The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-03-06

self In her cutoff existence, without
husband or children Or household in
terests, it was really OF SO very little
importance whether she had inherited
honor or d name Of shame What had
she to do with the hopes and fears
and sweet ambitions for the future,
that alone could make such a heritage
thing Of vital Importance?
And so, existing rather than living,
months and then years years which
would have been the best ones of
James womanhood) crept along. She
heard not infrequently Of Mohun,
through indirect channels, during these
! years; but he never wrote her single
letter, and except a day or two at
Christmas, when he came down to look
over accounts with his steward-he
never visited Yatton What she heard
Of him was not news of very con-
soling nature. Perhaps. under such
circumstances, it is difficult for any
news of the one who lives to be con-
soling to the one who mourns and
vegetables In the first place, and be-
fore their engagement had been broken
off a year, came word that Mr.. Mohun
was to be married in hot haste to an
CARTS daughter, a woman several years
older than himself, and who, even in
her youth, had never been the pos
SCISSOR Of grace or beauty,
"He marries for rank" thought Jane.
Birth without love, sooner than my
paternity and such love as / could have
given him."
And it took something from the Bit
terness of the tears with which she
wept over her wedding ring to think
of the years Of the woman on whose
marriage day she must put it from her
breast; and that Clifford, although he
was going to take wife, had not for
gotten her enough to take to bis heart
another love.
The marriage was broken off-some
said by the lady, others, better Informed
1 fancy, by Clifford himself. Possibly his
pride reyolted at the thought Of the inn
mense superiority Of his wife's posi-
ton over his own; possibly his heart
revolted at the nearer prospect of pos
sessing the face for whose ancestors
he proposed to sacrifice himself. Jane,
of course. gave him credit for the lat
ter motive. 1t was SO delightful to
hope that the remembrance of her pre-
vented Clifford from being led away
(poor JaneD by any unworthier feeling
than love: and when the news came
that his engagement was definitely
over, her ring was consigned more
fondly than ever TO its place of keep
ing, and Mr.. Mohun exalted, if pos
sible, to a higher pedestal than before
in her regard.
There was another report Of his mar
rage in the following year. This time
the bride was young and pretty, only
daughter Of a rich city merchant; and
this time, beyond all possibility of
doubt. it was the bride-elect herself
who played Clifford false at the last
marrying her own first cousin, a gem
tleman in Birmingham, whose income
exceeded by about six times that of
the heir of Yatton. And all who saw
Clifford Mohun now declared his dis
gust and disappointment to be ex-
tremely genuine; and he grew very
cynical indeed, people said on the sub
ject of love and marriage and young
ladies' generally; and Jane Grand, who
had this time laid aside her wedding
ring during the heat Of the engage.
ment, hung it submissively around her
neck again on the renewal of Mr.. Mo-
huns freedom, and told Mr. Follett she
considered it very merciful thing the
marriage had not taken place, for she
knew Gifford's sense of honor was far
too delicate for him ever to have been
really and entirely happy with wife
to whom he owed his WEALTH.
And after this there were no more
reports of Mohun's marrying; indeed,
few reports of any kind about him
which reached Jane Grand's ears
Once, only, at Christmas, when he
came down as usual to Yatton for
twenty four hours, she CHANGED to see
his face through a cottage window
as he was driving back to the station
and she then saw that he had altered
much--his sunburnt, boyish face grown
pale and old before its time; and she
wondered was it for love of her, or fol-
the lady Sophia, or for the city heiress!
and said very long prayer for Gif.
ford as she knelt at her bedside that
night.
And this was the last Christmas
when Mohun came down to settle ac.
counts with his steward. and the old