Saint Mary's beacon., 1901-01-24
Saint Maru's Beacon
HIS COUSINS WIDOW.
CONTINUED from 1st Page.)

Keep gH6 pIOmlse' Oh III hhooS
implored him to do as | asked. /
wept, even prayed, and at last, to
pacify me, he consented. But /
knew at the time that he did not
intend the will to stand; that he
meant to make another, and leave
me all. But he deferred this from
day to day, thinking there was no
cause for him to put his intention
into immediate execution. He
thought to live for years; no intui-
ton told him that he would be SO
suddenly taken, but he died with
out a momant's warning, and no
other will had been made. This
was as | wished. ! had been ac-
cused Of marrying him for his mon
ey, and / thought to show clearly
to those who had maligned and re-
vilved me that | was neither mer-
cenary nor selfish. | thought they
would understand that had so de-
sired Harry would have left me ev.
erything; but that his fortune was
the least thing | cared for. 1t was
his love, his protection, | craved.
| was alone-even my mother had
gone from ne; and there was no
one to whom | could turn for sym
pathy and help. ! married him, lit
tie dreaming Of the position his rela
tives would take toward me, or how
deeply | would suffer from their
prejudice against my poverty. Alb,
the struggle to keep from Harry's
eyes how much | was stung by their
cruelty the constant effort to ap
pear light hearted and careless OF
their opinion ! And now She
paused, covered her face with her
hands, and burst into tears
For a moment Godfrey regarded
her 10 silence, then he moved for
ward, and throwing his arms about
her drew her to bis breast.
Laura, dear Laura be said, in
a voice trembling with emotion, in
this moment my heart has been re.
vealed to me. know that love
you-loye you 80 dearly that your
tears drive me mad with pain. ]
cannot endure to see you suffer J.
Those who have maligned you are
not worth even sigh Forget the
Sights you have received. and let
me protect you from repetition Of
them. Be my wife, Laura, my
cherished, beloved wife.
She started from hls arms as II
she bad received a sudden blow,
and looked up at him, her eyes still
wet with tears, her face expressing
the greatest astouishment-
Love me ? she repeated, you
my husbands cousin Oh, no, no,
it cannot be And YOU ask me to
marry you You would take for
your wife one whom your relatives
think a disgrace to the name Of
Fairfax An, you have spoken on
You cannot mean what
you have said
Laura ! not mean itn cried /
Godfrey. 1t is tho one desire Of /
my life to make you my wife. A
fig for my relatives ! You are worth /
far more to me than all of them
put together, and 80 long as win
you, care not if | never see one Of .
them again
But you hardly know me, said I
Laura.
Il know you well enough to love
you with all my heart and soul, /
returned Godfrey Come, sit here
beside me on this sofa. and listen |
while | tell you why you ought to
be kind to me-
What persuasious and argument /
ne used to gain his suit it matters
little sufficient be it that in the
end it was gained, and though |
Laura insisted upon long engage |
ment, that they might learn to
know each other better, and that
he might have time to weigh well
the step he wished to take, she new
promised to be his wife.
She had said on the occasion Of |
her first meeting with Geoffrey that
she would never more be indebted !
to Fairfax for anything, and that
HarrV's relatives ehonld naver again