Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-01-28
It's my fixed intention to he 40 next


sad Yes, OF course I'm young enough
now. But"-she stretched out her
hands--"l feel the nasty little slippery
moments running through my fingers
and laughing. and l cant hold them"
"Wilmay," l said, this will not do
1T all, Your time is now. The night
is yours-a night OF triumph, You
must be very happy"
She SIN. ed. Il am not really very
miserable But I'm not very happy
either"
why not?"
I'M don't know-resuess. Did
YOU ever want something and yet not
know what 1t was"
reflected, and said that knew what
she meant.
There was a moments pause, aud
then she said:
You must not tell Bertha that I'm
not quite absolutely happy, because she
would not understand rs you do, and
it would distress her, | should not
like that-ld do anything for Bertha,
YOU know, and anything wouldn't be
half enough"
Yes, that was precisely what was
afraid of-that Wilmay would do any
thing for Bertha, even to the imperell-
ing of her own happiness.
Besides" Wilmay went on. lit Is
really nothing a tit Of sentimentality.
Why don't YOU laugh at me, Edward?"
Tonight" | said, YOU are too
beautiful to be laughed at.
She looked at me with wide-open,
troubled eyes
'Or else" said. perhaps I've grown
too sentimental myself to do any
laughing"
| left the dance early. and went
home. But it was long after that be-
fore | went to bed l had to make
up my mind one way or the other,
and found it difficult The decision
came at last, and it only remained for
me to act upon it, and as far AS pos
sible to avoid the weakness of plying
myself, When my man called me In
the morning, lie was q niue surprised
Paris that night
In the afternoon | went round to
Bertha's house. Wilmay was out.
Lady Harston was taking her to some
picture gallery. which" as Bertha
remarked, lis all very we'll when you
don't go to picture galleries the after
noon after dance"
Bertha looked at me up and down
Whats the matter with YOU? What
have you been doing with yourself?"
Nothing. Never been filter
We'll, you don't look 1t. Go home,
and then go to bed.
NO" said |, 81 shall go home, and
then go to Paris"
Bertha got up, walked to the win
dow, and looked out
Going to be away long,"
ooh some little time, believe"
Bertha sighed. you won't think me
unsistery, but I'm not altogether sorry
to hear It,"
"unsisterly? Why only near
blood relation could have said that
And why are you glad?"
81 think You know"
and I'm positive ! don't"
She crossed tho room and sat down
again.
Its not on my account, of course"
she said. Il shall miss YOU very much.
You've been most useful and obliging
XIrhD uiu Il
thing, and I'm not ungrateful. | like
nothing better than to have you here
I'm sure Wilmay will miss you too
But-well"
"Ah! We come to it at last"
well, don't you think that you've
You go everywhere with her IT might
look-cant you see for YOURSELF"
1T might look as II I were her
GUARDIAN am"
And it may look like something
quite different. 1t may make people
think that you yourself are engaged to
her or about to be engaged to her
prevent a suitable man from coming
forward-do Wilmay a lot Of harm
while it can do YOU no good. Where
is the sense of it? Wilmay is fond Of
you very much as a child Is fond of
her father What your feelings to-
wards her are don't pretend to know.
But If you carry on anything approach
ing a Irritation with her, you behave
very meanly and badly, and OF course
you cannot possibly marry her"
you put ideas into ones head. Let
me think 1t over. BY what law OF this
land or any other land am forbidden
to marry Wilmay, II we both decide on
that"
you are forbidden by your own
feelings"
II have none"
Please be serious. You are % years
older than Wilmay-much too old. You
are also much too poor-you have
about a quarter of the money that
Wilmay has With her wonderful
beauty she ought TO make a brilliant
marriage, Youth, health. high rank
she ought to have all OF them, and you
have none ~ Thorn paoidoz ,,,b.+