scruples might not be mere
| Iy convenient cloak under which to
| hide his cowardly nature.
1t was the first time Marion had &C
| cused him of being a coward, and she
would not have done it now mad she
not loved him too well to hear his
| name banded about by the man who
| had provoked the trouble. Thane
| LenoX's faultless attire and fine city
| airs were calculated to dazzle the little
| country maid, and it's no doubt quite
! true that she felt tlattered by the at
| tention he lavished unon her. Still
her heart was loyal to Hugh, although
she could not help wishing that his
| manners were more polished and that
he had enough grit to stand up for his
| rights when trampled upon by the
city dandy That night she robed
herself in the dress he most admired
| and with repentant words on her lips
| waited for his coming, but her waiting
| was in vain.
Il will write him note in the morn
ing,n she said to herself as she lay
| tossing to and fro upon her sleepless
| couch, but when the morning came
she heard he had joined Colonel Arm
| strongs volunteers and was already
many miles away.
The blow fell with crushing weight
upon her aching heart, but she was
proud, and to hide her disappoint-
ment accepted the attentions of young
Lenox, the man above all others she
most despised.
Hugh did not write as she had hoped
| he would, and in the letters that came
back to other associates he never SO
much as mentioned her name
He had left his old mother in the
care of his brother Ben, and Ben's
| wife, who was something of a gossip,
| kept him well posted concerning Mar
| ion JEWELS Irritation. Hugh endured
| the torture in silence until the thought
| less woman repeated the report of Il
| wedding close at hand, and then he
| begged her never again to mention the
name of Marion Jewell, II name that
had once been so dear to him.
Marion's eyes lost their sparkle and
| her face grew thin and white with
| her weary waiting, but she never COM
planned, and except that she was
| little more thoughtful than in the
old days no outward change was Yisi-
| BILE in her conduct.
| When Inane LenOX went Dack TO
the city, people said he had grown
tired of the rustic beauty and had
cast her off just as she had done poor
Hugh, and they did not pity her
either. But they were wrong, for his
| going was a great relief to her, and
| had they known her loyalty to their
favorite they would have been more
considerable in their censure.
The report that came back from
time to time of Hugh's conduct on the
battlefield proved that he was any
thing but coward, and others besides
Marion had cause to regret the hasty
words they had spoken in the days
| gone by.
The months dragged slowly along
[ until two whole years were gone, and