Evening star., 1897-02-06

nized Marsten as the young man who on
| a former occasion did not know his own
mlnd, ana she promptly said to him:
Mr. Sartwe1f is not at home."..
II wish to see Miss Sartwell.S
..I,s Ihe young lady is not at nome, either"
Will she return soon?"
Il don't know. Miss Edna's gone away"
"Gone away?" echoed Marsten, visibly
advance. :
The servant saw she was face to face
win another case of mental indecision, SO
she promptly grappled with the situation
by calling Mrs. Sartwell, who was in the
aiming room; then, turning the embar-
rassed young man over to her mistress, she
| closed the door and returned to the more
! had INTERRUPTED.
"99p ~ wished ,sh to see Miss sartwell?" be-
gan the lady, fcily. "Why?"
1t was not easy question to answer
when suddenly asked by an utter stranger
wen, can scarcely tell you. Mrs. Sart-
III the y soans %a s1
sonai matter: I wished to have a few.
words with Miss sartwell. that's ALL"
Ine lady sat bolt upright, with look of
| mystery here which, she resolved to un-
| ravel before she allowed the unfortunate
young man to depart, He speedily came to
tne conclusion that he had in the lady be-
feared, perhaps, than Sartwen himself.
Each question shot at him led him deeper
and deeper into the -tangle
you are her lover, suppose?"
| Sartwell." t
Very we'll; 4 shall ask my husband
when ne returns tonight. He knows MOTH
| Ing Of this, Of course
Yes he does.,'
He knows You are here?'
he doesn't know am here today. He
| knows l love his daughter"
thought you said you were not her
loVer. Young man, whatever else you do
speak the truth. All our earthly troubles
come from stunning the truth. and from
oeverweening pride. Avoid pride and avoid
faisehood. What did you mean when you
eold me Just now that you were not Miss
SartweiIs lover? 1 beseech you to speak
dimcult to talk about this with third per-
Il am not third person. am her step
mother, and responsible to higher power
have full knowledge and then trust to the
guiding light from above. We are ever
prone to err when we rely on our own puny
love her?" w"
No"
And her father does?'
Yes. I told him.
see her. ~ W
He did"
Are you one of his workmen?"
es. AT least l was
No
He has discharged you?"
i nave been discharged"
Inc stern look faded from Mrs. Sart-
wells face. She drew a deep breath-a
prolonged "Ah, with what might be taken
as culver Of profound satisfaction in it
and, for the first time during the confer
ence, leaned back comfortably in her chair.
My poor boy" she said at last, gazing
coElpassl ately at him. do you mean to
say, then, that you would risk your whole
Iuti re 70 for girl to whom you have never
"Oh, have spoken with her. Mrs. sart-
well. said had never spoken about-that
she does lot know 1 care anything for
"But you know absolutely nothing about
her dfsposition-her temper"
I'D chance it,
Mrs. Sartwell shook her head mournfully.
aow well you reflect the spirit of this
scomng age. People chance everything
Nothing is so important to a man as the
solemn, prayerful choice Of a wife, for on
that choice rests the misery the happi-
ness of this life. A woman's great duty
at least 1t seems so to my poor Judgment
IS to bring light, comfort and joy to her
husbands home. DO you think Edna Sart-
weii Is fitted by education or tempera-
ment for this noble task?"
you mean"
How little. how little you know her!
very like him. OF course. he Will never
per INIT 'you to marry her, If he can pre-
vent It, You are q workingman, and he
tnn,n mas no thought or sympa thy for those from
Ideas for his daughter. 1 have long seen
that. 1t Is pride, pride. pride! Oh, it will
have a terrible fall some day, and per-
maps % you. poor lad, who talk Of chance,
ar3 the humble instrument selected by an
0Vefiuiing Providence to brig about the
humbling Of his pride. without which none
OF us can enter the kingdom. 1 see it all
EastboUrne, although he said 1t was be-
cause we could not get on together How
little prevarica ton prevails. The deceiyer
slI snaii himself be deceived. In your SEEM
insly chance meeting with me see the
Hand pointing toward truth. Still" con-
tinCed Mrs. Sartwell refectfvely as though
sreaking more to herself than to her hear
mas far cy, shef would marry you in spite
OF her father or any one else. 1 have long
varied her father that such time is
coming; &c ,h1s but but. alas, my words are unheeded
ef than l expected, have wondered for
some weeks past what was in Edna's mind.
l thought that perhaps she was thinking
Of Barnard Hope, but 1 see now / was
mistaken. No, she was very likely think
ing Of you, and her father, discovering #.
has packed her of to High Clir School at
Eastbourne. where he probably hopes you
cannot visit her. She Is a wayward OH
stinate child. impulsive, and difficuit to
manage. She thinks her father is nerfec.
ton. 60 you may form your own opinion
OF how defective her judgment is. Yes. /
should not be at all surprised If, when Won
tell her you love her, she would at once
propose to run away with you. Nothing
Edna Sartwell would do or say could sur,
prise me-"
Marsten. who had been very uneasy while
forced listener to this exposition Of the
girls character, now rose abruptly and
said he must leave; he had already. he
said. taken up too much of Mrs Sartwell's
time. ,.x
"Our time is given u.s." replied the eood
woman, also rising. Ito make the best use
of. and il we remember that we must give
an account Of every moment allotted to us,
we will not count that time i'll spent which
is devoted to the welfare Of others / sim
cerely trust that what have said win sink
deeply into your mind, and that YOU will
profit by it,
II shall not fail to do so'
You will understand why I cannot give
you any information about Miss SartWell.
or arrange for any meeting between Won
1t would not be right. If she were now in
the house, 1 could not permit you to see
her, since 1 know you come without her
fathers permission. 1 hope you do not
think me harsh in saying this
"Oh, not at ALL"
And I, ofnrra