The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-11-16

q any COuDtCAC o.
the intelligence SO
abruptly communicated to him Tor d
few minutes, and then he SAID:
"This is very sudden, Hamilton.
Sudden, do you call it, Uncle! You
forget it is six weeks since you lett US
here with one another for company.
How could l have any choice but TO
fall in love with her, unless, indeed,
] had taken up with old Garrett, anu
| that would scar cely have pleased you
better?'
Il did not say was displeased, HAM
ilton"
"Oh, sir! hope you are not" inter
posed Margaret
but / must take time to consider
your request, and this is not the mo-
ment for discussing it. / have just
/. come off long and fatiguing journey
and you ought TO be at your lessons.
The disappointed man of the world
could net resist the temptation OF CIV
ing his boy-rival that unworthy llttl9
cut. But Hamilton received 1t with
his usual equanimity.
y
right, we won't say anything more
about it till the evening, then, when
you will be rested, and l shall be at
leisure Goodbye till dinner-timc
Ia, ia, Pearl"
And he ran away as hastily as he had
entered.
Ruthven prepared 70 quit the room.
Maruorot him fimIdlV.
You are not angry, Mr.. Ruthven!
"Of course not, my dear. What nave
I to be angry about? Only this pro-
posal CT Hamiltons is far too serious
a matter to be settled in moment.
do not wish to disappoint either of you,
but / really do not see my way to ac-
cede to his wish at present
Margaret began to cry.
Would it be so great trouble to
you to give up the idea of marrying
my nephew" he inquired, seeing the
tears upon her cheek.
"Oh, yes, Mr.. Ruthven! We love
each other so very very much. And
Hamilton says he will never marry any
one but me- And | would die rather
than marry any one but him."
Ruthven recognized the childishness
of the expression but set higher value
by the reasoning than it deserved.
He sighed deeply, and turned away
Il promise you one thing, Margaret.
l will do what appears to me to pc
the best and wisest thing for both you
and Hamilton, and if your attachment
is sincere, / will put no obstacle IN the
way of your future union. l can say
no more than that"
1t was great deal for him to say
so much. II the girl had fully read
the sacrifice his great heart made IN
saying it, she would nave knelt down
and worshiped him as something more
than man. But she had no idea OF the
pain she had inflicted.
Meanwhile, Ruthven found his way
up to his own room. and summoned
Mrs. Garrett to a conference.
How much have you known of this
COMPOUNDED piece of folly between
Hamilton and Margaret O'Reilly?" he
demanded of her.
..Lor' bless you. sir. don't call it by
such a name OF course l saw the
young creatures were taking to each
other from the beginning. I'm not
blind. But | never imagined you'd
take on about it. 1t seems the natural
est thing in the world to me-"
1T may be natural enough; but 1t
is highly inexpedient Hamilton's age
renders it absurd, in the first place;
but were he Internationally instead
of nineteen, he has no money to marry
on
'"rhey don't think of being married
yet awhile,-sir, surely, the young
rogues.
They want to be engaged which
means the same thing. And then,
though Margaret is everything we
could wish now, we mustn't forget
what she was.
sLor', sir You wouldn't go to cast
that at the poor child. would your
Ruthven WINGED. He felt his words
to have been very unfair. How could
he bonorably say such a-thing, when