The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-10-06


and you will not allow me even to
tell you SO. You instruct your serv-
ants to turn me away from the door
like n beggar. Is it a crime to love
you?"
mo, Mr.. Chatham" said the girl,
more gently, sit is not crime to love
a woman; but it is at least serious
blunder to adopt the method you have
selected of showing your affection,
and it is certainly not generous to
force it upon her as you are doing"
"What else can I do?" he repeated,
doggedly. "Here am suddenly
obliged to leave New York for long
time-perhaps forever-and unable to
get single word with you. 1 called
yesterday morning and was informed
that you were at that artist fellows
studio. Then wrote you letter,
asking for an interview, and I left it
there for you myself. The only notice
you took of it was to give instructions
to your butler not to admit me if I
called again. cannot go away like
that. without ray of hope to tighten
my exile. and to leave you here sur
rounded by a lot of men who are
anxious to marry you"
The tender-hearted girl felt grow
ing pity for the awkward and vulgar
young man in whom she began vague
ly to discern a genuine suffering.
81 am sorry, Mr.. Chatham" she
said, ''more sorry than I can say.
But what can I do? do not care
for you in the way you wish, and af-
lection is not to be coerced. I have
done the best I could to discourage
you, because"
81 know you have" interrupted
Chatham; ''you have avoided me, and
snubbed me, and taken every way you
could to show that you do not like
me-"
'lt would have been mistaken kind
ness to do otherwise" said Agnes,
gently.
mo, it wouldn't" exclaimed the ac-
countant; 81 don't ask you to love
me: not at once, at any rate. But
give me show; give me time; give
me little hope"
81 cannot do that" said the girl, in
a low tone.
"Why can't you?" urged the young
man excitedly. 81 have sacrificed ev-
erything for you; have given up all
had; I have lost my position; 1 have
rsked my life"
ST don't understand you," said Miss
Murdoch. looking at him in astonish-
ment.
"Your father would" he replied,
huskily;. cit was he egged me on to
this; he promised me that you would
have me-"
"My father promised"
Eyes, your father; and, by G."
Chatham, who was growing more and
more excited, brought down his
clenched fist upon table near which he
stood, and with an evident effort re-
pressed the oath which rose to his lips.
Miss Murdoch. startled and bewildered.
observed him in speechless amazement.
After a momentary struggle, the ac-
countant suddenly broke forth in pite-
GUS pleading:
II don't ask much now. Tell me only
one thing and I shall go away content
for the present. Say that no other man
has any better chance with you than I
have. Say that you do not love anyone
else"
The young girl tried hard to avoid
his ardent gaze.
"Say It'll" he commanded, in sudden
sternness.
Agnes drew herself up proudly then.
81 don't know by what right you pre-
sumo to catechise or to command me-"
she said, coldly, at the same time maxi
ing u motion as if to touch the button
of the electric bell.
Chatham saw the motion and sprang
before her to intercept it.
"Ah! that is the way of it, is it?" he
exclaimed, with passionate jealousy.
"You are-in love-with another mani"
The words seemed to choke him in
the utterance. The blood rushed to his
head; the veins on his temples stood
out in purple vividness, and, as he
clutched systematically at his collar, q
wild light came into his eyes.
Agnes caught their mad glitter and
SD rank back in sudden terror.
II have been duped!" he shouted.
frantically. II have been u cat's-pnw,
and now that have done all that was
wanted of me am to be turned off
like dog, with kick. The dirty work
is done, is it? Well see about that;
We'll see what your father has to say.
But, at any rate, you can be sure of one
thing"
His voice sank to hoarse whisper
and the words fell with impressive dis
tinctness:
"lf don't marry you, no one ever
SHALL"
AS he spoke he leaned forward upon
the table which stood near him, and
his fingers closed nervously upon the
handle of a jeweled paper knife. There
was murder in his eye at that moment,
and the frightened girl quailed be-
fore it.
Suddenly her ear caught the sound of
| footsteps in the hallway. She opened
her lips to call for help, but before she
could utter sound the door opened, re-
vealing the anxious face of the house,
maid, who had heard enough to realize
that it was time to interrupt the tete-
a-tete without further ceremony.
"Mr. Sprague, MISS" she an
nounced, with q comforting nod at her
Young mistress. whose male face and