The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-09-11

clined to try
What can do for you, Mr.. Coyne:'
With strong effort she forced an eli
couraging smile to her lips.
~ want should like You 20 act a.
my proxy. | could say to you, Mis-,
Nelson, what really don't think coul,
say to All ordinary girl" There was III
emphasis on ''ordinary.') Il mean this
Knowing your opinions, l could Spc;ll
freely to you, and should like to say
just what | would say to the girl I'm il
love with, and then will ask you TO re
peat it, as well as you can, or tell it IL
your own words, to the girl ofmy choice
You know I've been more attentive to
you and Miss Carron-I suppose ought
to say Miss Carron and you'-than any
one else. You must excuse my grammar
What's grammar-what's mathematics
or anything to a man i'll love? Well,
hope I've said enough to tell YOU my
secret, It's case of your acting as my
proxy"
Jennie ought to have laughed outright
at the ridiculous situation, but she could
not. That phrase about mathematics
being nothing to love struck her as
strangely true. Her favoritc study seem
ed hollow and uninviting. Was it that
she had? She would not complete the
thought She bit her lip in order to re-
press a cry.
"You are trying not to laugh at ne,
l know it, because you are biting your
| lip. Please don't"
II am not laughing, Mr. Coyne." Her
voice seemed strange in her own ears
Could he not see by her face that she was
not laughing? Why was he so cruel:
But no. 1t was better that he should not
read her thoughts; he must think just The
opposite of the truth.
II am glad of that he exclaimed earn
eStly. Twill you be my proxy"
Certainly" 1t was all she could
manage to articulate. She felt her face
grow cold, and thanked heaven that lie
was too much absorbed to notice it. SIZE
was rightly punished. Fate plays strange
tricks, and she who had laughed at love
was to hear the passionate 81 ecches in
tended for another, whcn-they ought to
be for her. Poetic justice, with VEN
geance!
II would tell her first of all that love
her." he began slowly, his eye turned
slightly from the face of his proxy and
fixed on point in the further corner
Love her! The words are tame, too
tame to express the depth of my feelings.
We have no word in our language that
will convey what feel" His voice had
been quiet, but his passion was overcom-
ing him.
81 love you beyond the power oftongue
to tellI'. 1t was passionate outburst
to the imaginary figure in the corner.
The man was letting himself go in front
of his proxy in the hope that his fire
would be infused into her being-the be-
ing of believer in the superiority of the
fair sex. Would she be able to convey
the message to Helen Carron in manner
that would do credit to the passion of
man who was speaking SO passionately
to her in spirit?
81 love you and will devote my life to
making you happy. | will watch over
you to guard you from trouble, and will
tear away the thorns and lacerate my
own hands that you may have the roses,
only the roses! Life shall be a walk
among roses for you, if my life can make
that possible"
'To me you will be 4 true helpmate,
cheering when troubles bcset, encourag-
ing me to fresh effort, sharing in the
triumphs that your loving and tender
nature will so greatly assist me to win
have watched you for a month, and |
know l have Judged you Alright, though
to others you may seem different
His voice had sunk into a low murmur
of passion. There was no doubling the
depth of his love. But was his Judgment
of Helen correct? That was the thought
of the unhappy proxy, tortured by hear
ing speeches intended for another, but
which her own heart cried out to have
and keep for herself Perhaps that was
a thought inspired by jealousy! Why
should he not have Judged Helen correct
ly? 1t was only a fortnight ago that she
herself had suggested that Helen would
make him a good wife. How her heart
beat it seemed as if he must hear it, in
its rebellion against the bestowal of his
love on another.
"You cannot gauge the power of my
love for you," he went on, in the same
tone. He appeared to have forgotten
the presence of Jennie; his hands were
clasped with a tight nervous grip. II
am tortured by the suspicion that you do
not return it, and without it life will be
a thing of no value, thing of darkness.
Nothing urges man to do his utmost so
much as the love of a woman-his love
for her and hers for him. What more
can say? Nay"-springing suddenly to
his feet-I cannot say more"
His face was pale and agitated. She
saw that in one swift glance. The ordeal
was over, and life for her had lost its
sweetness: 1t was just: in the midst of
her pain she acknowledged that love was
a Ieaven-sent blessing to make the
journey through the world more happy,
more endurable, and she had laughed at
it! Now it had taken possession of it,
and she awoke to find that the love for
which she cravcd was given to another.
She heard him speaking as in the dis
tance. Would she be his proxy2
"You are pale, Miss Nelson; | have
overtaxed your patience. Will you do it
for me?" "a pause) Can you do it,"
She covered her face with her hands
She swaycd on her seat. Then a strong
arm was around her and her hands were
gently drawn aside.
'My little plot succeeded. l feel awful
small, though, for playing you such
trick. But fear that you might be
foolish enough, even if you loved me, to
fear what Mrs. Grundy would say to you
for not acting up to your opinions
your expressed, but not your real opin-
ions. Many persons have wrecked their
own lives and those of others by that
line of conduct. Then had to find out
whether you did really love me, and this
little comedy revealed the fact. But"