The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1908-02-05
A BARGAIN
OF LOVE-.
BY AUSTIN MAITLAND.

t~~~<~-~~~~~-~~~~~~> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>~~~~
: II am supposed to meet him to-
night" she said.
r"And what will happen then?" he
asked, with amusement in his eyes.
l. She shrugged her shoulders.
+ Father will keep an eye on me
and see that he takes me in to sup
per. He will point us out to every
one and make me feel horribly un-
comfortable" She threw her head
back in annoyance. "The sense OF
duty about 1t all is so odious," she
added.
II can quite understand It," he
said sympathe etically, and then amuse-
ment crept into his eyes again as he
remarked: And what will you do?"
y, She clasped her hands about her
knees and looked out between the
curtains that protected the alcove in
which they were sitting from the hall.
Through them she could see into the
ballroom, where a gay waltz was in
riotous progress. Everybody seemed
careless and happy there. There was
no one condemned as she had been.
IL there had been no binding in the
arrangement, 1t might all have been
30 different, she might have felt even
her curiosity awakened to such a
pitch that it would certainly have
been interesting. But to be COM
PEELED by circumstances-she who,
until the calamity had come to her
fathers financial affairs, had been
accustomed to every wish being graft
fied-to be compelled to marry a
man, whom she had only heard of
from very vague and indefinite
sources, merely because it was a fam
lily understandings was quite a
different matter. Its advantages were
those which, at her age, she could not
realize at their full value. That she
would be left penniless, If she did not
comply with the agreement, was al
most incomprehensible to her. The
duty of supporting herself had never
fallen to her lot, and now when 1t
came to self-interest - almost self
preservation-she felt the irksome-
ness of its being thrust upon her
shoulders. g. "a.
EAnd lastly-to make It all harder
still--Cyril Foster had been staying
with them for the Easter holidays,
and for the ball, which, for the last
few days, she had learned to look
upon as fatality. She had never
heard of him before as friend of her
fathers. 1t would have made very
little difference II she had, for he had
already won a higher place In her es-
tirnation than any man had ever occu-
pied before.
" In a moment of regret, as she
looked at his face, she had told him
all about the doom that was hanging
over her, and, unlike other men,
whose sympathies would have Jared
upon her, he had tried to laugh 1t
into forgetfulness.
1T hasn't come to the point yet"
he said, "and people are given mo-
ments like these to enjoy themselves
in"
- AS she sat with her hands clasped
over her knees, she thought over his
question. What would she do? She
scarcely knew. 1t was really unkind
OF him to ask her.
"Oh, I should be a fool II didn't
marry him." she said. She may have
hoped to make him jealous, and he
may have seen the effort, for he
leaned forward and looked into her
face.
= You will marry him If he comes?'
he said.
Il suppose So" she said, as indif
ferently as she could.
He took out his watch.
y "Is he the only man who .coult
make" he hesitated, fearing t.
hurt her feelings, who could max,
you happy and comfortable?"
"Happy?" She laughed a littl,
In disgust, at the word being applied
to such a case. Its the old, oil
story of his land being next to ours
ana the combination would keel
father we'll off for the rest of hi
life," she said. Horribly sordid
isn't it," she added.
He looked at his watch critically
but said nothing.
"You don't help me in the least.
she said. why don't you sugges
something?"
II thought that you'd made u
your mind?" he said, smiling.
She sighed petulantly, thinking h
might have known that she did no
mean it.
What time is he supposed t
come?" he asked after a pause.
"Oh, no special time" she replied
Most men turn up late-and 1 don
suppose his anxiety is so very great.
Are you fond of making bal
gains?" he ssked-it seemed a. littl
irrelevantly. Most women are."
How do you. mean3",. she asked
looking at him In surprise.
He took up her program. where