Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-09-26
FRANK VAUGHAN'S
MISTAKE.

ut is no use, Edith, we can never
be more to each other than we are
now. We are both poor, and in addi-
ton, | am up to the collar-bone In
debt"
"But-but you love me?" she asked
timidly.
Love! Bah. What is love? A nom
sensical caprice. Born today, dead to-
morrow. Perhaps did love you once;
but-well, one can't live on sentiment.
We have both been wrong; you for low
ing me, and for being foolish enough
to encourage it. But, Edith, our clan
destine courtship must cease from to-
night. You are but the governess, you
know, while well, society expects
great things from me. You must see
hcw absurd a thought marriage is for
u.s."
Absurd" she murrlured, scarcely
realizing that such levity and cruelty
were possible from the man to whom
she had confided her trust some months
before.
Eyes, utterly absurd. Now, he SEN
sible. Look at the matter in a reason
able light. l dent want to hurt your
feelings, you know, but you are aware
that your position in my uEcle's house
would of itself ridicule the idea of mar
rage between us. OF course, you will
always have friend in me. shall al
ways be glad to advise, and"
"Franx!" she interrupted.
Don't be hysterical, Edith. Their. S
really no need for any fuss, you know.
You are poor; so am |. But l have
position to maintain. You haven't.
Come, let us put an end to our foolish
ness. There's George Markham, the
young clergyman, you know. He's head
over cars in love with you, and-and
you wouldn't have any difficulty with
him. He'd make good husband, and
all that sort of thing"
The poor deluded girl hung her
head in silence. Her breast heaved
unanimously as she endeavored to sup
press her emotion. She trembled in
every limb, and Tor a brief moment
the tears stood in her fine. blue eyes.
But Edith Malvern. this poor, friend
less little governess, had more philOs-
ophy in her nature than the heartless
man walking by her side in his uncle's
grounds gave her credit.
This was staggering blow to her.
To have her hopes dashed to the
ground. and her heart stabbed with
one sudden, unexpected lunge. was tor
ture in the extreme. But there was
that within her which enabled her to
hold her feelings in check. Such
words were concentrated cruelty and
bitterness. But they had unlocked and
opened a capacity within her heart
which she had previously been UNI
aware existed there. 1t was the power
to feel and to be thankful for what she
had escaped from. A man whose
opinions of love and of marriage-tne
most sacred passion and bond in the
universe-were so absolutely debased,
must be worthless. To have been COM
PEELED to call such a man husband"
would have been, to one Of her nature,
mere fearful than this sudden shatter-
ing of her hopes. Had she discovered
his hateful, true inwardness after she
ha dbeen irrevocabl ycAed to him, her
life would have been one prolonged
miser.
Calmly she withdrew her hand from
~ his arm. Her grief seemed suddenly
assuaged. She paused Ey his side. and,
looking steadily into his face, said:
ut shall be as you wish. Yes, have
been foolish. l am, as you have said,
poor, and OF no account in the world.
am parentless as well IS penniless. 1t
it would be-absurd to think of mar
riage. Let us forget the past-be as
though we had never met. Your words
have forever obliterated the past in
my mind. | could not, l would not, be
your wife, though all the world urged
me to it. But your debts, your posi-
ton! How are you going to extricate
yourself from the one and maintain
the other?"
How unsophisticated you are,
Edith"
But you do not surely intend to
make marriage your emancipator?" she
asked.
He smiled at her earnest, plying,
seni-credulous look. and then replied:
We'll. perhaps such proposal seems
-a-peculiar to you; but. my dear
girl, look at things sensibly. There's
Mary, for instance, my cousin. She's
an heiress. believe she-well, thinks
a great deal about ne. You must
have seen it. Edith. Now"
4" But fo- PHYS sake, think of what
you are going to do. Do not deceive
and Letray Miss Mary. Pause before
you attempt to win her love Tor such
sordid ends. Is it not enough that you
should chill one heart without DELHI
erately breaking another? She is of
such a disposition that when she dis
covered-as she undoubtedly would
some day-that you had more regard
for her wealth than for herself, it
would kill her. l entreat you, cor
slider. For myself, l care not; l can
bear the revelation. But Mary-no,
she shall not be thus deceived. Oh,
consider"
There was great deal of ccnsidera-
ton in Frank Vaughan's nature. He
was full of it. But, unfortunately, it
was all for himself He did consider
Mary, truly, but not in the manner en-
joined by the noble girl he had de-