The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1901-09-26

you have cause 70 hate her-and / do
not---you have none 10 hate me. Con-
slider tho injustice. Let me say now
I did not expect ever 10 say 10, hut .
man IL no man who will not defend
himself-let me say now that, SO far
from having cause 70 hate me, II pro-
found respect, " sympathy for your
loneliness, II genuine affection and the
tenderest love count for anything with
a woman, you have more than sufficient
cause 70 think well Of me-" Frances
looked upon him with amazement.
touched In spite Of her resolution. He
was not slow 10 perceive this. "My
mother" he continued, sis not from the
worlds standpoint q lovable woman,
but she is-my mother; and ] am her
son. She Is self-willed; but she Is just.
Shall I admit IL TO you? She has made
my life unhappy; she has been the
cause Of my living abroad"
"who was Louise, then? And why
should the mention Of her name--have
killed my father?" She covered her
face with her hands, and gave way
gently to her tears. He waited a few
moments until she regained her com
posurc.
"Tbere are turned down pages in
the lives Of ali men, Miss Brookin--
and In the lives of some women. An
other time I shall tell you the his
tory OF Louise, and let you Judge me
II you will. But I swear TO you now
as though I stood In the presence Of
God. that I did not lead her of by
means OF n mock marriage--I did not!
You may not understand IL, but there
are times when the man is not alone
to blame in these matters. lie is in
volvcd through his chivalry; and in
| trying to protect woman he some
! times ruins both the woman and him
self. ! have sinned. but II you knew
how I suffered you would pity. not
blame me. Complete reparation was
impos ossible-but | have done my best; !;
and to-day my life is as free from
evil as most mems"
In no other way could Holbin have
so touched the girls heart. At the
moment she did pity him. Recent
scenes in her own life rose before
her as he had spoken. She turned
to him. generous and impulsive.
Forgive me II I have misjudged
you" The words surprised and
alarmed her. He was not slow to see
his opportunity and take advantage
of IL.
"If you misiudged me, IL was nat.
ural: for never was a man more un-
fortunately situated to achieve the
dearest wish of his heart than l am
"Your dearest wish" she began.
"The wish to make you my wife,
Frances; you will think IL very nat
ural wish under the circumstances
surrounding MS, I am afraid, and yet
whatever may have been my mothers
interest in your fathers will, knew
nothing whatever Of II. Why, l have
been here a few weeks only. And
do you suppose for one moment tina,
I could share in any property extort
ed from you by such strange circum.
stances? I am not the heir. II you
refuse TO marry me. but may hell
you, and I will. My dear girl, upor
the day you are 21 II am sure that
you do not wish TO take your property
with the encumbrance of husband,
shall in writing decline to MARI,
you"
"Oh. Mr.. Holbin!"
"For the rest-this miserable mys
tcry-you are answered already. Il
l believed that you were in any wa,
compromised, would not admit thn
love you--!"
"Please! please do not"
~ could not even remain in thi,
city and doubt you. But rs a maj
who has seen many woman tn,
innocent victim OF mistakes and ba,
advice, am bound to use every en-
deavor to protect your own and m,
mothers interests. This DIR. Brod
mar"
"He is my friend! Don't speak II
OF him."
az speak i'll OF no one. But I war;
you that he is absolutely unfit L
advise a girl. Headstrcng, opinion
ated, arrogant, he stakes everything
upon his own judgment, and whel
such man loses, he loses for other
besides himself. Frankly, have seel
, men by the ten thousand until on
mans face anywhere indicates tn
mora! tribe to which he belongs; an
I tell you DIR. Brodnar may be true +
one friend at the expense OF an
other"
~ cannot listen 10 you accuse him.
II shall not accuse him. I shal
only say that now demand nothin,
Of you, but ! ask you as a man who's
, tenderest solicitude Is for you to In
I form me Of the mysterious occurrenc
, in this room. will your" France
. was embarrassed; but she looked u
I at length with a kinder look In he
5 face than he had yet seen.
E There Is nothing ! may tell you,
she said. "but this: ! am sorry, sin
; cerely sorry, that have misjudge
: you, and think you are generous an
, kind to me-
"For that I thank you. And nov
, again forgive me for having trouble
you to-day-the matter seemed
4 | pressing one. Will you-will You sti
> insist on the Miss Brookin" May
not sometimes say 'Frances?"
at matters little" she said a
2 length. But when he was gone sh
= reviewed her action with CROWN
!. wonder. "What possessed me-whn
Influenced me to yield so much?' sh
y | asked herself over and over. She wa
too young to know that a myster
was involved In that question as ol
!. rs the human race.