Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1906-02-09
SCRUPLES'
y
A Novel by
THOMAS Cobb
hnthor of
mi. Passingham, "'''The Judgment
fContinued nYoml iastNweek. }

Indulge in a retrospect! urged
Joan. You have spent a week togeth
er at gsSrsemere- Look back at tina
week
Upon uny soul. dare nat he an
swered, starting from his chair.
Did ymu doubt last week.
Il have always been tormented-
But dNxing her visit to your place
could you Idoubt she bowed yau?'
No., he .muttered. II could have
,staked my life on IL And ri speliev'
sshe would 'thave been equally positive
until she apeached home on Monday.
But she has not admitted any
,change, said Joan.
She said she had heen entrap'
ped
so, in manner she had been, Loan
Insisted. Pauline is abnormally, SEN
.sitiyely conscientious. She warned
you she could not trust herself But,
asked Joan rather abruptly. how do
you propose to act?'
i shall go home tomorrow. and Try
TO grin and bear il
Do you still wish to marry her?
asked Joan.
There is no longer any question of
our marriage he answered.
Because if you do. the worst thing
is TO leave London. ] see it has a
comical side. she said, but my candid
opinion is that at this very moment
Pauline is perplexing herself to de-
eide
She has decided
Then you give in, you surrender
her to Wray!'
1 have already surrendered her.
said Gilbert
You have simply set her free to
choose
She will not choose me-
But said Joan, suppose she re-
fuses HIM
He took a quick step towards her:
i would give my life, he answered.
That would be wasteful in my sup
posititious circumstances she sug-
gested. Now, understand, Wray will
ask her to marry him. AT present she
is very sympathetic towards him.
Like all extremely conscientious per-
sons, Pauline has great self-esteem.
She no doubt blames herself for
having grown cold towards Wray.'
She thought she had done that.
She made mistake said Gilbert.
She fancies he is pining for love
o. her
Is he not?' demanded Gilbert, witt
every sign OF establishment
You see, Amabel has been trying
her by no means prentice hand.
You prefer she should marry ANA.
bel, then!'
There Bernard comes in said Jo-
an. I suppose she has. hirted little
outrGg sously. but--well, | think Bern
arl stands 10 win.
Then, suggested Gilbert thought
fully. you don't want Waterhouse TO
my at ALL
oh, did not say that cried Joan,
rather imprudently. But Joan has
tened to continue, the point which
concerns you is this: Wray will ask
Pauline to marry him; she pities his
broken heart! But II you keep your
self well to the fore, how can she re-
train from plying you also? Take my
advice, Sir Gilbert: don't leave Lon
don. Stay and--as Bernard would say
face the music
i must think about it., he said
oh, you mustn't turn tail, Joan
urged. Seize every opportunity to
brow yourself in her way. For the
rest. you must put your trust in Prov
ldence. With all our puny efforts she
added, there's always something we
must leave you know
CHAPTER XIX.
Gilbert left Joan without giving a
distinct promise to stay in London.
He could not adopt her more hope
full view of the situation, and indeed
she had been a little carried away by
her advocacy. But she had sugg ested
the possibility of Wrays being refus-
ed by Pauline, and this chung to him.
He could conceive nothing more de-
sirable; that she should make a de-
liberate choice and not choose Wray,
would forever put an end to every
jealous doubt. Such a consummation
would be worth his present torture.
Gilbert did not return to Horsemers
on Thursday, but it was another mat
ter to put himself deliberately in
Pauline's way. 1t was true he had an
invitation, received many weeks ago,
tor Lady Dubison's dance on Friday.
He knew that in ordinary circum-
stances she would be present, but IL
was only after dinner on Friday eve
ming that he decided to go.
Pauline and Mrs. Cathcart were no
the only persons who felt surprised Z,
see him arrive For his own part, he
was painfully embarrassed, and for
some time he carefully avoided her.
He never danced, but Pauline manoeu
vred so that she finished waltz by
mis- side. With the necessary diff
ferences due to the time and place,
she greeted him almost in the same
sympathetic manner as she had met
Wray on Monday
L did not expect to see you here
she murmured, ignoring her partner.
You remembered that I had been
invited?' he stammered.