The Holly chieftain., 1903-07-03

Struthers."
Prettily said? | am rot a man to
make pretty speeches, Miss Baldwin.
| am very much in earnest /" He
stopped short in his eager delivery,
and. after an instant, added softly:
Excuse me. l have no right to bore
you with my own emotions"
Bore me? You could not do that,
think" Eleanor answered, awed by
his serious tones into soberness on her
own part.
For some minutes they walked in
silence, traversing the stretch of side
walk that lay between them and the
park. When close to it, he suddenly
turned and said:
There is something | wish you to
hear, Miss Baldwin. l will wait until
We are where we can talk freely"
Whereupon he led the way into the
park and along the main avenue. At
the first opportunity he branched on
INTO a sidepath, with which he ap-
peared to be familiar. When they were
sheltered from probability of Interrupt
ton he slackened his pace, and said.
pcii,ihS " Il DtHCH.
Shall we sit here?"
Eleanor seated herself. She had
OWNED from his manner what was
brewing, and she would fain have pre-
vented him from speaking; but it was
obvious that he was determined to
have his say. He was standing be-
fore her with his hands still clasped
HI plE
grave resolution, his eyes were bright
with the stress of excitement. Still
the voice In which he now began was
composed, though clear:
"A fortnight ago, Miss Baldwin, /
did not know of your existence; to-
day there is TO one in the world to-
ward whom | feel as | feel toward
you. | am young man just starting
in life, poor and struggling, without
influence, and dependent solely on my
own endeavors in order to make my
way. l am well aware that woman
such as you can afford to be indiffer-
ent to the love of man like me-
remember well that on the first even
ing OF cur acquaintance-an evening
every moment of which is precious to
my memory-you said that you would
make none but brilliant match
Moreover, what have l to offer you
except poverty? Even if you would,
we could not venture to be married,
for have not the means with which
to support you. You see recognize
the hopelessness of the situation. And
yet | am bold or fatuous enough,
whichever you may call it, to tell you
OF my love; to tell you what bliss
iul influence your presence and So
ciety have been to me during these
two short weeks. l told you on that
same first evening that l had never
been in love. l know now both it's
rapture and its anguish. know, too,
how the gall of jealousy can in an
instant blot happiness from the heart
and bleach the glory from the sun
shine. You are going away-far away,
very likely, and in another fortnight
| can scarcely hope to be remembered
Well, you have my secret-one which
| did not intend to part with; and the
worst of it is, the telling of it cannot
avail me, as | well understand"
AS Struthers finished he seated him
self on the bench beside Eleanor and
covered his face with his hands
For few moments she was silent.
then she said:
You may be sure of one thing, Mr.
Struthers: | shall not easily forget
you. This fortnight has been a very
pleasant one to me, and largely so be-
cause of your presence. am very,
very sorry that you feel as you do,
and that cannot help you. am your
friend but it is not love that ! feel
for you
Il had no idea that you loved me
No; have merely opened my heart
to you because | could not help it.
Still l shall neYr give up hoping
against hope" u added, lifting his
tear-dimmed eyes to hers. You spoke
once of your life-work and asked if
would ever give up mine for the sake
Of a woman. My life-work for the fu-
ture is to win your love. Only tell me
truly before l cease to trouble YOU
he went on, that there is no one else
whom you love. There was something
in the look of that man who came to
take you to drive with him that forced
the iron into my soul and made me
.se! that | had in him rival Does
he love you, too? You cannot deny it,
| see."
mr. Nv. Dp~ ,l,