The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-01-19

the music at Grace church that earl,
morning last March was much sweet
er."
"The child loves me,n Huntington
had said to himself then, and after I
letter like this had come several time.
he wrote to her and told her he loved
her and asked her to be his wife. II,
remembered the letter, every word o
it, just as he had written. He had re
called it hundred times, wondering
if there could be any doubt in hel
mind as to its full meaning. 1t wa:
the first real love letter he had eveI
written, and he told himself it was q
perfectly straightforward one. He be
gun by telling his love for her, very
simply, but very forcibly, he thought.
81 don't mean to whine about it and
make her love me out of pity" he said
as he wrote. He said that, while he
had loved her from the first moment
he saw her, he had not told her before,
not wishing to eoerce her affection or
prejudice her choice. He said he had
not meant TO write this to her, had not
meant to tell her SO soon, wishing her
to have full liberty to select with all the
world before her wherein TO choose, but
that something in her little letters had
made him very happy because they
made him feel that she was not altogeth-
er indifferent to him. He told her,
however, not TO hurry about replying
TO his question. He was willing to wait,
leaving her perfectly free, and that
even after she replied, if she did not
feel quite satisfied or if she met any
man whom she thought she could love
more, she must not hesitate to write
that she had been mistaken. There
was not very much more Of the letter,
except that it wound up by telling his
age, some little facts about his family,
and the amount of his property.
On the whole, it was what Hunting
ton called a very sensible letter. He
felt that he had dealt very fairly by
Helen, deferring to her judgment and
discretion rather than overpowering
her affections. He knew that was not
the ordinary way of treating women,
but he knew also that Helen was no or
dinary woman, and he told himself
that he admired her great good sense as
much as he loved her sweet womanli-
ness.
Though he had told her she need not
hurry with a reply to his question the
next steamer brought him letter from
Helen. 1t was rather a longer letter
than he had ever had from her, written
upon some other thin, glazed hotel pa
per and in her same firm, black ehirOg-
raphy. She began by thanking Hunt
ington for his goodness to her always,
but especially for his love for her. She
spoke of his offer as a compliment far
beyond her expectation or her deserts.
Other men had asked her TO marry
them, she said, but his asking was diff
ferent. He was not like other men to
her; he seemed in so many ways high
er and better than they.
On the whole, it was an odd sort of
letter, such as he had never fancied her
writing, and it puzzled him not little.
But her refusal of him was direct
enough. He had no trouble in under
standing. 81 am sorry" she had writ
ten, ''if anything have ever said or
done has led you to believe that loved
you. If have done this, pray forgive
me. never intended it, and much as
value your regard, your friendship,
could never think of becoming your
wife"
Yes, Huntington had understood that
part of the letter clearly enough, and
he thought he understood the conelu-
sion, which read: Perhaps i shall
write you before long that have met
man whom l intend to marry"
at must be young March," Hunt
ington had thought. "I know he has
followed her to Europe. God grant he
may be worthy of her."
1t was this thought that made HIM
send Helen the answer that he did, try
ing to be very brave and magnanimous,
resigning his hope of her as an anchor
ite might have done. And that had
been the end of it, as far as she was
concerned, he told himself. He fam
cied she would be very happy with
March, and he fancied himself grow
ing old without her. he was going to
be very good to her always-to her and
her children-and he told himself he
must keep her from finding out how he
loved her. He would make brave
fight and he would be very manly and
honorable. There are some men who
never know that it is not always best
to be what they call manly and hon
orable."
But this is what Huntingdon meant
TO do. There was to be no whining
he would not let the world know that
it had ceased to move for him. He had
his life to live, and he must make up
his mind to live it alone.
This is what he told himself when
Helen's letter came, and this is what
he had told himself every day since,
but every minute of every hour since
he had told himself that he could not
do it. Now that he knew that he must
do it, il seemed harder than ever, and
it seemed hardest Of all that evening
a week ago now-when he walked into
the little boarding house dining room
and saw Helen and her mother sitting
at the round table by the window.
"YOu? Here, in New York, and in
this portion ?r he had said, going over
10 them at once.
"Yes, at last" the girl said, putting
her hand in his, and looking up at him
quite frankly. 1--WE have just landed,
you know, and as We are going South
for the winter mother and / concluded
we would not open the house just for
few days"