The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1904-01-07

the ancseat caSved-oak furniture -
had bought In Tottenham Court road.
1 He was standing 1t her side before
she recognized his presence. He looked
very big and imposing in his evening
clothes. A large diamond spanked in
his shirt front Was this the lover Of
her dreams?
When he had business In hand, 1t was
not Sir Humphreys custom to beat
about the bush. After remarking ON
the beauty Of the evening-so much
was customary even in strictly bust
ness conversation-he asked her IL she
would be his wife.
For moment she did not reply. Sir
Humphrey recognized the fact that she
was very beautiful and that loyeliness
and the moonlight threw him little
off his balance. He felt he wanted to
take her in his arms and kiss her. The
matter was getting beyond the strict
regime of business.
He had never wanted to kiss any one
before.
It could, of course, be only mat
ter of minutes-a little maiden hesita-
tion-before he had the right to do so.
Minutes? Clarissa was Speaking
do you know my father, Sir Hum
phrey?
..No, I have not that pleasure"
He anticipated no trouble in that
quarter. Was he not Sir Humphrey
Potter?
81 think you will not-cannot-re-
new this proposal when I tell you that
that"
Eyes" urged Sir Humphrey as
Clarissa paused.
HE is in prison." she said, in a
voice scarcely audible, and turning
herself away from him.
.In prison?" gasped Sir Humphrey.
stirred the rushes and died away again.
A wakeful corncrake creaked once and
then subsidized, as If he were alarmed
by the noise he made in that great
stiffness.
Sir Humphrey was thinking. He
could not decide on the instant what
1 he should do. But the moonlight still
exercised its power over him. He still
wanted to kiss her.
Latimer should have told him; It
was monstrous to have introduced him
to this girl without word as to her
fathers disgrace. She was, he sup
posed, living on the charity of the
Latimers. There would be a faint of
crime in her blood, and perhaps II he
married her it would appear in her
children. The thought was horrible.
But he wanted Clarissa.
When, at last, he fell asleep, he had
almost made up his mind to marry hsr.
But when he awoke in the morning
he found his love much less obtrusive
and his business instincts predonli-
nant. Sentiment had faded with the
moonlight.
He wondered how he could have hest
tated. Such a marriage was impossible.
81 am very distressed, very dis
tressed indeed, to learn you are in such
an unfortunate position" he said,
when the opportunity came; "but you
must see, of course, that under the cir
cumstances I cannot repeat the offer
that made yesterday evening, an Of
fer that should not have-that is to
say, had l been informed, as should
have been, of the circumstances, L
should not have-er-put US both in
this painful position"
Sir Humphrey spoke at civic ban
quets.
II hope you will -er-bygones be
bygones, and remember me as a
friend"
Clarissa heard his speech to the end
in silence. She had expected it. Now
it was her turn. She had long ago
realized the perfect self-conceit of the
man. He had thought that she was
ready to throw herself into his arms,
should he choose to open them. She
had decided that to be tricked and de-
ceived by girl would be an invaluable
lesson to him.
She was only acting for his good.
She raised her eyes and looked at
him steadily.
Then she told him that her father
was indeed in prison. He had been
there nearly all his life. It was one
of the largest and most important pris-
ons in England.
He was the governor Of it.-London
Sketch