The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-09-20

| pCdSdhl btOChy oltBBSTCu anu De-
wildered her. Astonishment pres
emily gave place to hot anger and in
dignation. and all thoughts of love
were driven from her mind. She
would write at once to DR.. Talbot, as
he called himself, and break off the
engagement. He had deceived her,
and therefore she was justified in re-
tracing her promise. She would
soon forget him. and If he could not
forget her-well, he deserved to
suffer.
AS these bitter thoughts passed
through her mind she turned into a
lane which led to the high road, and
came face to face with the object of
her mental denunciations-Dr. Tai
bot himself.
He greeted her warmly, and did
not Immediately notice the coldness
and constraint of her manner.
II found 1 could get away sooner
than l expected, and so thought l
would take you by surprise" he said
blithely.
Clarissa murmured something un-
| Ineligible, and shadow crept into
her lovers blue eyes.
What is the matter, Clare?" he
said reproachfully, Are you not glad
to see me? Have you no welcome to
give me?"
Then Clarissa's anger burst forth,
and in passionate words she told him
what she had learned that afternoon,
concluding scornfully, II never want
TO see your face again! You de-
ceived me. You pretended to be
General Talbot's son, when you are
only a newborn commoner. / shall
try to forget that l ever knew you"
Dr.. Talbot listened in silence, his
iace white and set, till she paused
in her torrent of passionate re-
proaches.
Forgive me, Clare. I ought to
have told you this before, l know,
but I dreaded to disturb our happi-
ness. once heard you say that you
would never marry a man who was
not of good birth, and I loved you
so dearly, l had not the courage to
risk losing you. But you will not let
this part us, Clare? You cannot
mean all you have said" He tried
to take her hand, put she drew it
coldly from him.
"Yes, l mean every word. l de-
spise you for using name you've
no right to, and"
"No, Glare, you wrong me-" inter-
rupted Edwin. Il have every right
to the name l bear. When General
wish that l should take his name,
and that no illusion be made to the
fact that 1 was not his own son. l
am legally Edwin Booth Talbot"
Then changing his tone to one of
gentle persuasion, he continued.
But, Clare, if you loved me before
you knew this, you must love me
still. You cannot have ceased to
care for me because l am not General
Talbot's son. Say you will forgive
me. dear, and let us be happy again.
mo, my love for you died when l
found you had deceived me. 1t is
better for us to part"
Still he pleaded. but Clarissa was
obdurate, and she parted from him
at the gates of Reydon Court with
an air of coldness and Indifference
which cut him more deeply even
than her angry words.
Sir Jasper Blois was not scrry
when he heard that his daughter s
engagement to DR.. Talbot was can
! CHI 40 20
him the reason. He had never
cared much for the young fellow.
chiefly perhaps because of their po-
litical discussions Edwin invariably
espoused the cause of the masses,
and unllinchingly denounced the sell
flshness and vice of the aristocracy
Clarissa would have given much
to recall her angry words aad cold
looks a few weeks later, when she
heard that Dr. Edwin Talbot had
gone to the front Her wounded
pride had not enabled her to forget
him, and she longed for rsconcilia-
ton. How eagerly she read each
day the news from the field of battle.
With what sickening anxiety she
scanned the lists of dead and wound
ed, dreadlng lest his name should
be there.
She persuaded her father to spend
that winter in London, and, plung-
ing into whirl OF gaiety, sought to
forget her misery. One night at the
opera she overheard some fragments
of a conversation, which confirmed
her worst fears.
Edwin Talbot? oh, yes, I knew
him we'll; he was with us at Guys
He was fine fellow, and clever
too"
"Yes, he'll be great loss to the
profession. Never could make Out
what induced him to throw up such
good prospect and go off to the
'front.'"
Il believe he was Tilted by some
heartless girl with whom he was des
perately in love. poor chap. It's {
thousand pities for his splendid tai
ents to be lost to the world.
, fear"
! Clarissa heard no more. The oper,
: house faded from her sight, thu
voices of the speakers behind grew
: confused and indistinct-she saw
, only Edwin's white face and re
, proachful eyes. heard only his plead
l ing words
Say Won forgive. Glare. and lie