The suburban citizen., 1901-03-23
BY Hester A. Benedict.


ship was only clay, as too many idols
are, she seemed in her trustful ignor-
ance, to have climbed to the beati-
tudes
He did not lift his eyes from the
ground-he had not even the grace to
thank her.
"You did not say how much, Mary?'
he interrogated, in an off-hand way.
"And you did not ask me-" she said,
laughing a little
"There is no time for evasion or for
sentiment" he said, harshly. Il sup
pose you have n hundred or so?"
a hundred and fifty, Lee"
"Just half enough to satisfy me; but
you can easily get the balance"
"How, Leland, howg"-she asked
looking puzzled and anxious.
"How? You innocent little thing!
Don't you know that Godfrey Blake
would give you anything you asked
for, even to the half of his kingdom
A man in love can be led anywhere by
the face that has his fancy"
The girl rose, staggering a little, but
standing straight and proud, at last,
before the man whose every word was
an insult
IL guess I understand YOU" she
said. you wish me to borrow for
you, Of Mr.. Blake, the sum Of one
hundred and fifty dollars, Am
rightT
Partly right anc partly wrong You
must borrow for yourself and for me-"
But have no security to offer, Lee.
Men don't loan money in that way, do
theyY
Sometimes. Blake would to you"
"And why to me, LelandY
He turned away, imDatiently, some
thing on his lips that sounded like an
oath. He was fast falling in the girls
esteem, and when that is lost, love
cannot live.
zone moment, Mr.. Forsyth" she
said. LET us understand each other.
You are in great need of money, you
say, and l believe you"
Believe meT he sneered. "Thats
stranger
Il have one hundred and fifty dol
lars she continued. without seeming
to notice, "the savings Of months and
the fruits of denials that men know
nothing Of. That amount I will give
you in an hour-a half hour If you
wish. But when you ask me for more
when you are willing even to accept
more, and in that way-oh, Lee! Lee!
l would die for you, but cannot do
that! You would not respect me IL l
did"
And sinking to her seat again, she
covered her face and sobbled bitterly.
ITS all very romantic, and sounds
large to talk Of dying for fellow. But
in my opinion it's n deuced sight bet-
ter to prove your love-if you have any
to prove-by helping me out Of this
tight pinch that a miserable misfor-
tune has got me into. You can do it.
you can do it just as easy as to turn
your hand, and you ought. If you love
me, you will"
A silence fell there then-a silence
broken only by the splash of the foun-
tain, the chirp of the sparrows and the
whistle of the wind.
Suppose l could do that, Lee" the
girl said, lifting her face after long,
long thought-"suppose l could, and
you should fail to pay the sum when
due, what thenT"
Il shall not fail; but If do, Blake'll
never push it. He'd never ask for it,
even"
And you wish me-" she said rising.
and speaking very dlstinctly-"you
wish me to believe that, and believing
It, to carry my pretty face into the
presence Of my employer and ask him
to take it as security for money to be
returned or not returned as the case
may be-?
You put it Queerly. But such things
are done every day"
And poor girls are sold every day to |
the devil;" she retorted, fiercely. "But |
the girl who promised to be your wife |
is made Of no such material. Pure as |
snow she has preserved her life-pure
as snow she will preserve her acts. l |
VIII go to Godfrey Blake-will hum
bic myself enough to do that-and I |
will tell him the truth. viii you wait |
here till l return"
You'd better not make a fool of |
Yourself" he said. Then, noting the |
look on her face, he added: You're |
a good girl, Mollle. III wait here. But |
you'll only make matters worse by |
putting me in"
She did not answer She only turned |
and fed away toward the house she
had left so lately; and it seemed to her
she had grown old a hundred years
since then.
She gained her room unnoticed. and |
taking from her trunk q watch with |
her mothers monogram in diamonds
on Its case, she hurried with it to the
well known house down the street. and
to the private Office Of the firm.
Geoffrey Blake sat there alone when
she entered. He was a stately. we'll
built, well-bred gentleman, with clear,
brown, honest eyes, and soft. fine hair.
where one white hand was; for Geof-
frey Blake was thinking very earnest
ly; and 1t was not srranga thot no |