The Princeton union., 1900-08-09

don't try to tell it now. 1 want to tel
you why am here. love your niece
and 1 am going to ask her to be my
wife,"
CHAPTER vi.
WHOM GOD HATH JOINED TOGETHER LET
NO MAN PUT AsUNDER.''
He had come directly to his subject
feeling that it was best so. Mrs. Pen
rose looked at him in the greatest as
tonishment
"4ou - love Dorothy?" she sai6
slowly.
YES" replied A1alcom Kirk simply
Il have loved her for four years. Ever
since / entered the seminary, in fact"
Mrs. Penrose sat still and looked
more keenly at the awkward, homely
figure in her reception room. She was
woman of great quickness of percep-
ton. 10 do her justice she had pre-
eminently a large fund of fairness and
a sense of justice which came to her
through a long line of pilgrim ances-
tors. She saw in the man who had
just declared his love for her niece 50
abruptly something more than a CON-
mon average man. There was a look
in his eye that spoke of limitless en-
durance, and his voice was of an un-
usual quality, very nearly if not quite
equal to rare gift of music or art.
She rose and walked over to the viii
dow and looked far down the beach.
Then she turned toward Malcom Kirk
and said with some emphasis:
What you have so suddenly told
me, Mr.. Kirk, is, need not say, a CON-
plete surprise to me. l suppose YOU
know that Mr.. Raleigh is a lover Of
Dorothy?"
mo more than 1 am," said AIalcom
Kirk quickly.
Il suppose you know he is an old
friend of the family and that Mr.. Gil
bert favored his suit?'
"That has nothing to do with nv
love for her." said Malcom Kirk softly,
Mrs. Penrose smiled slightly. Then
she froWned and looked somewhat anx-
iously at him.
what do you expect to do?" she
asked somewhat vaguely.
II am going to ask Dorothy Gilbert
to be my wife,"
IF she loves you?" said Mrs Pen
rose, a little grimly.
'Of course, if she loves me-" replied
Ialcom Kirk simply.
There was silence in the room. A
servant came in quietly and lighted
two long candles on the mantel. The
DUSK and the candlelight blended to-
gether softly, and Malcom Kirk looked
out OF his side of the room at Dor
othy's aunt with a somewhat pale
face, calm, however, and fully self
possessed. Even Francis Raleigh, with
all his inherited instincts toward gen.
tlemanly habits, was not equal to NAL
com Kirk during a supreme crisis.
Mrs. Penrose went over to the win
dow again. Then she returned and took
seat nearer Malcolm Kirk.
"Of course after what YOU have told
me, Mr.. Kirk, it will be-you see the
aWkWardness Of the situation-it will
be embarrassing for you and Mr..
Raleigh to meet"
"Why?" asked Malcom Kirk.
"Well, it will, won't it"' she asked
in some slight irritation.
u don't think so. I have nothing to
be embarrassed about"
Mrs. PenrOse was silent again. After
The lapse Of a few moments she said:
Il have not asked you what your
prospects are, Mr.. Kirk. Pardon me
+ l seem abrupt, but you have set me
The example. I am the nearest rela-
tive Dorothy has now since my broth
er's death. She has been accustomed
Ill her life to the comforts of wealth.
70 such comforts as these" Her glance
swept the room carelessly, but with
studied meaning. MAY I ask what
you can offer Dorothy in case''-
"1n case she becomes my wife?" said
Malcolm Kirk, completing the sentence.
"Yes, in case she becomes your wife,"
His face had grown. a little paler.
ind the muscles around his mouth had
'tiffened while Mrs. Penrose was
peaking. But he observed her calmly
Il can offer her a home and COM
orts. 1 have a definite position. do
lot need to say that I am poor. NV
ife in the Home Missionary field to
which I am going will be full of hard
hips. My wife would share them
With me. ought perhaps to say"-he
poke with the first hesitation he had
ct shown-"that have a possible
ource Of income in my pen. I expect
earn us much as my salary by that
1eans. I have once or twice dono +ha+