The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-04-14


frank with you. | mistook her for-for
Miss Scott"
who is Miss Scott?'' inquired.
''She is Sibyrs maid. or perhaps I
had better say companion, for we
don't In the smallest degree make a
servant of her." said he. she ia a
young woman of somewhat humble
birth, but excellent breeding and in
struction. Why have you rugged Miss
Scott up like thatY I asked, for there
were so many mysteries in the air that
/ could be pardoned for suspecting an
other. But Sibyl set me right It's
Lucy Ann Witherspoon,' she said. She
comes down from the house TO bring
the lunches n So | thought no more
about it til you mentioned the girl
later, and then | didn't regard it as
necessary to tell ycu that | had heard
her name"
"St. Peterr' l exclaimed. growing hot
in the forehead. 1t can't be that she
really is Miss Scott
"Oh, no., said my father with deci-
sion. "Sibyl would play no such prank
with you. Sibyl is a girl of very deli
cate feeling. Still. she couldn't fore
see
That's just it, | cried. she couldn't
know or suspect that either Miss Scott
or myself would suffer an injury
We were silent for some seconds, and
I pondered deeply.
Il don't care who she u.s. said l at
ago last evening"
q GET f5Y,yf
understand it was so long ago | should
have thought you would have sent for
me at once"
81 wanted to be sure of my ground"
said L: .sure of myself In this week
| have seen Lucy as often as possible,
and | have tried hard to make no mis-
takes. The harm, if there was any,
was done already. 1t remained to see
how it could best be righted. | have
said not a word that savored of love,
though it has been very hard some
times to keep tight rein on my tongue.
/ have found her out to be a girl who
isn't happy, though she has every pos
sible right to be so. 1t is that which
has drawn me to her, and you are to
blame for it. You endowed me with a
great, inherent love for all who suffer
and this is the result. l have come to
the point where | care for nothing
else in the world except her happiness.
The mereSt shadow of pain upon her
face is an appeal to my heart, and
when l can make her laugh and play
like the happy child she ought to be
am in the seventh heaven. l am more
than willing to do this all the rest of
my life. l ask nothing better than to
serve her forever. If this is love, |
love her"
He looked away from me out of the
window and down toward the orchard.
II don't think it is, if you wish for
my opinion he said at last in the gen
tlest way. I'm sorry to say so, but
that isn't love. And don't believe that
you can make any woman take it for
love--that is, the sort of woman I'd like
to see you marry. One you love must
meet a great need of your own heart.
and you mustn't be in doubt about it.
Merely the wish to serve isn't enough.
Love is a bit selfish, you know. And to
marry a woman from a sort of exalted
pity for her. based partly on a vain
idea that you are her only means to
happiness, is the way to make her a
just OBJECT OI the pIiy VI tue dASSlS'
would rather have my arm broken in a
second than in a week, and L would |
rather for her sake see you desert this
girl now, even though you were much
more bound in honor TO her, than wit
ness her long agony in a marriage
with the best fellow in the world who
doesn't love her.
But / am a poor philosopher. Let
me come down to practical advice. |
There is plenty of time. Do nothing |
hastily Marshall, | know you soul and
body. ! know some one whom you
would love. and you couldn't help it.
And as for her
He paused.
You know that she has cared for
me-" said L. In strange way | heard |
of it. When Sibyl was in New York
she did the best thing that she knew /
for man who was learning to love
her. a man whom she will yet love-
am sure. She told him her own story,
thinly disguised. and he, because he
felt it should be known. told me-"
He looked at me in surprise.
4 was not aware that Sibyl went to +
New Yorl, . re said But then she has
told me almost nothing OF her doings.
Before she left the house upon this
wild adventure she begged the right 10
keep me IN the dark. i want you TO
tell me. she said, that | may really lie
to you if necessary | don't see how
can get along without it, And then she
laughed at Inc and petted me for stu
pid old fellow who had been kind 10
her, but was too transparent to be
trusted with her mysteries. Well. well,
we must not wander from the subject.
What / wish is that you shall see her
again. She agrees with mt that the
game is over and that you and she
would better meet at once without dis
oIIise She Is whiting for Won in the