The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-01-15

up: he is suffering mortal agony and try
ing with all his might to conceal it.
June takes a book after dinner. She
will not bestow one look upon Tom. He
tries to read the paper, but glances COW
ertly at her from behind it and wonders
if this awful thing she has told him can
be true-wonders why she should be an
CRY, which she evidently is, and most of
ALL longs to take her in his arms and say
he forgives her. and to hear from her that
she really and truly consents to be his.
Mrs. Ellesmere, waking from her dose,
goes off to her bOudoir to- write some let
tiers. Tom sits for about ten minutes
thinking how he shall approach his lady
love, when she saves him the trouble by
turning round, laying her book down and
saying coldy:
Il have made up my mind to leave this
house tomorrow Under the circum-
stances it will be much the best thing
can do. | feel that l have already tres
passed too long upon the hospitality of
Mr. and Mrs. Ellesmere."
Miss June, who has such love of JUS
tice, can be a tritle unjust herself under
the influence Of anger. June in a tenn
per is quite a new spectacle to Tom; lie
is positively daunted by the manner of
this slim young girl. He springs from
his chair in a moment, crying:
What do you mean, my darling?'
Il am not your darling" returns June,
waving him off as she sees, with her
quick woman's instinct, that she is going
to get the best of it. Il shall never be
anything to you now. AS for your pre-
tending to care for me, it was farce"
A farce! For a moment Tom is speech
less. Then he cries:
Don't talk like that. Don't be angry
with me, darling. 1t was such an awful
blow"
June's eyes blaze; the blood mounts to
her cheeks.
"Why need ever have told you?" she
exclaims. Il have humbled myself in the
dust" and here she begins to cry, half
from pride, half from shame, lust be-
cause | thought it was right and honora-
BILE. and you treat me like this"
Tom feels himself the most utter brute
on earth, as men do the first time they
make the woman they love madly, cry.
He essays to take her hand, but she
snatches it from him; she turns her back
upon him; she refuses to accept the ex-
preston of his pentence.
sobs Miss June; ''she will not find me
trouble; she will not want to get rid of
me-"
This shaft, as we can we'll understand,
is intended for Mrs Ellesmere, but Tom
feels il and the truth of it most keenly.
He cannot find words with which to
answer it, therefore he tries once more
to put his arm round June. To avoid him
she jumps up and runs to the fireplace.
"You need not come and see me there"
she adds. But this is too much for Tom.
He approaches her with resolution, he
takes both her hands in one of his and
puts his other arm about her; she may
resist if she pleases, but it is of no avail
against his strength.
June does not hurt herself by strug-
Cling; she has more potent weapon than
Toms strength in that sharp little sword
which Providence has given her not only
to defend herself with, but to wound her
adversary.
"Of course l am no match for you if
you use violence" she says, coldly.
But even this taunt does not cause Tom
to relax his hold.
81 have never loved any woman but
you," he says, in voice that is not quite
steady. my one idea of happiness is to
have you for my wife; my one idea of ut
ter misery and wretchedness is to lose
you. But" and here his emotion is al
most too much for him, Il would rather
lose you ten times over than that you
I should find you had made a mistake
that after you married me you should feel
you might have cared for some one more.
You only saw Dial a few times, and
yet"
Don't speak of him.! cried June, We
hemently. Il hate the very sound of his
name!
but If you saw him again"
'Never. never! l despise him. Oh,
| Tom," and the girl looks up in his face
with eloquent eyes, you need not fear
him or any one else now. When when
| thought l fancied him. it was because /
did not care for you. did not know you
then, dear, dear Tom, nor how kind and
good you were. l may tell you frankly
| never believed l could love you then;
but now / dol do with all my heart"
Are you quite sure you love me?" he
cries, passionately.
"Quite sure" she answers, softly.
After that there is no more talk of
doubt; indeed, there is very little talk at
all. But yet neither of them has ever
been so happy before.
CHAPTER MI.
The wedding day was fixed for the
middle of the last week in August. and