The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-02-22

| fiickered like will O tie w.sps under
the influence of raw, east wind.
On the way to Chickering hall, Blake
| encountered crowd. On inquiry he
learned of collision betws IN we ca bic
and private carriage, ard from that
| description his heart knew that it was
| Grace Ward who was injured. He
beckoned passing hanson and drove
! to her home, regardless of all except
that he loved her more dearly than
ever.
At last he saw her, pale and wan, but
was he dreaming?-a delicate blush
mantled her cheek as she held out her
hands to him.
"My darling-my darling! thought
I had lost you'll" he murmured, al he
fell on his knees at her side.
"No, Ned, it was a narrow escape,
Fortunately, Lord Alfred was driving
near and he averted the most serious
consequences" she replied, nervously'
"Lord Alfred! Grace, il he ever to
be near you?" the agitated lover ejac-
ulated, while the color flashed into his
pale face.
"Ned!"
That was all, but the tone Of re-
proach cut him like whip.
"My darling girl, 1t IL rumofed
everywhere that you are engaged to
marry him, but could not believe it.
You would not sell yourself for title
and the paltry gold he controls?" he
asked in a bitter tone.
"Ned! you are unjust to me now as
always. Lord Alfred has been very
kind, he is connection of my family
and he is arranging to restore certain
estates to me that have been in hti-
cation for years. Indeed, Ned, fear
you will be shocked to hear that am
Lady Grace Ward instead Of Oh,
Ned! don't look so horror-stricken,"
she added, roguishly. "It is small af-
fair, anyway. The title goes with the
estates"
"Where are the estates, may ask p
he freezingly inquired.
"In Fifeshire, Scotland, you know
my birthplace. You are not angry
with me because OF this stroke OF good
fortune, are you Nedr" She looked
at him keenly as IL to read his soul.
"Oh, no, congratulate you. but it
seems all dream. Naturally you will
go abroad and look after your affairs.
In that case, you are free-in any case,
I may say, as have no desire to hold
you to"
s'Ned! Ned!" the girl interrupted
him, in a beseeching tone. but his un-
reasonable overtaxed system refused
to recognize it.
81 am no fortune-hunter, Grace, but
your opportunities are greater, and
you must marry BETTING your sta
ton"
"Ned Blake! am ashamed of you
an American gentleman discussing
station and caste in this age and in
this country. That is as absurd as
your unreasonable jealousy over Lord
Alfred. He is not young-more like
father to me, but you assumed that
I was like most of the women, dazzled
by gold and splendor. There are some
exceptions, Ned Blake" retorted the
new thoroughly angered girl. "You
men credit US with intelligence, and at
the slightest deviation from the line
of your Interpretation of ps, from
] your point of view-lo! we are not an
| gelic, seraphic, but individual Dear
me! Why are you all SO illogical? We
have been waiting for certain condi-
tions to prevail that we may marry.
Poverty was our bug-bear; you have
been half-killing yourself to swell
your bank account to respectable pro-
portions, as you term it, that we may
not be followed by that silent subtle
serpent of life that stealthily follows
from place to place, seeking to poison
one in some vital spot-that bug-bear
poverty. Now we-or 1 at least"-she
hastily corrected herself-"have a suf-
ficiency. Fortune or fate brings US
| together once more, and when I have
the pleasure of telling you of our-my
good fortune, you talk of station"
During this impetuous speech, Blake
had time to think that he was not quite
the hero of this little tragedy; the
heroine had the middle of the stage
"Grace, I beg your pardon" said he,
gently. "True, true, every w.rd you
say, but there is sequel. I have been
successful-the mines have panned
out well, and those stocks have gone
whirling up, scattering dividends like
snowfakes, and I have been longing to
come to you and tell you of it. You
must confess that when Nine. Grundy
asserts that one of Beauty's daughters
is to make a sacrifice to Croesus or the
nobility-that is the same thing-a
| poor devil of a newspaper man feels
his chances are nil"
"The newspaper man is supposed to
! be possessed of average intelligence,
have always understood" Grace said
this in bitter manner, her indigna-
| ton being still great.
Certainly, but in this chase for
millions, the spirit of the age, the man
| with the greatest number carries off
the prize. But, forgive me, and take
me back to your loving little heart.
Thank Heaven for the accident and no
serious results except to my heart. In
| your good Scotch-sa mans a man for
, that, a that dear, and we will
let by-gones be by-gones."
He drew her to him in a quick en-
| ,race, and as she hid her flushing face