Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-28
FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE
Their Pride Had Kept Them Apart,
lat Love Triumphed.

Her father and his father had been
brOthers-in-arms for 20 years, and
chums since their school days.
When Mary has done with her gov
erness, and your boy has seen a couple
of years service, we viii marry them"
said Col. Give to Gen. Verrinder.
Their wishes were communicated in
due course to the young people con-
cerned
And. humanity being by nature con-
Trajectory. the inevitable result of all
this too palpable parental planning
and manOeuvering was that, when they
met TOR the first time since early child
hood, the young man and the girl at
once conceived a mutual aversion to
each other.
They called Frank Verrinder
Dandy" in his regiment, and she hated
a fop. She was a high-spirited. in de-
pendent damsel, who rode and tramped
the rugged Cornish country about her
home in all weathers.
She mentally accused him of effemin-
acy; he regarded her with languid dis
favor. and suspected that she had n
temper. The old men watched with
dismay the threatened collapse of their
chrished scheme.
One morning Col Give took the girl
to task for her conduct-the worst
course he could have chosen, probably,
for she was not a young lady to be co..
creed. She was waiting for her horse
to come round from the stables.
MARY, he said, you pretend to care
for me a little bit, don't you?"
you dear old dad, what a question:
She patted him on the arm with her
silver-mOunted riding whip.
Then why don't you show it, my
dear. by being a little more civil to
FRANKIE"
~ am civil TO him"
care yOu?' said the colonel, with a
Pickering smile. Il don't like to con-
trsdict young lady. but ! am under
the impression that you were positively
rude TO him last nightr'
"He was irritating-very. I am sure
I was right: and, anyhow, he shouldn't
have contradicted me fatty She
paused WAS rude?" she queried.
The colonel nodded
She threw a careless arm about him.
and leaned her head back against his
breast.
Dad. I'm afraid I'm a little beast. .
she remarked pensivelv, with her eyes
on the glow between the tears.
Scarcely little beast. I think.
Only wee bit thOughless and wilful,
child. You should try and remember
ne is our guest. and it is your place TO
make him welcome -
"I1l be- nice TO him to make mp for
l0sf night TN ask him to forget what
T el'd and ride with me
crossed the hall with the swift
81. women of perfect health and
proportions. and opened the library
door In q big saddle-bag arm air
con- the hosuhrug reclined Dandy with
"a cigarette between his liDs and unut-
teroble boredom in his face.
Going ont Miss Clive?' he Queried,
throwing away the cigarette and rising
20 his feet.
I've come to tell you" she began
with a gulp that I'm afraid I was
rather rude last night, and to say that
I'm sOrry.'
20, pray don't mention it. Miss Give.
IT'S so wholly unnecessary
They looked at each other.
81 am going for a ride she said,
jerkily.
so I concluded from your dress. Is
it WISE tn rain in half an hour
You'll be caught
II thOught-er-wOUld you care TO
accompany me?' She spoke almost
nervOusly.
I think not Thanks" he re-
sponded. 81 hate getting wet for moth
ing. You know; it seems foolish"
She had made an advance to him
and he had rejected il. The light of
battle shone in her eyes.
One would think that you were
piece of sugar that would melt" she
cried. 81 wonder what you would do if
there were a war and your regiment
were ordered to the front. l believe
YOU would exchange"
DO yOU?' he said. placidly.
Yes she painted And if | were a
man and any one as good as called me
a coward, 1 would never speak to them
again.
ANY one and she or he not
theu-it isn't grammar" he corrected |
gently. 81 shouldn't go too far if
were you; I'm sure were going to have
a storm"
She so far permitted herself to forget
her manners as to slam the door.
MARY, will you marry me?"
NO, thanks"
He had asked her to share his life
in the same tone as he would have
asked her for a valse.
tt was a couple of weeks later. and
the following day his leave would ex-
pire.
Il hope, he said, slowly. you don't
think that | was impertinent or dense
enough to assume for an instant that
your answer would be different. The !
governor wished me to propose to YOU.
and The dear old chaps been so good
to me all my life that l should be an
cad if had refused to obey
him
You needn't apologize" she retort-
ed. with scOrn. 'Belives me. | labor |
ed under no delusion respecting your
reason. It must be a great relief to
YOU to have it safely over, as it is to |
me"
Perhaps it was because she was so |
relieved that she wept stormily in her |
room as she dressed for one of her |
customary cross-cOuntry tramps.
Women are complex creatures.
Dandy's behavior, too. was somewhat |
ncOmnrehensihle. lie sirhed as tbn |