Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-05-07

ness Of her words, the preoccupation
she could not Danish from her manner
But the other had her own preOccupa.
tion, and seemed to find nothing lack.
ing.
These We're the questions which trOu-
bled her, filed her waking thoughts,
mt her restless to bed-was she justi.
he'd In disregarding the confidence re-
posed in her by two people for the sake
or saving four lives from sacrifice? If
she decided to trample on her own hon.
or, at the desperate pleading Of her
err to the son. or the son to the mother
Was there no other way Of accom-
| plishing an end so keenly desired? 1t
seemed not; and SO she waited on IN
lndecision, although to wait was as
hard thing as she could do.
And while she still waited she be-
came the victim Of yet another conf
dence, this time from man again, but
middle-aged and iron gray.
You look a sensible little girl" he
began, abruptly. Are you"
Il hope sou She smiled.
'Then, although we don't know much
OF each other, you'll forgive me for ask
Ing you a question or two which may
seem beyond my limit, believing that
impertinence is the last thing prompt
ing me-
Suddenly arrested in interest, the girl
nodded.
"Then will you tell me If you ever
get below the surface, as 1t WERE in
those long and seemingly confidential
talks you have with our young curate?"
''Have you right to ask?"
Il have, at any rate, a large interest
at stake"
THAT sounds almost the same thing.
l am afraid Of what may and may not
say; but l don't see, at this moment,
any reason why l should not speak the
truth"
"Then you have?'
sometimes" she admitted.
"Once in particular, perhaps?
Il must not tell YOU
"Never mind: that tells me, without
your committing yourself, what l want
to know" lie smiled and turned to her
with a greater show Of hopefulness.
Honor me-" he said, 'by listening a
few minutes. l have it from his mother
that our young curate is not likely to
think Of marrying for long time
Now, l am very anxious to marry his
mother myself, and it seems, unless he
can be hurried into matrimOny-clear-
ed out Of the way, in fact, and provided
with woman to worship him-I shall
never carry out my wish. She thinks
she has disposed of me-she is the best
woman the world holds-but she evil
IDENTIFY little bit undertakes my power
Of perseverance. When l want thing
told her SO: but fancy she took it as
an idle boast, excusable only because
of the speaker. Also l fancy she has
not watched you and our curate in
conversation. Now, have"
What are you going to do?" gasped
the girl.
II am going to tell our curate how
matters stand between his mother and
myself; he is between-and-"
"She didn't bind you to secrecy?'
II have forgotten 1t IL she did. And
If she did, she will forgive me by re-
Suits or l don't know her."
"And If there are no satisfactory re-
suits, she won't know anything about
it,"
"Of course not. thought you could
help me-"
She looked at the mans firm mouth,
his pleasant, kindly eyes. Il want to
help you much more than I've helped
you at present." she said.
But l can't get the woman l want
unless can secure bride for our
curate-clear him out of the way"
Don't talk Of him like that" she
laughed.
"And a troublesome conscience won't
let me go to him after watching him
follow you about with his eyes, unless
can hold out some sort Of hope that he
would be successful in yielding to my
prompting-in. proposing to you, in fact,
to-er-clear the way-for me-"
Cant you?" she blushed and smiled.
Il should not like to. Look here, little
girl l am safe as house; you can very
well trust me- Has he told you he loves
you?"
"Oh, why" she cried, must you put
it round that way?"
The smile deepened slowly in the
pleasant, kindly eyes. Il am open to
correction" he said. "Do you love our
curate enough to share his small in
come with such additions as a step
father might be permitted to make to
IT."
II love him enough to take him with
out n penny-if | got the chance"
"Well done, little girl! Then I'll man.
age it. I'll settle things for the four
of us out of hand"
And this is what he did.-LondOn
World.