Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-06-11

questions over and over, wearying of
the repetition. and yet never able to
end il by saying heartily that he was
glad and triumphant, or bitterly that
he was sorry and ashamed The plain
fact stared him ever in the face, that
Helen Raymond did not love him. and
that Mrs. Raymond had urged his suit,
and eXerted her maternal influence and
cloquence until Helen had consented to
be his wife, telling him very frankly
that her heart was in the grave of her
lover. George Nanhorn, who had been
killed in railway collision nearly one
year before.
Mother was never willing | should
marry George" Helen said, sadly, be
cause he was poor. and we have suffered
all that poverty can inflict. He was on
his way TO Colorado. where his brother
has been successful. when he was
killed"
VIII Spencer WINGED, for he was rich,
very rich, but then he put TO the wound
that soothing salve, IL will win her love
when she is my wife" that has wrecked
so many lives. 1t may come, this love
that will not be hidden, TO a man and
wife, after they are bound together for
life, but the risk is great. and Will
Spencer knew it.
Yet he cherished the delusiou that
love in the end would win a return,
and he knew his own love to be strong
ard enduring. He had stepped back
when George Nanhorn was met with
such a smile. for he could never win,
had kept from pressing his suit when
the name Of IIelen's lover appeared on
the list of the killed in the account of
the railway collision, but after the lapse
of several months he had won Mrs.
Raymond To his side, and so, by proxy,
wooed Helen and won-what? a cold,
reluctant consent to be his wife.
Yet she was not, cold, this girl of 90
whose heart had been crushed ever
since the day when George Vanhorn's
name was recorded as dead. He could
have told how her eyes could soften
with loves tenderness, her cheeks burn
with loves bushes, her low, sweet,
voice tremble with loves whispered
words. He had won what all the Spen-
Ger gold, the riches of long generations,
could not buy.
Before that fatal railway collision she
was bright, beautiful girl, with large,
expressive brown eyes, a voice of
music, the step of fairy, singing as
q bird sings, from sheer joyousness of
heart, bringing jest TO all the house
hold worries, laughing merrily over her
own blunders in the culinary depart
ment, turning old dresses, renovating
old bonnets without complaint, living
on love and hope.
After that day she moved about slow
ly, her eyes were dull and weary, her
duties met with a rigid mechanical pre-
cision. her lips compressed, her cheeks
pale, a shadow of her joyous self.
Mrs. Raymond was often afraid that
she would yet miss the golden prize she
had partly won. and heartily seconded
Will in his preparations for a speedy
wedding. 1t was Mrs. Raymond who
went with him TO open the house that
he had bought to adorn for his bride,
who aided him in the selection of car
pets, curtains. furniture, and gave him
instructions regarding the kitchen de-
partment, of whose needs he was as ig-
norant as most young bachelors. 1t
was Mrs. Raymond who received an
anonymous letter containing liberal
sum, which she quietly appropriated
for trousseau and a suitable dress for
the brides mother.
She was a woman of rare tact. Hav-
ing won Helen's consent to be viii
nnrsfc ~ 10 Il, L
by complaints about her lstless indif-
ference to her lover or her future pros
poets. She simply made all the ar
rangements for her. without once adj
hitting a possibility of change. The
betrothal was spoken of on all occa-
sions, the preparation of the house, the
selection Of the trousseau referred to. in
matter-of-fact words that made Helen
feel, as II was intended she should that
she had walked into net from which
there was no escape.
And VIII Spencer knew il all. and
writhed under the knowledge, being a
frank, loyal man, whose impulses were
generous and honorable, and who loved
Helen with all the strength of his heart
Often he asked himself how he could en-
dure life, if he found his wife a faithful
slave. instead of the happy companion
he hoped to make her.
IF she never loves met" he thought.
bitterly. IF all my love fails to win
hers, what will my life be?"
He did her justice. He knew that IL
his love failed to win her heart, his gold
was powerless to make her happy. He
knew that if her mother died or could |
not be benefited by her marriage. she
would rather beg her bread herself |
than be his wife.
While matters stood in this unsat-
isfactory state, Mrs. Raymond made
suggestion: 81 want you to go away !
for a month" she said to him. land let |
Helen miss the constant devotion that |
she has had ever since your betrothal. !
Let her feel that void has come into !
her life, and how dull and cherries il |
would be if she lost you. The wedding |
dav is set for Juno 10 and this ia A nril !