The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-09
AN ENGAGEMENT.
BY SIR ROBERT PEEL.


He knew that this was gracious false
hood. but, man-like. ne continued ,me
subject, instead of allowing it tn drop
But you never told me of your call
he said. Il had no idea you had been
there"
Didn't >" she said; Il meant to-"
Both paused and looked through the
window at the lawn.
What do you think of herr" he
asked.
''Sne is very delightful. very pref
ty"--it was impossible to say less-"l
congratulate you heartily. Arnold.
But her tone lacked heartinesS. ana
he felt. She had formed wrong
estimate of Bella: he must justify the
girl at once.
Il hope" he said. you do not think
she is acting wrongly in declining 10
live abroad: Really it Is not she at
all; 1t is the old lady. Beta is a very
dutiful daughter, almost a child IN
some things"
"Oh. | saw that, naturally
"You must not--of course you would
not-imaginc that she is not fond or
me. Girls vary very much Bella $ dis
position is not a strong one. Ana pe-
sides when it had come to the point
dare say YOU yourself would have hes-
| itated to leave England
Il do not think that" answered MS
cousin: Il should not have advised any
thing that | thought undesirable.
NO, no." put in llopetoun. I'm sure
YOU wouldn't: but of course your view
is different under the circumstances
| mean there is not the necessity FOR
YOU to weigh all the pros and cons
carefully. is there? If you had been
Bella herself. you would feel the gray
ity of the step. as YOU cannot be eX-
pected to do as it is.
She did not reply. and he regarded
her uncertainty. Twilight was ialiihs
and the room was filling with shadow
In Yne vagueness her face looked SOFT
er and more beautiful, he thought; the
proud mouth was more gentle. He felt
very tender toward her. very affection
ate. He remembered that she was do
ing much for him, and that such re-
turn as she had received had given her
the right to make him reproach that
she had not uttered. An impulse that
he could not resist urged him to contra
| dict his last words.
Il believe you would have gone" he
murmured. II beg your pardon. If
you had cared for me. l believe you
would have gone. Kate
She neither acknowledged nor de-
MED. "Thank you she said; 'hut
| don't let us discuss that. and indeed
| can't say: | am not in love with you,
and you are many miles from being in
| love with me-"
Il wonder"
What do you wonder?" she mur-
| INJURED.
Il was going to say a stupid thing.
I was going to say that it was fortu-
nate for my peace of mind that l did
.,c h.,f an.
gagged"
She smiled pensively. And why?"
"Really why"
"Yes-'really.' We ought to be able
to speak frankly to each other if any
two people cam"
Then because l might have been so
profoundly unlucky as to want to
marry you. Kate
"Madman, you are laughing at me" ;"
Indeed. | am not" he said, earnestly.
''The more see of you the more l am
learning to admire you. And If l had
wanted to marry you what would have
charming cousin without gaining a
wife"
But suppose | had said 'yes""
Her tone was one that made it i'm
possible for him to be sure she was jest
ing, although his reason told him that
she must be. Her position, too, in the
deepening dusk now hid her features.
He only saw her indistinctly. and the
timbre of her voice coming to him in
the obscurty gave him n strange thrill.
IF you had said yes ! should have
adored you.''
With a sensation of unreality he watt
ed for her answer. Ii seemed eXtraOr-
dinary tn have told Kate Drillingham
he would have adored her. even i'm a
speculative mood. He wished he could