The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-06
PART I.

That Arnold HopetOun was honestly
I'm love admitted of no doubt, and Miss
Carstairs was supposed to reciprocate
his attachment. His very intimate as
sociates wondered why they lid not
marry, for Miss Carstairs was no. we'll
of, and Hopetouns salary from the
foreign office IL 1t would not provide
her with a house in Green street and
a brougham, would at least offer an
improvement on the position she was
occupying at present.
When Hopetoun met her and fell n
prey to her fascinations. she had been
staying as was her annual custom, with
sowe cousins of her late father's-the
Marrables. of Morecombe-and before
her visit terminated they We're en-
gagged.
That was twelve months ago, and to-
day they We're engaged still.
Hopetoun was an ardent lover and
would have committed greater follies
than matrimony on $500 a year for the
sake of her beaux y@,lX. What then
was the explanation of the delay" Had
Bella Carstairs mistaken her feelings?
Had she given a hasty promise, of which
she had subsequently repented? Not
at all; she was waiting for his position
to improve.
Five hundred a year seemed to the
girl who had started life with the eN-
pectation of marrying the son of n duke
preposterous and absurd. She was fond
Of Arnold. even very fond. but she was
tired inexpressibly, deadly tired, OF
poverty.
Yet she loved him. Almost she
wished she did not. Limited as her op-
portunitieS We're. narrow as was her eX-
istence she was only 81. and she might
have done better than Arnold Hopetoun
after ALL she told herself. Had it not
been that there was the likelihood of
Lord Drillingham doing something
for his nephew, the engagement would
have been broken a week after IL was
made: she would have recovered her
freedom. and awaited for the fairy
prince anew. But there was the chance.
Why was the wicked uncle so dila-
tory? Arnold had been impOrtuning
him with requests for months,
She was thinking these thoughts this
afternoons secretly hating the UNI
known Deer when Hopetoun was an
iiounced. She welcomed him with a
radiant smile.
N"You are early" she said.
Il was impatient" he answered.
How pretty. Is there any news,
Arnold"
No" he said. II don't know that
there is any news hut | want to talk to
you. Bella. I-I-loOk here. darling.
] can't go on waiting for you any
longer. Let us marry. and take the
goods the gods provide
Child" she murmured. The gen.
tleness of her rebuke was adorable.
~ am not a child" declared Hope
toun: lin Tact. | believe may lay claim
to being tolerably practical. and you
may be very certain that I mean to
work Drillingham's interest for all it
Is worth, Trust yourself to me, and
] take my oath that you shall never
have occasion to regret it"
DO you imagine" she said, do you
imagine II is only of myself am think
ing when say watt ! am thinking
of you!'
"Of me,?"
"Of you. OF myself little. yes. be-
cause am not a baby; but of you, too:
of you chiefly, indeed, for 1t is on you
that the burden of the step would fall 4"
"I'll change It," said Arnold, stoutly.
And you would never reproach me
] know that. But I. will not let you
chance it. 1t would not be a chance,
It would be quite a certainty. Certain
disaster of which you would have to
bear the burden! 1t sounds bad. doesn't
It? The sound Is nothing compared
with what the reality would be-! Ar
nold,. you have never had to bear pow
erty--I have! ! know what you do not
II know the awfulness of striving to
Keep up appearances; of endeavoring to
make pound do the work of two. I
know how terrible you would find the
life you are proposing so confidently.
am too fond of you to condemn you to
It. WON'T"
1t was tenderly put. Even she be-
'ieved a great deal Of what she said her
,elf while she was speaking. He did
iot protest any longer; u man has only
certain amount of argument, and