The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1900-05-31

II do not treat your-you scornfully.
I am only sorry if what you say is
true"
"Why do you say if it is true? Don't
you know it is true?'
'"Then I am very sorry-very, very
sorry, and hope it is through no fault
Of mine. But you will soon forget me.
When you return to New York"
"Margaret," said the young man, bit
terly, II shall never forget you. Think
what you are doing before it is too
late. Think how much this means to
me. If you finally refuse me you will
wreck my life. am the sort of man
that a woman can make or mar. Do
not, beg of you, ruin the life of the
man who loves you.''
II am not missionary" cried Mar
garet, with sudden anger. IF your
life is to be wrecked it will be through
your own foolishness, and not from any
act of mine. I think it cowardly of
YOU to say that I am to be held respon-
sible. I have no wish to influence your
future one way or another"
mot for good, Margaret" asked
Yates, with tender reproach.
mo. A man whose good or bad con-
duct depends on anyone else but him
self is not my ideal of a man.
Tell me what your ideal is, so that
may try to attain it"
Margaret was silent.
"You think it will be useless for me
to try?"
GAS far as am concerned, yes"
margaret, I want to ask you one
more question. have no right to, but
beg you to answer me. Are you in
love with anyone else?'
"NoH' cried Margaret, holly. "How
dare you ask me such question?'
''Oh, it is not crime-that is, being
in love with some one else is not. Ill
tell you why I dare ask. I swear by
all the gods that shall win you, If not
this year then next, and if not next,
then the year after. was a coward
to talk as did, but love you more
now than did even then. All want
to know is that you are not in love with
another man.
Il think you are very cruel in per-
sisting as you do when you have had
your answer. I say no. Never! never!
never!-this year nor any other year.
Is not that enough?"
mot for me. A woman's mo- may
ultimately mean 'yes.'"
"That is true, Mr.. Yates" replied
Margaret, drawing herself up as one
who makes final plunge. "You re-
member the question you asked me just
now?-whether I cared for anyone
else? I said no. That no meant YES
He was standing between her and
the window, so she could not escape by
the way she came. He saw she medi
tated flight, and made as though he
would intercept her, but she was toe
quick for him. She ran around the
house, and he heard a door open anc
shut
He knew he was defeated. Detected
ly he turned to the fence, climbing
slowly over where he had leaped *
lightly few minutes before, ant
walked down the road, cursing hi
fate. Although he admitted he was :
coward in talking to her as he die
about his wrecked life, yet he knew
now that every word he had Spoken
was true. What did the future holt
out to him? Not even the incentive t,
live. He found himself walking to
wards the tent, but, not wishing t,
meet Remark in his present frame o
mind, he turned and came out on tn,
Ridge road. He was tired and broken
and resolved to stay in camp until the,
arrested him. Then perhaps she nigh
have some pity on him. Who was tn
other man she loved? or had she merel,
said that to give fnality to her refusal
In his present mood he pictured tn
worst, and imagined her the wife O
some neighboring farmer perhap
even of Stoliler. These country girls
: he said to himself, never believed
man was worth looking at unless h
owned farm. He would save hi
money and buy up the whole neigh
borhood; then she would realize wha
she had missed. He climbed up on tn
fence beside the road, and sat on tn
top rail, with his heels resting O.
a lower one, so that he nigh
enjoy his misery without tn
} fatigue Of walking. His vivi
imagination pictured himself as in
} few years time the owner of larg
, section Of that part of the country, wit
t mortgages on good deal of the re
mainder, including the farm owned b.
l Margaret's husband. He saw her no,
a farmers faded wife coming to hill
) and begging for further time in whic
, to pay the seven per cent. due. Fl
3 knewhe would act magnanimously O
=, such an occasion and grandly give he
. husband all the time he required. Pc
haps then she would realize the mi
take she had made. Or perhaps fam
+ rather than riches would be his lin
His name would ring throughout tt
I land. He might become great pol
$ tician and bankrupt Canada with
} rigid tariff law. The unfairness ,
t making the whole innocent people s,l
: fer for the inconsiderate act of one
them did not occur to him at the m
= ment, for h6 was hu1niliated and hur
}, There is no bitterness like that whie
e assails the man who has been rejects
e by the girl he adores-while it last
t His eye wandered towards the blac