The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-05


ed against the frail hand-rail and
( Sazed into the depths, Severance stand
/ ing by her side
/ Severance was the first to speak. and
when he spoke it was not on the sub
| ject of the cataract
| Miss Durand," he said, 81 love you.
ask you to be my wife"
/ "Oh Mr.. Severance replied Bessie
! without lifting her eyes from the foam
! ing chasm, L hope that nothing in my
| actions has led you to"
Am 1 to understand that you are
| about to refuse me?" cried Archie in a
menacinS voice that sounded above the
roar of the falling waters. Bessie look
/ ed quickly up at him and seeing a
! dark frown on his brow, drew slightly
away from him.
Certainly am going to refuse you.
L have known you scarcely more than
/ a week.
That has nothing to do with it. I
| tell you, girl. that I love you. Don't
| you understand what 1 say?"
/ L under stand what you say well
| enough but l don't love you. Is not
that answer sufficient"
1t would be sufficient if it were true.
1t is not true. You do love me. 1 have
seen that for days, for although you
may have striven to conceal your af-
y evident
| to everyone, and more especially to the
man who loved you. Why then deny
what has been patent to all onlookers?
/ Have / not seen your face brighten
when 1 approached you? Have 1 not
seen a welcoming smile on your lips
that could have had but one meaning?' %
! Mr.. Severance" cried Bessie In un-
| feigned alarm, have you gone sud
denly mad? How dare you speak to
me in this fashion,
Girl, shouted Archie, grasping her
by the wrist, us it possible that I am
wrong in supDosing you care for me.
and that the only other inference to
! be drawn from your actions is the
true one?"
What other inference?" asked Bes-
sic in trembling voice, trying unsuc-
cessfully to withdraw her wrist from
his iron grasp.
That you have been trifing with
I me" Kissed Severance, THAT you have
led me on and on, meaning nothing
That you have been pretending to care
for me when in reality you merely
wanted to add one more to the many
! proposals you have received. That is
the alternative. Now which is the fact ?
Are you in love with me, OF have you
been fooling rIe2'
1 told you 1 was not in love with
! you, but / did think you were a gentle
man. Now that 1 see you are a ruff
nan, hate YOU. Let go my wrist; you
are hurting me"
Very good; very good. Now we have
the truth at last and 1 will teach you
the danger of making a plaything of a
human heart. -
Severance let go her wrist and seized
her around the waist Bessie screamed
and called for help while the man who
| held her helpless prisoner laughed
sardonically. With his free hand he
thrust aside the frail pine pole that
formed hand-rail to guard the edge
of the cliff. 1t fell into the torrent and
| disappeared down the cataract
What are you going to do?" cried
the girl her eyes wide with terror.
Il intend to leap with you into this
abyss; then we shall be united for
| ever"
"oh Archie. Archie. I love you sob
bed Bessie, throwing her arms around
the neck Of the astonished young man,
who was so amazed at the sudden turn
events had taken, that in stepping
back he nearly accomplished the ais
aster he had a moment before threat
ened.
"Then why-why," he stammered.
did you-why did you deny it?"
''Oh, 1 don't know 1 suppose be-
cause I am contrary or because, as
| you said it was so self-evident Still [
don't believe l would ever have ac-
cepted you if you hand't forced me to-.
I have become so wearied with the con
venttonal form of proposal"
Yes. suppose it does get rather
tiresome," said Archie hopping his
brow. Il see a bench a little further
| down; suppose We sit there and talk
the matter over"
He gave her his hand and she trip
ped dainty down to the bench where
they sat down together
! You didn't really believe was such
a ruftian as 1 pretended to be-" said
Archie at last.
why, yes. Amt you?" she asked
simply, glancing sideways at him with
/ her most winning smile.
You surely didn't actually think 1
was going to throw you over the
cliff"
ooh I have often heard or read Of IT
being done. Were you only pretend
ing?"
That's all It was really a little
matter of revenge. 1 thought you
ought to be punished for the way you
had used those other fellows And
Sanderson was such a good hand at
| billiards. 1 could just beat him"
You-you said-you cared for me-
was that pretense too?" asked Bessie
with catch in her voice
NO. That was all true, Bessie. and
there is where my scheme of vengeance
goes lame. You see, my dear girl 1
never thought you would look at me:
some of the other fellows are ever so
much better than I am and of course
l dld not Imagine | had any chance. I
nope you viii forgive me and that YOU
won't insist on having a real revenge
by Withdrawing what you have said :"
shall have revenge enough on YOU.
Archie, you poor deIuded young man
all your life. But never say ANYTHING
more about the other fellows as Won
call them: There never was INV other
fellow but you. Perhaps 1 will show
you little book some day that will ex-
plaln everything, although 1 am not
so sure, II you saw 1t, you might think
worse OF me than ever [ think per-
haps it is my duty to show it to Won
before 1t is too late to draw back. Shall
II" ''44''ii
II absolutely refuse to look at it:
| now or any other time" said Archie
| maSnanimously, drawing her towards
him and kissing her
ana Bessie with a sigh of relief,
wondered why it was that men have
SO much less curiosity than women
She was sure that if he had limited at
! any such secret, she would never have
rested until she knew what it was.
ONE OF DEAN HOLES BOREs.
In his lecture on 'Bores" Dean Hole
declared mat tne industrious agricul-
IuI+st is as often the victim Of bores as
| anyone else, but that he has at last
the resource, which is seldom resorte5
to IN polite society. of plainly telling
the bore what he thinks Of him. The
dean relates that a busy farmer was
visited one day by an Idle ana O1aggart