The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-02-25
by JEANNET1rE ". WAlWogTN

| lawyers have nothinR 10 90 Win thls
! business. With my consent they never
! shall Can IL my wedding gift TO Oil
\ via. There is nothing In the agreement
I debarring a gift. l used to think she
| liked the old place. i will be glad 10
think OF her as its mistress"
The sharp shrek OF the locomotive
sounded near at hand. He sprang up
and seized his bag. Westover detained
him with a hand on his shoulder.
LET II rest at that for the present. We
are friends. Broxton?"
Friends" said Tom, looking down into
the other mans honest eyes. Il leave
Vaudeville richer by that much
The grasses OF months growth waved
their swordlil1e blades about Horace Mat
thews grave before ollie would consent
To see any one but Miss Malvina. Then
a somewhat imperative note from Clar-
ence compelled her from her seclusion.
lie was going TO meet his father and
mother in Paris he wrote, and while
there he might execute many commits
sions for her. Jeanne and mother would
be so glad 20 buy all your wedding hnery
for you. and as soon as they all get back
my dear little girl and her devoted lover
will be made one"
To this Ollie returned very short
answer:
Dear Clarence-Please come TO see me
20 you before you start for Paris.
And Westover obeyed the summons.
She looked so pale and wan, unlike
his vivid. brilliant Olivia, as she came
toward him i'm her plain black robe that
he was conscious OF a shock to his
aesthetic Nerves.
by Jovc my dear girl I don't want
to say anything unfeeling, but / hope
YOU are not going 10 wear black any
..f n
see how It evinced respect or affection
for the dead and II certainly does play
the mischief with some women"
You mean that / look hideous. know
I do"
"Of course | don't. Somehow or other
Ollie. you have a talent for making my
words mean the ugiest possible of them.
THAT would be terrible II we were
man and wife and were always misun-
derstanding each other
Westover laughingly said, Pretty bad,
indeed"
''It would be much better not TO get
married, wouldn't IL. Clarence?"
She was twisting her slim fingers in
and about eaeh-etheFr- -GlaAcing- down
at them. he noticed, with a start, that
they were ringless. He looked at her.
Her eyes were fastened on her clasped
hands He touched the finger that had
been encircled by his ring of betrothal
What does that mean. Olivia?'
She opened her hands and showed him
the ring clasped In her palms. She did
not look at him as she answered in
slow, dull voice.
1T means that want you TO take IL
back, Clarence, and give IL to some girl
who will make you happier than j could.
1t means that ! don't want your mother
and Jeanne To buy me anything. because
--bscause-there will be no wedding"
She laid the ring In his hand with
little gasp, then sat quite still. He.
stared at IL dumbly for n moment, the
hot indignant blood mounting higher
into his temples every second.
Would you object 10 being "A little
more explicitY" he asked presently, with
you have some reason or something you
call a reason for this remarkable change
OF mind
Her lips quivered piteously. The hot
tempered young fellow, smarting under
a hurt 10 his pride, took no note Of 1t.
He waited In cold silence
81 have made up my mind never to
marry at ALL Clarence, l am going to live
like Miss Malvina. At first IL won't seem
at all nice, but I'll soon get wrinkled and
old. and my hair will fall out, and life will
grow smooth. and j won't care for any
thing but making beef tea for poor peo-
pie and going to church. Miss Malvina is
"a much happier woman than L.
A loud laugh. fuller OF mockery than OF
mirth, broke up the decorous stiffness OF
the house Mindful of his growing wrath.
Westover clutched frantlcaly at a scape-
goat.
"oh. / see, You are under spinster tut
tlon at present. | fancy Miss Spillman's
temptations To commit matrimony have
not been numerous or Irresistible"
He had rather hoped that she would
flame out at him with her old willfulness
and defiance OF contradiction. Instead she
answered with forbeafihg g-meekness
which made him stare. lie would have
pitied her II he had known how hardly IL
was won.
''Please don't say anything unkind
about Miss Malvins. Clarence. She will be
the only friend / have In the world after
you go away hating me-"
His mood WAS still resentful. NO" he
said. with an unpleasant smile. You for
get"
II forget?"
formidable rival, but | was not just pre-
pared to find him I'm the field"
"Clarencer'
She flung out her hands toward him
imploringly. Her cry was one OF mingled
pain and Indignation Belonging as
WestoVer did, 10 the schooi or lovers VINO
abiure romanticism and eschew heroics,
It fell upon implicated ears.
But my dear girl. do try to be sensi-
BILE Put yourself in my place. For over a
year now have been your afflanced hus-
band. ready 10 marry you whenever you
would consent TO fix the day. First your
father interposcd his loneliness and your
youth as arguments for delay Then his
sickness and death prolonged the term OF
probation. At last. when by the most pa
tient calculations ] consider myself APP
preaching the goal. am met with the
rather unexpected piece Of information
that you have decided you do not want TO
marry anybody
II know--t know. IL sounds absolutely
insane II IL not worth puzzling over.
am not worth grieving about, You won't
for very long"
She was wiping the tears from her
eyes with gentle air OF resignation.
xUbfgh ruougbp1 fires OF WpgtONpT'g