New-York tribune., 1896-05-31

| Yes" | returned Il shall prevent you. III we
should live ten thousand years | should never love
! you"
| spoke grew more confident My indigna-
| ton at the attempt he had made to hypnotic me
was so great that it stimulated me. l began to
! wonder now how could have been affected in
| the least.
He smiled and his smile was 50 eXasperating
| that 1 felt that could rot stay in the room
| with him.
| turned and put my hand on the latch Of the
| door.
oh you need not 60" sald ne quickly. Il will
be the one to 60
He walked to the table, where he had placed
his hat. With his hat in his hand he came
toward again. and now l that in that
| brief time his whole aspect had charged greatly.
The assertion in his manner was gone.
He stopped in front OF me.
Bear with me for moment longer" he said
with gentleness. you must not be angry be-
cause love you"
NO" answered I'm not angry with you for
that reason"
Thank you for so much" he returned. land
YOU must not let me go away without hope-even
the smallest grain OF hope will be content with
now-no. not content. but will endure with cour-
age whatever happens You'll give ne that
smallest hope. Miss Armstrong;"
1t is true that there was something very win
ming in his manner now; or this something would
have been winning had it not been for the ex-
perience of the few moments previous
no" ! said again.
Mr.. Maverick looked down at his hat; he passed
it round and round IN his hands and watched
him mechanically. absorbedly. The diamond on
his finger flashed a ray al me- All at once as in
a scene in a theatre there came before the
parlor Of the hotel in Chiffon where had first
this man when had gone to meet Miss
Runciman. What if had never gone to meet
Miss Runciman? Why are so foolish and
weak as to ask such questions of fate for fate
will not answer?
You are sure that YOU can never love me?"
He put this question without raising his
eyes
Il am sure. | answered.
"Ah, well, then nothing remains for me but
to say good morning.
He now raised his glance to my face. His eyes
were not good to see. and mine instantly fell
before them.
Before CO." he went on "let me say that You
need not attribute what have said about your
voice to anything but the coolest Judgment.
uninfuenced by my feeling for you. Your voice
is your talent If you do not make use of 1t
you commit sin against yourself and against
the world And now. good morning. Sorry to
have ntruded thus upon You, I'm sure All
good fortune attend you"
He passed through the door. out in the
shine; with his hat still in his hand. he turned
back and said smilingly:
Il beg. Miss Armstrong, that YOU will not put
too much faith in Vane Hildreth: capital fellow.
and fine tenor, still-but, good morning good
morning.
He walked down the narrow path that led to
the gate between the two rows of dark green
box At the gate he looked back once more,
swung off his hat TO me, ard then went briskly
along the road.
stood in the doorway watching him until
he was out Of sight. Then | hurried into the
house intent only on finding my mother. Again
| could not find her In any of the rooms. and
ran into the orchard. | knew mothers ways.
her Second advent ways" father used to call
them
The low drooprg g apple tree branches brushed
roughly against my head as | went.
Yes. there on the slope to the west under the
sweet russet tree. my mother on her knees.
] saw her arms clasped about the tree trunk. and
her head laid against the bark. Should never
get to her to comfort her?
| threw myself down by her side.
Mother, Mother cried, "he has gone
That man has gone
She lifted her head and looked al me.
Don't tell me that" she said. IF you are to
go. too.
Before could make any reply to this mother.
still on her knees. turned about and grasped
ne by the shoulders.
I've had vision she said, and her voice
was shrill. and unlike her voice. Since I've
been here I've seen myself. myself as | was at
your age. back to me--come walking up
from the meadow down there. How curious 1t
was. 1t like me. and Il was like you. too
Wilhelminy.'
Don't. mother don't" cried out.
Let go on. You needn't think I'm out OF
my head. Miny. You jest listen. n don't you
be frightened Yes, came up from the meadow,
and was just as was when ] married your
father only had your eyes. my little girl; ana
havin' your eyes. praps. made me able to under
stand bout things. n see them plainly
Yes, that girl walked up to me and che put
.,,1A lNtao
land she said. 'S'rissy, don't hold her back
don't hold her back
Then l burst out that must-I must hold
YOU back-I couldn't let YOU go. And then this
girl. that was me and YOU both looked AT me
with your eyes and she said She's gone. S'rissy-
she's gone Now YOU must lct-lct her.
"Oh. how strange 1t 10 your eyes in
my face. kept staring at her until almost went
blind. Mebby did 60 blind. for when could see
again she was gone. I've been tryn to think
how foolish am. can't have my girl do jest
as | think; couldn't do jest as my father n
mother thought. The young folks grow up diff
ferent. somehow; m us older ones mustn't think
they're wrong cause they're different. Jest
because | have such a feeling about that man.
don't make ii that he's wicked ~ dreams
amt anything. any way.
SO mother talked and | stood beside her. for
she had risen Perhaps had begun to have a
little different feeling about mother from what
/ used to have / could gee now that she was a
dreamer of dreams" that she full of super
stition: that she believed IN "sgns"; that her
wide. sensitive eyes saw things that | could
never see. None the less loved and reverenced
her; and knew that there was something in my
own nature that answered to hers. though the
practical mingled in me with the visionary
When mother became silent | began to reas-
sure her said that | shrank from Mr.. Mavcr-
ick and that did not believe in his integrity
/ remember how the robins flew about us as we
stood there. and one hung. and futtercd and
scolded without cessation. We were near his
nest in the branches above us.
Mother stood gazing at me. She was holding
my hands closely When | had finished speak
ing she said slowly
"But the other one? Miney, you love that other
one?"
| opened my lips 10 say. ~ am his wife, but
before spoke we heard shrill scream from the
direction Of the river path.
l recognized tho voice. and ] exclaimed in
dgnantly: