Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-01-08

and. with sinking sensation at my heart,
I fell back again among the pillows.
I'm engaged engaged" l repeated me-
chancally, trying in vain TO fully COM
I prehend it. Yes, 1 am engaged to Sir
George Lassingham. l can't back out Of
it now. I've told Lydia and of course,
every one will know it by this time. oh.
! Tom, will you ever for give me?"
I unused over the events of the previous
day. Il hope We shall be very happy to-
sether. 1 should like the marriage
to take place soon" Sir George had said.
"Oh. WELL 1 suppose 1 must make the
best of it," said. Il shall have Lydia to
stay with me very often, and, of course.
! as she says, it will be nice to travel. and
have never yet been abroad
l had never beloved such q thought on
the question of marriage. l had always
looked on it as a detail but an essential
one of a womans existence. The parents
of the girls in my set all expected their
I daughters to exchange in due time. the
title miss" for madam" The girl who
did not go of" was regarded as a failure.
| Matrimony was a natural incident. l con-
sidered, OF ones life. but now when l
lOulll NY sen lace ~ lace WIN It
A whole sea of new thoughts and feel
ings surged within me. and 1 found my
| courage ebbing strangely. How pretty my
dear little room looked with it's soft. white
hansiugs and dainty knicknacAs. over
the mantelpiece were the paintings I had
done at school, l sighed as l thought of
my happy school days.
For long time lay gazing at the cell
ing. lost in thought. When l got up bad
come to n definite resolve
lie hasn't sent me the ring yet, and he
would hardly sue me for n breach of prom
Use / will do it." And l sat down and
| wrote the following letter:
My dearest Tom: ! think I have been
mad for the last few days; at any rate
didn't know my own mind when ] wrote
you 1 was engaged. l do know it now.
| though. ! prefer to die an old maid. and
| am not going to marry Sir George (he is
coming tomorrow ard ! shall tell him
that'I never wild. / really didn't know
what I was doing when l accepted him.
You quite see. don't YOU though
told YOU that l loved you, why / wouldn't
agree TO our becoming engaged? We
could never afford to marry, because. as
Lydia says, of the bills, don't know how
TO economize. and | would never drag you
into poverty by becoming your wife,
though / shall always love you. I have
idled my time away most dreadfully, but
] mean to work now. and perhas If l had
done so before, we might have both saved
| enough, in few years time. 10 pay rent
| and taxes and those dreadful bills. But
this is all over now. and l suppose l shall
never see YOU again.
The letter 1 wrote you yesterday must
have made you hate me. Well, l deserve
Il. for l know that I am the most con-
temptable, despicable creature in the
whole world. But some day. Tom. try to
forgive your broken-hearted and repent
ant NORA.
1 went down stairs fully determined to
send my letter to the post. Sir George
would be certain to call that morning;
then would tell him. 1t was better TO do
il at once.
Mamma was already down.
4 hope your head is better, dear" she
said. as 1 took my seat at the breakfast
table.
Yes, thanks" replied, as opened my
letters.
Among them was a note from Lydia, ct
have such a wretched cold so cannot so
out. DO come and see me this morning,
dear" she wrote.
1T is very unsympathetlc of me- I
thought. but l won't see Lydia on any
account till 1 have settled with Sir
George"
Nora" said mamma, looking up. sud
no
George says he is called out OF town on
business. so he won't be able to come to
lunch. He says we may expect him later
in the day"
For fear of meeting Tom, I decided 70
remain indoors all day; so, getting my
easel and colors L tried to paint. but only
succeeded in spelling my canvas. Then L
attempted TO learn Il sonata Of Beetho-
vens, but gave it up as a dismal failure.
| began volume of essays. but found
myself forever gazing blankly at one page.
In the end 1 abandoned the attempt to
settle down to anything and spent the
morning in roaming about the house. ar
ranging and disarranging the furniture
and listlessly turning over books and mu-
sic. 1t seemed as if the day would never
end.
lam going for aturn in the park. Would
you care to come as wen?' mamma said.
coming into the library, where had set
tied to write some letters.
IT rather want to finish these letters"
I said. looking up from the thin sheet Of
note paper l had spoiled, so IL you don't
mind going alone I'll stay in
Mamma had been gone about an hour.
when there was an impatient ring at the
doorbell. \ moment afterward | heard
the sound of mans firm tread approach
ing the library.
1T is Sir George" exclaimed shutting
nv desk and springing to my feet. But
must get it over" 1 said, pausing irreso-
lutely: is no use to put it off any longer.
l seated myself, and. snatching book,
tried to compose myself.
DIR. Goodheart.'
Tom l exclaimed. in thunderstruck
tones. as the door closed behind him and
he FASTENED toward me.
How lucky to find you in cried Tom.
81 knew you wouldn't be expecting me,
and was afraid you might be out. You
must have wondered what had become
I of me. but 1 thought I would rather tell
YOU the good news than write
stared at him in amazement. for in
stead of appearing wretched, as l had
expected him to be. he looked the very
embodiment of health and happiness.
.The old boy" he continued, has actu-
| ally taken me into Partnership. II is al