The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-01

describable pleasure to pass through lifs
by the side of Sir Jaffray as his wife
! but she did not intend that the break
ing of the dream should gloom and spoil
her life.
She would rather that it bad been
any one else than Lola; but, even so, she
was prepared to accept what was in
evitable. Thus when Sir Jaffray came
she surprised him as much with her
cheerfulness as she had surprised her
father by the way she had told the news
to him.
''I'm afraid it'll be disappointment
to you, father" she said, when telling
him of Sir Jaffray's engagement, "but
/ was always afraid we shouldn't be
able to do what you wished. tried be-
cause l saw that you and his mother
wished it, and I'd have gone through
with it, but must confess it's relief"
| Her father, who as county man
TOOK great interest in the public affairs
of the district and had only dim per-
ception of what went on in his own
house, put Oh his r.ree-nez and looked
at her shiewdly. ale was very fond of
Beryl in his way, aud his chief COM
plant was that she was not a boy, but
he thought he knew her so well that of
course he did not understand her at all
and had no conception of the capable
brain there was behind the calm, regu-
lar and at times beautiful face.
''Do you really mean that Jaffray's
going away from his word? Why, it was
all but settled" The thing that appeal
ed to him chiefly was that it looked like
a breach of contract. "And do you
mean you didn't want to marry him?
You never said that before, child.
II didn't want to seem to thwart
your plans, father" Beryl answered,
returning his lock calmly.
"Have you two made this up between
your" he burst out, as if with sudden
instinct of shrewd conjecture. II call
it infamousr" His own misconception
that there was plot not to do that
which he wished irritated him. "rll
give him piece of my mind" he add
ed
No, we have made up nothing, IA
Their. Simply the thing has fallen
This sort of thing may be done when
there's lack of feeling on one side,
but it's impossible when there's none
on either side.
Its infamousP' he repeated, now
quite angry. "I'll post the man all over
the county. I'll hound him out of the
place. l never heard of such a thing.
We might be shopkeepers, making and
breaking engagements of the sort -
But I'm glad, father. Don't you un-
derstand? wouldn't have it otherwise
If l could. 1t was mistake from the
first"
DO you think I don't know what's
best in these things?'' he asked "Upon
my word, times are getting on when
girl can coolly tell her father that his
plans for her marriage are a mistake
from the first, and with two estates
that run side by side for miles, and no
boy to have this one. Mistake, indeed!
Mis- fiddlestick!" He rustled with a
gesture of impatient anger the paper he
held and appeared to resume reading
e, but minute afterward he said, less
rritably:
why didn't you tell me you didn't
want to marry him? That's just like
you women, and yet you will stick
'our noses into public business You
never know what you want at a time
which let's the knowledge be of the
east possible use. / didn't want to
orce you into the marriage, child. I'm
lot brute or Bluebeard.
The last connection was not yerv
lear, but it let Beryl turn the question.
"Bluebeard married all the women
'lmself, dad, she said. Laughing and
'iacing her hands on his shoulders. she
eaned over him from behind, her face
close TO his that she could rub her
heck against his and kiss him at everv
ause. And you don't want me for
vie yourself, you know, do you? That
you'd be horribly improper, and all the
ounty would make hullabaloo, and
on lose your craftsmanship of this.
nat ana the other and be sent to Cow
ntry, and I'm not worth that, am I?''
She was SC rarely demonstrative in
his way that he was quite perplexed
nd when she had kissed him and
'ade him agree with her view of Sir
engagement and had gone
ming out OF the room he sat a couple
minutes in puzzled thought till the
ght broke in on him, and he smiled.
I'm afraid I've been bit blind.
lought she cared for him bit, and
DIV here she is SO internally glad to be
~ OF 1t that she can't help kissing and /.
ngging me. Bless the child, if I'd
nown ia have broken it off long ago.
uch as wanted it, Heigho! If only
10 BOY had lived, thered have been no
orry OF this kind Aud then he re-
'meu DIS reading, interrupted by
'nses of thou-.t.
TO Be CONTINUED