The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-01-11
CHAPTER VII.

This premature declaration of feel
ings which l had sworn to myself to
suppress was brought about partly by
the spring fever aforesaid, partly by It
youthful and eXcitable temperament
and partly by the encouraging words of
Mark Gerard that same afternoon.
Upon his own confession he had antici-
pated some such explosion; and L was
not the man to balk his fancy.
81 thought" my companion faltered,
''that you were in love with another
woman-the goddess"
'You are the goddess" said, fervent-
". aud [ began to worship at your
shrine the very moment we met"
''Oh!"
you seem surprised. If you had
fallen in love with me. Nancy, that
would indeed have been surprising; but
that I should fall in love with you is
the most natural thing in the world"
you must fall out of it again. she
answered, gravely.
''Never!%
'AIr, Livingston, I say you must.
Please don't be ridiculous"
81 can't help it," I replied. "You
would make a craven image love-
sick"
"And we were such good friends"
she murmured.
81 don't want to press you" con-
tinued
81 should hope not" she returned,
her absurd sense of the ludicrous up
permost, as usual. "Mr. Livingston, III
try and forget this-this indiscretion.
I've no love to give you. It's better to
be frank, isn't it? Don't frown, and
don't sulk. You are such a nice boy"
"Boy!" I calculated. 81 am &c. Do
you know that Nalerus COrvus was con-
sui at %? Boy, indeed"
"You provoke me, Mr.. Livingston.
Let's suppose for an instant that I
could return this love Of yours; are
you in a position to support a wife?"
Il swear l could support a dozen
upon the terms you mention. Your love
would spur me to Titanic Efforts
She laughed outright. And lost my
temper.
eff you look at this from a dollars
and cents point of view, Miss Gerard, 1
have nothing more to say"
"That is spoken like a man." she
said, mockingly. Truly, the fiend of
mischief possessed her.
Nancy" cried, cut to the quick by
her scornful words, why are you so
cruel? Is a mans love so small thing
that you can afford to fling it aside?'
Her mood suddenly changed, and,
hating, she confronted me with flash
ing eyes.
Tor your sake" she said, with dig
nifty, Il made light of your love. We
are here together, living in the same
house, meeting a dozen times day. /
did my best to patch up the wool of our
friendship, but you have chosen to
burst the stitches. tried to spare you,
and man of tact would have appreci-
ated my effort. 1 have no love to give
you, Mr.. Livingston, because-because
my life is already pledged to another.
1 pity you from the bottom of my heart.
Good night"
She walked away, leaving me abashed
and speechless.
Hugo, murmured, softly, you are
a fool"
Having registered myself among the
vast majority of my fellows, 1 trudged
modify towards the island. My
thoughts followed Nancy, but my foot
steps pointed in the opposite direction
"a fact which furnished me with meat
for reflection. Was I destined to love
this fair woman and leave her? Nor
ally and intellectually Nancy had be-
come the magnet which swayed my fac
ulties; what if my wretched body were
constrained to bear me henceforward
from-not to-her?
Chewing this bitter cud, rapidly ap-
preached the island. Already l had
come to the margin of the lake. En-