Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-06-06

tracks have ever been there but yours.
1t is your garden"
"Only, 1 saw them before l made any
tracks there" she said, quietly.
II don't question your honesty, Miss
Brookin, but others might; and if peo-
pie were disposed to Judge you kindly
they would simply suggest that you
had a powerful motive" To this she
disdained a reply. She had picked up
Brodnar's letter from the table and
moved away, seeing which he said per-
sistently: You will please answer my
question. ] dislike greatly to annoy
you, but my duty is imperative. Your
secret will be safe with me; and 1
must protect the name of my future
wife-that you will admit"
"Your wife? Have you supposed for
moment, sir, that | shall ever become
your wife?" Frances came back and
stood before him. why, Mr.. Holbin,
there is not wealth enough in Virginia
to bring about that!"
"Miss Brookin"--and Holbin sank
his voice to tn" most courteous az
| tones, and met her glances without en-
barrassment-"why is it that you dis
like me?"
II have not given the matter a
thought, sir. l simply accept the fact"
He was silent a moment, his eyes cast
| down.
"You hate my mother" he said, sad
| ly and bitterly, "and l am included; l
understand that. But admitting that
| you have cause to hate her-and / do
not-you have none to hate me. Con-
slider the injustice. Let me say now
I did not expect ever to say it, but
man is no man who will not defend
! himself-let me say now that, so far
from having cause to hate me, if pro-
found respect, if sympathy for your
loneliness, if genuine affection and the
| tenderest love count for anything with
a woman, you have more than sufficient
cause to think we'll of me-" Frances
looked upon him with amazement.
touched in spite of her resolution. He
was not slow to perceive this. My
mother" he continued, 'is not from the
worlds standpoint a lovable woman,
but she is-my mother; and l am her
son. She is self-willed; but she is just.
Shall I admit it 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 few
moments until she regained her COM
posure.
There are turned down pages in
the lives of all men, Miss Brookin-
and in the lives of some women. An
other time l shall tell you the his
tory of Louise, and let you judge me
if you will. But l swear to you now
as though I stood in the presence of
God, that I did not lead her off by
means of a mock marriage-I did not!
You may not understand it, but there
are times when the man is not alone
to blame in these matters. He is in
volved through his chivalry; and in
trying to protect a woman he some
times ruins both the woman and him
self. l have sinned, but if you knew
how 1 suffered you would pity, not
blame me. Complete reparation was
impossible-but l 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 if have misjudged
you" The words surprised and
alarmed her. He was not slow to see
his opportunity and take advantage
of it.
"If you misjudged me, it 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 it very nat
ural wish under the circumstance
surrounding us, am afraid, and yet
whatever may have been my mothers
interest in your fathers WILL / knew
nothing whatever of it. Why, l have
been here n few weeks only. AnC
do you suppose for one moment thai
1 could share in any property eXtort
ed from you by such strange circum
stances? | am not the heir, if yoI
, refuse to marry me, but l may helI
you, and l will. My dear girl, upor
the do" you are 81 if l am sure thai
you do not wish to take .Your property
with the encumbrance of husband,
shall in writing decline to marry
you"
: ooh, Mr.. Holbin!"
, "For the reSt-this miserable mys
tery-you are answered already. l.
believed that you were in any way
compromised, l would not admit tha
: love you-.!"
| "Please! please do not"
81 could not even remain in thi
city and doubt you. But as a maj
who has seen many a woman th'