Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1901-07-31
one A I'm " A Fascinating
~V%TV 90 Romance
WY q GO by
wv ~ " %\f Alan Adair.D,

VI tCuiou ohO huu lONNh hllls w hdL
woman would not have loved Alan
Mackenzie?
He said nothing, but she could see
his lips qulvering. That troubled her
She felt that he would say no more,
but that the first words must come
from her. He had stated his case he
had pleaded with her. 1t was for her
to say Yes or mo" Only he had
told her the whole truth Some men
would have said less; but then she
loved him for that very truthfulness,
which would hide nothing from her.
81 wish you had not told me-" she
said. For a moment she thought that
this really was so, and that she would
rather not have known; it was only
momentary, however
Would you rather not have
known" he said, and looked at her
responsibility. Joyce, | hate having
to give you this pain; but have al
ways thought that the very essence OF
married happiness lay in the fact that
husband and wife had no secrets from
each other"
did you tell her everything"
asked Joyce, woman-like.
mo. dearest. God forbid that l
should wish to deprecate the girl who
loved me so well; but she was not
your equal, She was simply a pure,
sweet, loving woman; but she would
not have understood. She had pretty
ways of making a house homelike and
charming; but she had but very little
education. l could not have told her
everything. Joyce, you know all about
our brief married life now, l don't
believe that you'll don't believe that
you would be jealous of the dead wo-
man. Now tell me straight out If you
will make me happy. l don't think
you know or can guess What you are
to me-. How my whole lie and soul
are bound up in you, how empty my
life would be without you. think ii
you understood that you u 7uld forget
all about the Story have told you,
and give yourself to me, r. hold and
to keep as the dearest thing In the
world"
The tears were standing in his eyes
he was so much in earnest 1t seemed
to him as II the making or the mar
ring of his life was in this slender
girls hands; and she was moved, too.
"Of course mind, dearest" she said.
If did not mind so much | should
not love you so much. Just think
how would you like it IL some other
man had had my first kiss, my first
words of love!"
81 should not like it at all; should
hate it, Joyce" he said frankly. 81
knew you would. l should have asked
you to marry me a year ago II | had
not had this past behind me. have
loved you well enough all the time.
1t is only now that | have been pre-
sumptuous enough to think that you
love me little that l have spoken;
and IL you do truly love me, Joyce,
you will only be sorry for all that
have suffered in the past"
Joyce was not an ungenerous girl,
and though there was a certain sting
in the fact that Alan had suffered
through another woman, yet she could
feel it in her heart to pity the girl
four months, and who had died in SO
tragic manner She rose Shall we
go in to the others, Alan?" she said,
softly,
But he caught her hand. mot be-
fore l have had my answer, Joyce.
Oh. no! not before | have had my an
swer! Don't be cruel, darling! Put
me out of paint
Dearest she said, you know
your answer. You know that l love
you, and that | would never deny my
love. This unhappy story of yours
has been a surprise to me, and a little
shock; but it does not really make any
difference, does it, when two people
love each other?"
Joyce" he cried-there was the
purest joy in his tone-"Joyce, you
have made me so happy that | have
no words to express my happiness
And you will not think of this again?
1t will not be bar between us? 1t
only comes to me now and again,
when | have thought that you would
not like it. And now, Joyce. you are
cheating me of my kiss of betrothal.
Come behind this rock"
And as Joyce was just a sweet, low
ing girl, who had promised herself to
the man she loved, she made no de-
MUIR but gave him his kiss; and they
both walked up to the house, trying
to forget the thing that had been dis
cussed between them. And, as a mat
ter of fact. they did forget it. They
we're so happy in each other, and so
happy in the prospect of the new life
before them, that they actually did
forget Alan told his story to Joycea