Middletown transcript., 1905-02-11
[oosrIsuED FROM LAST WEEK.
CHAPTER VIII

most unhappy one both to Angus and
to Lenore.
Mrs. Daintrey was rather puzzled at
the sudden change in her daughters
behavior she was SO quiet, so different.
She thought that it was due to remorse.
for her treatment of Hubert Perciyal,
and she forgave her and showed her
forgiveness in her affectionate manner.
Lenore was greatly comforted by this.
At least, she should always have her
mother, she told herself; and perhaps,
if she tried very hard to be good, and
to work steadily, she might in time really
be help to her instead OF only him
drance, as she had been hitherto.
When Lady May came she seemed to
be in good spirits, and was looking we'll.
She too noticed the change in Lenore,
and watched her rather intently for the
first days. She thought that Angus too
was changed. He was no longer SO in
different, and when she saw how his
eyes followed her about, and how eagerly
he sought her company, May almost
believed that he had grown to care for
her until one evening she saw him look
at Lepore, and she saw that his look was
full of love and longing. Vixen she ap-
peared the next day she was very pale,
and her eyes were heavy. She said that
she had had bad night.
81 am sorry for that" said Angus, with
his new ready attention. .'Is there any
thing that I can do for you, May? Had
you not better lie down again?'
''No, thanks-the air will do my head
good, and Will you come out for
a walk with me, Angus? There is some.
thing I want to say to you"
"Of course l will r' he said but his
heart sank. Now that his eyes had been
opened by Lenore, lie was beginning
reluctantly to believe that May did care
for him. He had watched her narrowly,
and he had seen many little things. She
knew Immediately if he came near her.
She would always turn at the sound of
his voice, and if ever he did some small
thing for her she colored up with pleas
ure.
Well, this was the best opportunity,
and it must be settled. He would find
out to-day from Mays own lips whether
she cared or not.
They walked along the rather dirty
country road, silently at first. May
looked i'll, and seemed nervous. Angus
asked her again if it would not have been
wiser for her to rest.
'No-I wanted to come but wanted
to speak to you, Angus. want to break
off our engagement. think that it will
be wiser for both of u.s."
ITO break it off r he echoed in his
great surprise.
May had watched him as she had
spoken the words, and she had seen the
color rush to his face and the light come
into his eyes, but the next moment lie
was asking her gravely, almost, it seemed
regretfully. for her reason.
'T don't think that we need look far
for the reason" she said quite quietly.
and once again Angus colored. Could it
be that she knew of his love for Lenore
: She looked away from him, and her
face was very pale, and her eyes were
dreary and hopeless as she gazed at the
distant trees and the gray cloudy sky.
"We were driven into this engage
ment," she went on in her low voice.
people talked SO much that it seemed
the wisest thing, though even then /
hardly thought it wise. Marriage isn't
for day or for week, but for always :.
and, unless one has love to sweeten the
tie"
"You do not love me?' He asked the
question rather sharply (; but she. evaded
the answer deity, though he did not
notice the evasion then.
"That has been the one question which
has never been raised between u.s." she
said quickly. "We thought and spoke
of the many advantages. Sunley was
yours without the means to keep it up
I had the money, and l loved Sunley.
If / had been boy it would have been
mine. Father wished it, aud we let our
selves drift into this engagement; but we
never asked that question--whether we
loved one another. But now I feel GER
tain that without that love We should be
miserable if we married, and therefore
/ think that without any bitterness on
either side we ought to give it up"
''That is for you to decide" he said
slowly. Even for the sake of Lenore he
would not grasp at the freedom which he
was not sure was offered him willingly.
"If YOU will marry me, MAY, l will do
my best to make you happy"
Il am sure that you would'-she
turned and smiled at him-"but have
made up my mind, you ste. and l am
obstinate. will not marry
you, Angus r. The color faded from her
face as she spoke, and she held out her
hand to him, as if to rob her words of all
hardness. "You are free."
"You are sure that this is your own
wish 2' he asked, for something seemed
to tell him that she did care, though she
was smiling now.
at is entirely my own wish-my own
dea. Angus, if you will let me, l will
istill be your friend. l may still care for
you as friend and cousin, you know,
even though We part and marry else
where"
.'You mean to marry that young Skel.
ton ?" he asked sharply. Even though
he did not wish to marry her himself,
The idea that Fred Skelton should be |
master of Sunley was bitter to him.
"At present have no intention Of .
marrying any one," she said quietly. /
Later, I shall do as think best but |
hardly think that your question was a
iustifiable or courteous one for you to
ask.
ssYse are right il was mt and hope