The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1902-06-14


with shrug Of the shoulders, "he be-
4 comes at once hero in your eyes. We
all know how dearly a woman loves a
reformed rake, or .spendthrift, or any
thing of that Sort
ITS very unfair of you to say that
! Gerard said, Hildred warmly, land
q don't deserve it. Have ever made any
pretense of liking anybody as well as 1
do your = "
Then why don't you tell your mother
boldly, point-blank, that It's OF no use
trying to prevent your marrying me?
i Why don't you take a bold stand, Hill
dred? You're a coward at heart, l be-
level" ...+ Ss.. -. ~
The girl shook her head slowly, with a
troubled look in her eyes. .+..'
l don't think I am" she said. ''but 1
know so we'll what would happen if I
took what you call bold stand. In the
first place, of course. mamma would have
to pretend to agree, and we should be
engaged, shouldn't we?"
well, that would be something, in
stead of my having to stand about and
meet you under the companion in this
hole and corner fashion,
well, but listen. Then. mamma would
never leave off running you down, not
openly, you know but by implication, in
a hundred little pin-pricking ways. Oh,
you don't know what mamma can do in
+ that way r--.; SO -
.'And do you mean to say you would
let yourself be persuaded into thinking
the less of me for her pin pricks?"
mo; but it wouldn't be very pleasant
-noW, would it? Well, then, there's
other thing she'd do. She would never
leave you alonc.> TO you think you could
always be aniable and courteous, as wen
as wise and discreet. while mamma was
continually making half-sad illusions to
to what she didn't approve of?"'
He frowned uneasily.
would she do that?" he said. Il
can't believe it of her,
''Well, she would, feel sure, and that
wouldn't be all. Remember, I have to
go with her just where she pleaSes to
take me, and you may be very sure that,
if were to engage myself to you, she'd
please to take me where we could never
see each other. Or e
''But we wouldn't have long engage
ment- Whv should YOU? After all. I am
not pauper, you know, and there's MOTH
ing to wait fOr.''
Hildred sighed.
II don't believe you really care about
me at ALL" said he,, hurt and offended by
her silence. .~f
! The tears came to her blue eyes.
II knew you'd say that" she muir
INJURED. But it isn't true. I do love you,
as I've told you a hundred times. And
until the major took sides against you
was always hoping
ABR he burst out with an explosion
Of rage II knew it was he who had done
this. I knew your mother would never
have been so insolent to me as she has
been the last day or two
'Oh, don't! don't talk about it,. I know
it's true, and it breaks my heart to hear
iher.''
'"Then, do you really mean r. let them
arrange your life for you, and marry
you to this fellow you don't care two
straws about? Or, stay, perhaps you
are all the time only flirting with me,
just to lead the other man on? Per
haps-'' sf ,>."t-
perhaps you're a jealous goose, Ger
ard. 1 not only do not like the prince.
but I positively dislike him. If I were
shut up In prison until I married him I
should remain in prison all my life. L
don't think | can say anything stronger
| than that F'-' : "a
do you mean that2'' 49, X ~--~ =.
| "1ndeed-indeed, I do"
'But why? He's good looking-much
better looking than I am
II know he is; he's much better man
nered than you are 7 really tb'ck. And
I'm sure he's clevexer and can calk more
languages and all that"
Yes, and he's given up gambling to
please you I suppose, which is quite
touching, of course" burst out Gerard,
angrily.
HAS he? didn't know it. was going
to say that what he is and what he does
makes no difference. Although 1 don't
know why, I dislike him, almost as much,
| Gerard, as like you"
There was some comfort in this assur-
ance, and with that and a surreptitious
kiss Capt. Tarring had to be content
But, if anything, things grew worse as
the days went on, and the prince devoted
himself so assiduously to Mrs. Erne and
her daughter that the rumor grew that
| Mildred was engaged to the handsome
young nobleman And Capt. Tarring,
eating his heart out in rage and disgust
| withdrew into the background, wonder.
ing whether Hildred was true at heart
after all.
Before the end of the voyage Capt. Tar
ring had withdrawn himself so complete
ly from the Ernes. that there was no
question but that Prince Lagonegro had
! custed him from the affections of the
| beauty. 1t was by chance rather than by
ces1gn unar Capt IarTIns lv..Ilu Il1nt-eI1
| in the vicinity of Mrs. Erne, her daugh-
ter, the major and Prince Lagonegro when
Il the ship at last cast anchor.
| I1ildred tried in vain to get near enough
to Gerard and far enough from her
| mother to exchange few words of re-
monstrance or of farewell, Prince La
| gonegro, tender of manner and fowery of
! speech, stood steadily in the way, with
his faithful friend and companion, Maj.
| Stairway, close behind him. The major
| slipped his arm within that of the young
1.obleman, however, and asked him
whether he was not glad to be home
again. H.. a3..~ <..s r.. t.+
/ Indeed, I ami" cried the prince, less
1 fervently, however, than might have
been expected. His attention was fixed
| upon two keen-eyed men advancing to-
| ward him, invited by a wave of the ma
| 1or's hand. ~ >>
\ The keen-eyed men came straight up to
the group, ard the prince, more uneasy
/ than ever, made another attempt to get
! free from the majors hand =.
| Are you looking for Maj. Stanway?,
1 asked that officer, as the men came up to
him. :" =:
Yes, sir" said the first man, his ewes
travelling at once from the major to his
] companion. "This is the gentleman YOU
/ wished us to meet, tfiink?''
At the same time he laid heavy hand
| upon the shoulder Of the pale prince 4
What do you mean? Who are you?
How dare you lay hands on me?" asked
I the nobleman, Indignantly.
The man nodded at the major, without
taking any notice Of his companions
discontinue
Right, SIR said he. We've been
looking for this gentleman for some time
4 Come now"-and he turned persuasively
to the. prlnce-the games up. You'd bet
ter come away with us quietly
/ The prince came rapidly to the same
i conclusion. With a hasty bow to the Ia
dies, assuring them that he would meet
to the tender. while Mrs Erne. winter
than he was. turned terror-stricken to
the major and asked what was the mat
4 ter.