The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-11

III Is fOf you 10 say Wnat IL WAS lou
do not wish me to believe you have only
been playing with me-that you aren't
| really fond of me, kate?"
She lifted her eyes and answered him.
Dearest" he exclaimed, tell me
something else! Were you fond of me
| the day you went to herr
Yes" said Kate, Il loyed you with
| all my heart
He clasped her 70 him. "You poor
little SOUL" he cried: and did you i'm
| agine that / was going to be horribly
angry with you? Why. you are crying !!
And for nothing. Kit. nothing."
You aren't angry with me? l am for
given?"
"Forgiven" laughed Hopetouu.
What is there to forgive""
Il have felt so guilty" she faltered.
II have been afraid you would think me
so mean! She would. dear-any woman
would-but if you don't yourself"
! His kisses silenced her. and he told
her that tomorrow his engagement to
Miss Carstairs, and all pertaining to
Miss Carstairs, would be a thing OF the
past, Il folly to be buried in oblivion.
Tomorrow he said. u shall make
Il clean breast of it. and we need.never
speak OF her any more. AS things are.
1 don't see why we should be remorse-
ful bit"
Kate DriilinshaE hesitated a long
time.
Arnold" she said at last. that was
my idea too: this afternoon | also
thought that. ] thought tha. # you
could answer me- as you have, | should
! be satisfied 10 allow you to sc TO her
and break off your engagement. But
] can't! I have been considering. and
considering. / have made you love me-
Whether ! cared for you the day saw
her, or whether l didn't the fact re-
mains that you Were not in love with
me then. Don't you see, dear; don't
you see?"
II see ! love you now. at any rate"
said liopetoun, dogSedly. That is
quite enough for me-"
mo. it is not enough, not enough for
you TO break it off if she is unwilling.
| am not Il heroine, no Donna QuiXote,
but | see quite clearly that our duty
is for you to ask her 20 release yuu.
and no more. If she won't, YOU must
marry her"
"Oh, I am contended." cried Hope
toun. What woman would insist on
holding II man against his will? An
adventures. perhaps, but not"
81 am not so sure returned mis- cous-
in. slowly. "I'rankly--I may say IT
now--I do not like Miss Carstairs. and
have not a very high opinion of her
Her chances of marriages are few. and
you may be certain she realizes it. In
deed, | think ii quite possible that
rather than lose you altogether, she
would even be pleased to go with YOU
to Carada. If she does hold you to
your word. Arnold, you must keep It.
81 can't" he declared
at least 7 should not marry You
then" said Miss prilingham, Come,
promise me YOU will do as l beg
II would promise you anything you
asked of me-" he said. reluctantly.
And SO it was decided.
But Hopctoun did not sleep that night
| because of the new doubt that had been
| instiled into his mind.
| The question harassed him until day
| light stole into the room. Would Miss
| CarStars refuse, to release him or not?
| The more ne pondered. the more he was
| convinced now thai Bella would de-
cline to take things easily ''She would
| even so to Canada rather than lose you
! altogethern' The words REQUIRED to
! him imprcssively. He had n presenti-
| meHt that his mission was going to
| fail. and the Ominous sensation deep
ened wher he rose
| Breakfast was tasteless ito him. His
train left the Deercourt station at IL,
| and he spent the interval endeavorinC
| to persuade Kat. to reconsider her de-
termination.
She would not listen, or. at any rate,
she would not heed.
| Ga to town. she repeated "and
speal, to her If she consents. come
back to me If you fail. do not. I don't
want to see you then--it would be bad
| for bot. of us"
They were hard Instructions: he
seemed predestined to failure indeed
He stepped into the train gloomi,y
| When he arrived he went into the buf-
fet Euston. and had a brandy and
soda with n double allowance of bran
dy. lie felt better after that. but It
chagrined him to reflect that the i'm
| prOvement would have evaporated be-
fore his hanson reached the house.
He hailed one. and told the man tC
drive rapidly. He was dismayed be-
yond words to learn that the ladies had
not come back from the country yet
They were expected tomorrow. the lit
tie scrraut said. She would say he
| called.
Say vii! come again Tomorrow y
he said
J He bade the man TO stop at the Swiss
Cottage station, and from there he dis
| patched telegram to Deercourt
After he sent it he drove to his
rooms. and tried to make himself com
Portable there. 1t was not a successful
attempt.
The rain was coming down still.
What on earth should he do with him
self? He might have stayed another
day at Deercourt as things had turned
out: he wished he had turned there
instead of wiring. BY jove why should
he not do so now!
He caught the afternoon express
and walked in upon her where she was
dreaming beside a window. The sun
was shining at Deercourt; here every
thing was bright.
She welcomed him with a cry of as
| tonshment:
| "You!"
81 couldn't stand It," he exclaimed
"After / had sent off your telegram
went to my place, and suffered an eter.
| nifty Of tediousness that lasted at least
two hours. You know those eternities!
Then this inspiration struck me and
here / ami"
He dropped into low chair, looking
at her.
"You did not expect me?"- he said.
| Indeed no. / even posted on some
letters that came for you afte.' you left
Arnold I have missed you horribly
have been imagining all sorts of things
1 was glad to get your message
was thoughtful of you, dear! Ant
then I wondered what you would dc
with yourself all day. / hoped you
would go to theater in the evening OF
your club; didn't want you to be lone.
ly, because
"Because?"
because I was being lonely enough
for both of u.s.
She had never been more tender
more delightful to him than in thi.
unanticipated prolongation of theil
suspense. He had, as 1t We're. faller
from the clouds to her this afternoon
and her resolution went down befor,
her surprise. 1t might be their last day