The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-06-02
CHAPTER VII.

lnlS premature uecldTdJlOu Oh 1eel-
ings which | had sworn to myself to
suppress was brought about partly by
the spring fever aforesaid, partly by a
youthful and excitable temperament
and partly by the encouraging words OF
Mark Gerard that same afternoon
pated some such explosion; and was
not the man to balk his fancy.
II thought" my companion faltered
"that you were in love with another
woman-the goddess?"
"You are the goddess" said, fervent-
ly. "And | 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 l 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!"
"Mr. Livingston, I say you must
Please don't be ridiculous"
81 can't help it," l replied. "You
would make craven image love
sick"
Sand we were such good friends, >
she murmured.
81 don't want to press you" con,
tinued
II should hope not" she returned
her absurd sense of the ludicrous up
permost, as usual. "Mr. Livingston, I'll
try and forget this-this indscretion
I've no love to give you. It's better tC
be frank, isn't it? Don't frown, and
don't sulk. You are such a nice boy
"Boy!" 1 CALCULATED. 81 am &c. Dc
you know that Valerns Corvus was con.
sui at 90? Boy, indeed!"
"You provoke me, Mr.. Livingston
Let's suppose for an instant that
could return this love of yours; are
you in position to support wife?"
II swear l could support DOZEN
upon the terms you mention. Your love
would spur me to Titanic efforts"
She laughed outright. And lost my
temper.
"If you look at this from dollars
and cents point of view, Miss Gerard,
have nothing more to say"
THAT is spoken like man." she
said, mockingly. Truly, the fend ot
mischief possessed her.
"Nancy." cried, cut to the quick by
her scornful words, "why are you sc
cruel? Is mans love so small thing
| that you can afford to fling it aside?"
Her mood suddenly changed, and
halting, she confronted me with flash
ing eyes.
For 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 woof of oul
friendship, but you have chosen tc
burst the stitches. tried to spare you
and man of tact would have appreci
ated my effort. l have no love to give
| you, Mr.. Livingston, because-becaus6
my life is already pledged to another
pity you from the bottom of my heart
| Good night"
She walked away, leaving me abashed
and speechless.
Hugo" murmured, softly, "you are
fool"
Having registered myself among tn,
vast majority of my fellows. 1 trudget
moodily towards the island. My
thoughts followed Nancy, but my foot
steps pointed in the opposite direction
"a fact which furnished me with meal
for reflection. Was 1 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 henceforwart
| from-not to-her?
Chewing this bitter cud, rapidly ap
preached the island. Already / hat
come to the margin of the lake. En-
circled with tules and bulrushes, i
CLEANED cold and placid in the moon
shine. In the winter its surface wal
covered with wild fowl-geese, duclS
and occasional swans. Tonight not {
living creature met my eye. Solitude
reigned supreme.
Skirting the tules, came to a poin
of land so near to the island that ston'
! might be thrown from one to the other