The times., 1901-04-28

to plain and simple skipper? No. Provi-
| dence, Providence. Jack. hath so ordered
| things. | could not help myself
| NO. captain. you could not help things
| Yet" | broke off rs
| We'll. Jack, why don't you rejoice with
| ne? Why the devil don't you laugh and
| sing? All you want is to see her happy.
| Yet there you stand as glum and dumb
| as mute at a funeral
| Il wish her happiness, sir, with all my
| heart"
Sam Semple came here this afternoon
| by order of my lord. Sam gives himself
| airs now that he is n secretary and COM
| panion He came and demanded CONVEX
! sation with me 1t was quite private, he
| said, and of the utmost Importance. SO
| we sat in the parlor, and with a bottle
| of wine between us we talked over the
| business First he told me that his pa
| trOn, as he calls him, meaning his master,
| had been greatly taken with the iunO-
| cence and the beauty of Molly. / replied
i that unless he was stock or a stone or
! an iceberg l expected nothing less. He
| went on to say that. although a noble earl
| with long pedigree and great estate,
| his patron was willing to contract mar
| rage with a girl who was not even of
gentle birth and had nothing but her
/ beauty and her innocence. / told him that
| she had in addition, very large fortune
| He said that his patron scOrned the
| thought of money, being already as rich
| as most noblemen of his exalted rank ;
! that he was willing also to pass over any
| defects in manners, conversation, and
| carriage, which would be Temedied by a
| little acquaintance with the polite world
| In word his lordship offered his hand,
| his name, his. title, his rank, and himself
| to my ward
His condescension, said. "is beyond
| all praise"
! Il think So too: beyond all praise. I
| ask his advice touching a husband for my
| girl. He promises his assistance in the
| matter, and he then offers himself. Jack
could anything be more fortunate?''
! hope it may turn out so. What does
! Molly Say?'
You may go in and ask her yourself.
| She VIII tell you more than she will tell
| anybody else The matter is to be kept
| for the present profound secret be-
| tween his lordshiD and ourselves. But
| since Sam SemDle knows it. and Jen-
infer knows it, and you are one of our
| selves, therefore you may as well know
| it too. But don't talk about it."
Why should it be kept a secret? Why
| should it not be proclaimed everywhere?''
My lord says that the place is a hot
| bed of scandal that he would not have
| Mollys name passed about in the pump
| room, to be the object of common gOs-
| SIP and inventions made uD of envy
ana malice. He would spare Molly this.
| w hen she is once married and taken
away from the place they may say what
| they please. Whatever they say, they
| cannot do her any harm. Why some of
| them even declared that she was one of
| the company of strolling actresses. There
| is nothing that they will not say.
made no reply because it certainly
| lordship had acted in Molly's interests.
| We'll, captain, we must make the best
| OF it You must find your own happi-
| ress in thinking of MoIly's."
What aggrayates me- Jack. is the
| ridiculous behavior of my cousin Jenni-
| fer She is in the Kitchen crying. and
fhe tae,ra nIaek e.k with her Go and comfort her
l looked into the kitchen. Moily's
mother sat in the great wooden chair be-
SIDE the hreDlace She held her apron
| IN her hands af If she had Just pulled
II OH her face. and the tears were on
| her cheeks When she saw me, thev
began to flow again. Jack" she said.
nave nave you heard the. news? Has the
captain told you? The worst has hap
| pened. have lost my girl. She is to
| De married. She viii go away She will
marry man who scorns hr guardian
| aud despises her mother bad begin
ming, Jack. No good can come OF such
| a marriage. A bad beginning On. |
loresee unhappiness, How can Molly be-
come con hne lady: She is but simple
| girl, my own daughter. ! have made her
4 good housewife, and all her knowledge
| VIII be thrown away and lost 1t is a
pad business Jack. Nigra has been telling
her fortune There is nothing hopeful
| All the cards are threatening And the
! magpies and the screech owl
She ieli TO weeping again, after which
she broke out anew: THE captain saws
ne Is the most virtuous man in the world
IL lSn true If ever | saw the inside of a
man in my life, / have seen the inside of
| that al man He is corrupt through and
But consider. All the world Is CRYING
up ms noble conduct and his many
They may say what they Ike. II is
| false. He is heartless He is cold He is
| Seifish. He marries Molly for her money
Persuade the captain, if you can He
Will not believe me-
| How can ! persuade him? I have no
knowledge. Are they all in tale? Are
| you dhe only person who knows the
truth? How do you know it?''
4 know it because [ love nv girl and
so can read the very soul of n man
nave read your soul. Jack. over and over
AGAIN You are true and faithful You
You'd love her and cherish her. But this
mamie knows not what love means, nor
hdeiity, nor anything. Go. Jack There is
tt ne neip IN you or in any other-because
words gf Is Of H6ee f6e r otRer Re ho She spoke the
that hghteth for us but only thou. O Godi
Only thou. o Godt' ," She covered her
face again with her apron and fell to sob
bing afresh.
So went into the parlor where Molly
was sitting. Jack" She jumped up.
'Oh, Jack! want you so badlyi''
Il know all. Molly-except what YOU
yourself say and think about it,
She had piece of work in her hands.
and she began to pun it and pick it as
she replied For the first time in my life
l found Molly uncertain and hesitatfng
The captain says that it is the greatest
honor that was ever offered to any wom-
an 70 be raised from a lowly condition to
a high rank. and all for love"
'Ali for loVe2" I asked
why. what else can it he that made
him fight for me with that desperate vii
lain? He risked his life. Whatever hap
pens Jack, l cannot forget that"
NO 1t was doubtless a great thing to
do Has he told you himself that it was
all for love?"
He has not spoken about love at all.
He has never once been alone with me
II seems that these great people make
love by message. He sent a message by
Sam Semple--'
"A very fine messenger of Cupid.
truly"
Offering marriage. The captain
cannot contain his satisfaction and sits
glum. NV mother says that she will
never see me again and begins to cry"
Well, but. Molly. to be sure it is a
great thing to become countess Most
women would jump at the chance under
any conditions. Do you, however, think
that you can love the man?'
He hasn't asked for love oh. Jack to
| think that people should marry each 9th
| er without word of lovei If he loves me
suppose he thinks that l am bound to
give him love in return"
There again, Molly, do you love the
man?'
Jack. nobody knows me better than
you. What reply can | make?'
He is too cold and too proud for you,
Molly How can you love him? Per
haps,' 1 added, because | was very sure
that she would marry him. after mar
riage You will find that his codness is
only a cloak Ia hide his natural warmth
and that his pride covers his wife as we'll
as himself"
He is good man. Everybody says So
| Lady Anastasia declares that he is the
most honorable and high-principled of
men. On that point | am safe. And