Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1903-02-13

OtNN oSohy ehA tt
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
II 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 coldly:
II have made up my mind to leave this
house tomorrow. Under the circum-
stances it will be much the best thing 1
can do. l feel that l have already tres
passed too long upon the hospitality of
Mr.. and Mrs. Ellesmere."
Miss June, who has such a love Of JUS
tice, can be a trif1e unjust herself under
the influence Of anger. June in a tenn
per is quite a new spectacle to Tom; he
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 dariing?"
81 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. 81 shall never be
anything to you now. AS for your pre-
tending to care for me, 1t was a 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 1 ever have told your" she
exclaims. II have humbled myself in the
DUST" and here she begins to cry, half
from pride, half from shame, "just be-
cause l 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 penitence.
Aunt Mary will be glad to have me-
sobs Miss June; "she will not find me q
trouble; she will not want to get rid OF
me-"
This shaft, as we can well understand
is intended for Mrs. Ellesmere, but Ton
feels il and the truth of it most keenly.
He cannot find words with which t.
answer it, therefore he tries once more
to put his arm round June. To avoid hin
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, h
! takes both her hands in one Of his an,
puts his other arm about her; she ma.
resist if she pleases, but it is Of no avai
against his strength.
June does not hurt herself by strug
Cling; she has a more potent weapon tina
Toms strength in that sharp little swor,
which Providence has given her not onl
to defend herself with, but to wound he
adversary.
"Of course I am no match for you
YOU use violence" she says, cOldly.
But even this taunt does not cause Tor
Dut
to relax his hold.
81 have never loved any woman bu
you." he avs in a voice that Is not quit
steady. "My one idea of happiness is I
have you for my wife; my one idea Of III
ter misery and wretchedness is to los
YOU. But" and here his emotion is a
most too much for him, II would rattle
|, lose YOU ten times over than that yo
t should find you had made q mistake
, that after you married Inc yor should fe'
Won might have cared for some n NOR
, You only saw Dial a few tine an
yet"
"Don't speak Of himv' cried June, v
hemently. 81 hate the very sound Of b
name!"
: But IL you saw him again-
"Neyer! never! / despise him. o.
t Tom" and the girl looks up in his fa'
with eloquent eyes, "you need not fei
: him or any one else now. When I-whe
: I thought l fancied him, 1t was because
did not care for you. l did not know ye
( then, dear, dear Tom, nor how kim ar
a good you were. / may tell you frank
$ I never believed l could love you the
$ but now 1 dol do with oil my heart"
e "Are you quite sure you love mef'
cries, passionately.
s "Quite sure" she answers, softly:
!: After that there Is no more talk
e doubt; indeed, there is very little ak
e nil. But yet neither Of them has ev
s been so happy before.
CHAPTER MI.
The wedding day was fixed for Z
. middle of the last week In August, al
"a - p...n u,rota IN her sister-in-la'