Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-02-04

best for me, young as | may be- When
my fate coi9es along
"Thattime is not yet If eourseg" said
she.
Oh, anxious, tlespairing heartI
ssNo. y cried. and shuddered in
dread expectation of some tragic sign
from her. But she was strangely calm.
1t almost seemed TO mo that light OF
relief ieaped into her eyos--the relief
of the tortured soul at hearing sentence
of DEATH
A great silence fell ON ms. She unused,
looking az me with strange intentness.
tAir. Wroughtnight. she said, II
have a mind 20 be honest with You.
have q strong prejudice 10 favor Of hon.
est dealing. My honesty may cost me
your good opinion, but / don't mind
that. mean that have enough faith
in your good sense 90 believe that you
won't think me unwomanly and i'm
modest in saying what l propose &c
say"
l rose in great agitation.
Miss Marsh. ] said, pause, re-
fleet Don't speak yet. You may save
us both much pain.
Nonsense ~ she said sharply.
Twas surprised and u little affronted.
II beg your PARDON. said /. "Gc
on"
She huttered her fan nervously.
- am afraid, she said, 1--WE don 4
| quite understand one another At least,
think understand. but you don't .
moistened my dry lips. "Go on"
said again breathlessly.
Mrs. Cheedle has told you something
about mel"
| "No.n
| "Mr. CheedIe, then? Somebody
Eyes" said l.
What have they told you?''
81 cannot repeat it, Miss Marsh.
les mo implore you to say no more. Let
us go back =
"No, she replied. II will tell you
what they said. They told you that l.
am--am in love with your
! "They were mistaken - I cried, still
willing to spare her.
/ Eyes, they We're, = she responded
calmly.
I gasped and leaned back in my chair.
.'They told me, 7 said she, THAT you
were in love with me. "
A bitterness of humiliation flooded
my soul
II have no doubt they meant well. y
said she.
"Oh, there is no doubt of that"
agreed sourly.
Perhaps they thought they might
make match between us that way.
Young married couples are always the
busiest matchmakers. And really, dc
you know, think they showed some
| knowledge of poor human nature in this
instance at any rate.o
She smiled. felt too sick to smile
az am sorry" she said, "if you fee
at all hurt by this revelation of truth Z
Then | saw the absurdity of my posi-
tion and summoned my sense of humol
to the rescue. 1t was not possible to re
main insensible of Miss Marsh mag
nifioent command Of her own dignity
II was fool, " said l.
~, too, said she. "But it does moi
luhtttT uOW ~ II ali Uf6T, uUoS ~! Anu
anyway. nobody will know. We sha.
both keep the secret inviolate, Idare say
| for our honor's sake. ;"
II am afraid you must think mt
rather a conceited ass, Miss Marsh.
Don't be silly" said she. "Yor
thought as / did,
"But with less reason" said l, bow
ing.
She looked reproachfully at me.
II have been sincere with You, Mr.
Wroughtnight. T"
"That is why Ipay you compliments.
i want to restore the balance of things =
"We seem to understand one another
now. think we might be friends, >
said she.
She gave me her hand, and / clasped
it warmly. But whenever ! recall that
absurd interview my very body bushes
Edwin Pugh in New York World.
BeueyOIeuce In AntmaIg