The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-02-18
The Girl Of the
H06oard

By.
Hod,Qrd
ldin&

with you. Sibyl is a girl Of very dell
cate feeling Still, she couldn't fore
see"-
''That's just it!' I cried. 'She couldn't
know or suspect that either Miss Scott
or myself would suffer an injury
We were silent for some seconds, and
pondered deeply.
Il don't care who she isl said 1 at
last, "since my talk with Trask week
ago last evening"
"a whole week ?" said he. Il didn't
understand it was so long ago. I should
have thought you would have sent for
me at once"
II wanted to be sure of my ground"
said L; ''sure of myself. In this week
1 have seen Lucy as often as possible;
and I have tried hard to make no mis-.
takes. The harm, if there was any,
was done already. It 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 a tight rein on my tongue.
L lave 4OuAO ACA OuI " NC q S1lA w LII
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 tC
blame for it. You endowed me with a
great, inherent love for all who suffer,
and this is the result. I have come tC
the point where 1 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 I can make her laugh and play
like the happy child she ought to be l
am in the seventh heaven. 1 am more
than willing to do this all the rest Of
my life. I ask nothing better than to
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 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 Of the pity Of the angels. 1
would rather have my arm broken in a
second than in week, and would
rather for her sake see you desert this
girl now, even though you we're much
more bound in honor to her, than wit
ness her long agony in marriage
with the best fellow in the world who
doesn't love her.
"But 1 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. 1 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 I. "In strange way I 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, 1
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.
Il was not aware that Sibyl went to
New York." he 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 to
keep me in the dark. L want you to
tell me- she said, that I may really lie
to you If necessary. I don't see how
can get along without it, And then she
laughed at me and petted me for stu
pid old fellow who had been kind TO
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 me that the
game is over and that you and she
would better meet at once without dis
guise. She is waiting for you in the
apple tree lodge. I was there before L
came here"
"You have been there today"
eyes, said he, land the poor child
was rather blue. I think she knows
how matters stand with you. She told
me about singing to you and how you
sang to her and how she dropped the
rose
$50 it was really Sibyl who sangr'
said l with something like groan.
Heaven grant that her voice will not
always ring in my ears.'
ut was she," said he. "And now 90
down to the orchard. She has some
thing to say to you. Then take your
time. Don't hurry about anything. II
you really love Miss Witherspoon and
she loves you, you'll love each other a
great deal better year from now
five years from now, for that matter.
And if there's mistake, it may be set
right. Time will set all right, my bow,
and that's hard doctrine for youth to
swallow. If there's no mistake and