The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-12-22


so beautiful before. She had never been
so entertaining. The boatman was ac-
customed to carrying lovers to Capri.
OF all the world the Bay of Naples is
the place for them. 1t is the beautiful
home of love.
If Stanton had sought for opportuni-
ties to say: 81 love you," they were
without number; but to deliver his mes
sage was utterly impossible.
The sails were filing to return when
Miss Braddon said, abruptly:
"Mr. Stanton, you are not really SO
happy as you wish to seem. wonder
if you would tell me why?"
"It is because am not satisfied" !" he
replied, as abruptly.
"I was afraid, at the time, that 1t
would prove an irksome bondage, and
am very sorry" she said, as though in
all their conversation they had spoken
of nothing else but that one subject
which had not once been mentioned.
"You were mistaken" Stanton re-
piled, calmly.
Like flash the dark eyes turned on
his.
do you mean that it is not irksome ?"
"Not in the way you mean," Stanton
said.
Il hardly understand YOU"
"Yet very much wish that you did. !"
"Why in particular"
Because through you is my only
hope of being understood where, of all,
am most anxious to be understood"
do you mean with Esther Thorn
dike?"
'Yes."
"Why, you have never even mentioned
her name"
IF / were not bound by condition
that is most irksome bondage, /
should have gone to her, direct, long
ago, instead of living in the hope that
in some way might reach her through
you"
what would you have me say to
her?"
"reli her Cat / am trying to be a bet
Ter man than when she saw me, and ask
her to give me freedom from the chains
she bound, and let me, as a man, come
to her, as woman, and try to win her
love-"
"Truly, Mr.. Stanton, you astonish
me. Is that what you have been think
ing of, all these days?"
81 could have had but one other
thought"
"What thought"
ITO win your love-"
"And that you do not care for?" she
asked, almost sadly, trailing rope in
the water.
"That is not the question"
at is for me, if love you.'
Stanton turned, slowly, till his eyes
| rested full upon hers. His face was very
pale. 1t was more than he had ever
dared to dread. He knew that it meant
death-death to the hopes he had fos-
tered and the dreams he had dreamed,
death to his self-respect, death to his
future. Yet he could most easily have
said:
In look If death there be,
Come, and I will look on thee.
His lips moved slowly, but they moved
steadily, with all the force of his will
| behind them, as he replied:
"Any living man who had the right
would be a blind fool not to love you
and long for your love-"
"But you have not the right?"
"No."
Because you have wife?"
| "Yes."
| ''But do not understand the arrange
ment, and does not Esther? And if you
asked her do you not think that she
would agree to some arrangement that
would set you free?"
"After she has seen me and known
me, If she cannot love me and be my real
wife, and if for herself she wishes to be
free, she can say SO. 1t Is her right"
rs 1t because you have discovered
that you really want wife, real
wife, and your sense of honor forces you
to hold the place open for her?"
'T think not"
"Surely you don't mean that you
think you love her?"
81 don't know"
did you ever see her face?"
Never"
slave you ever learned much about
her?"
81 know absolutely nothing but what
she and you have told me-"
"Well, if you were not bound in honor
to her, surely for that one meeting you
would not still be thinking of her."
"Or perhaps we might have met again
and again, as the result of one meeting,
had it not been for that binding. AT all
events. for that meeting am indebted
to you, and by your help 1 hope to meet
her again"
you, Mr.. Stanton?"
81 hope that she will love me, some
day."
"Has no one tempted you to let sliI
such slender thread as that?"
TT must be stronger than it seems
for no one has tempted memo ONE but
the woman to whom ! have come fol
help 70 win my wife,n
The boat was close upon the landing
stage. The carriage was already wait
ing there, AS they stepped on shore
Miss Braddon turned abruptly, and
said:
IF you and Esther should try to bt
more to each other. and fail, 1t would
be worse than 1t Is now. You cannot
possibly be sure that you love her.
will tell her all l know, but let it res
this way. You said that you were tc
reach home on the 9th of December
If Is the first anniversary of the mar