Connecticut western news., 1897-09-02
His face darkened at her words.

ately, until you do tell me l will never marry you-neverw
 There was long silence between them. Finally the man broke it.
 Do you mean what you say?" he asked in low, tense voice.
 "CertaMly, she responded in hard, determieed tone. Then, changing her manner to one of winning sweetness: "But I know you will tell me. You could never, never be so cruel as to re- fuse.o
 He turned away and began pacing the lawn in an undecided, wavering fashion, quite unlike his usual firm step. The girl followed him and laid one hand on his arm.
 'Tell me-" she whispered beseech- lngly. Then she raised herself on tiptoe and kissed him.
 "I cannot resist, he murmured, then stopped suddenly and whispered some thing into her ear.
 "Is that all?" she asked, in evident surprise. He nodded.
 The next afternoon Elsie refused all offers of companionship and went off for solitary stroll. As she approached little wooded copse about half mile from the house young man sauntered slowly toward her.
 "Well, what success this time?'' he demanded, without troubling to make any preliminary greeting.
 Wait minute, Hugh" the girl an- swered. 1T am quite breathless with hurrying. That tiresome Enid wanted to come with me. And wasn't at all sure of Alan not coming too."
 The man stood for minute or two in silence, then glanced at his compan- ion impatiently.
 "I have got it," she answered quiet ly, returning bis glance.
 His whole face changed and glowed with triumph.
 "You little darling. you clever little darling" he exclaimed, and then took her in his arms and kissed her passion ately. She lay quite passive in his em- brace, her dark eyes gleaming with ten- derest love.
 "Now we can marry,' he whispered. But you have not told me yet, Elsie. Are you sure you have got the exact details?"
 ''It is all written here, word for word, as Alan repeated it to me" she replied.
 He read the paper greedily which she handed to him, then placed it in his pocketbook and drew a deep breath of relief
 So that is all the secret of De- maine's wonderful purple dye," he said. ''Well, I rather think now that the monopoly is destroyed. Won't the old fashioned firm be astonished when they find themselves undersold in the market by dye exactly like their own. :" And he laughed cruel laugh of tri- umph. 1T always hated Demaine," he continued. "always. This will be splen- did revenge, besides making all our for tunes. But come, Elsie" he added lit is time we were moving. I'll see you to the park gates, and then I must get back to town"
 A month passed away, and Elsie was still visiting the Demaines, still out wardly engaged to Alan, of whom nev. ertheless she saw very little.
 '.Hugh,'' Elsie said to her lover one evening, "don't you think''- and then sne StOppeu III COnIuSlOn.
 ''Think what?" said Hugh idly, with out looking at her.
 That 1t is not very nice or pleasant for me to be staying in Alan's home, when I have-betrayed him?" she ended bravely.
 ''I don't see what else you can do, retorted Hugh lazily, ''unless you go back to your aunt's."
 The girl crimsoned to her brow.
 Couldn't we be married now?" she whispered in shamed tones.
 He looked at her sharply, then replied: "Look here, Elsie, it is best to be straightforward, so we may as we'll end this farce at once. I am engaged to my cousin Marian, and we are to be mar ried next month. 1"
 There was long silence. Up in the bright blue heavens a bird was caroling merrily, and in strange, mechanical manner Elsie counted five daisies which were in cluster at her feet. Then she spoke:
 So you just used mo as tool, Hugh?"
 Yes" he acquiesced shamefacedly.
 She laughed-a strange, hard laugh.
 ''It does not hurt very much after all mot very much," she repeated pite- ously, and then without another word turned and left him. When Alan Domaine reached home that night, his mother and sisters met him with the news that Elsie had been suddenly summoned to meet her aunt. Though when she got the letter I'm sure I don't know" added Enid suspi- ciously. Her brother made no reply, but went straight to his own room, and there, on the toilet table, lay a tear stained note.
 "I have been wicked, deceitful girl" the letter ran, land now the greatest punishment I have to bear is the knowledge that have brought ruin upon you" Then followed an explana- tion concerning her curiosity about the dye, and the note ended with plea for forgiveness.
 In reply Alan wrote as follows: My forgiveness you have fully and freely, | and 1 sincerely wish you every happi- ness in the future. You must not dis | tress yourself about running me, as | the secret CD which I told you con- corning the purple dye is no secret at | all, but very ordinary chemical prep | aration well known in the trade. For give me for deoeiving you. I overheard | your conversation with the scamp who | used you as his tool, and could not re- sist my little piece of revenge. The De- maine dye is secret still, so you may cease frettiRg about that. My mother, | who knows nothing, sends you her love- In a day or two I shall simply tell her | that the engagement is dissolved. Three months after the dispatch of this letter Alan's manager ceased from troubling, for the new firm failed ire trievably.
 Hang it alll' said Hugh to his con | fidential assistant I've have got the