Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-10-23

believe that you would do 1t deliber
ately. Is It true?"
Lord Wilfred." said the girl,
STRENGTHENING up. you must speak
more clearly II you want me to under.
stand what you have been saying"
Its this" said Lord Wilfrcd, facing
her abruptly and terribly in earnest.
Someone told me last night that you
were married woman. Is it true?"
l could not see the face Of the sec.
retary. but could not help perceiving
the ring of truth in her voice.
I'm not married." she said, simply.
II told Mr.. Terhune SO because I
wanted to disabuse him OF false i'm
preston he was laboring under. But
what Is 1t to you?"
"This," said Wilfred, and he leaned
toward her suddenly and grasped her
hands and put his face within an zach
of her-I could see by the freight its
look of determination and ineffable re-
lief. The secretary gave little cry
and drew back. conjectured that
Wilfred was on the point OF making
an irretrievable ass of himself, so l
interrupted proceedings by knocking
feet At the first sound of the book
falling the two had jumped to their
feet and stood, the girl shrinking close
to Wilfred and Wilfred with his arm
thrown around her.
who goes there?" he said. sternly.
as lie discovered my figure In the
gloom. and "Ah!-it's you. Terhune."
as | came into the circle of light, in a
tone hope may never hear from him
again.
AS the secretary saw who 1t was she
sprang away and was gone from the
room in n second.
Well" he said. with a sneer, as the
curtains closed behind her. "eaves-
dropper. meddllng as usual. What
can | do for you?"
sat down on the stool sit down."
l said. with quiet authority. ''and we'll
talk 1t over" He sat down. In mo-
ments like this he forgets his inde
pendence and remembers that at one
time he used to obey me habitually.
I wanted to comfort him. but knew
my duty better. Vincent" I said, ap.
pealingly, don't you see 1t won't do?
She's no match for you-a girl with no
family and no money. and of her sta
tion In life. Give II up, l implore
you. Think OF your father. There
has never been a mesalliance In the
family 1t would break his heart
Vincent raised his head. Mrs.
Armistead says her family is perfectly
respectable" he said. Il asked her."
Perfectly respectable!" / repeated.
contemptuously. Think OF Vincent
marryIng girl who has nothing in her
favor but the fact that her family was
perfectly respectable
Vincent sighed pathetically and !
delivered one more blow. Think" !
said: your brother Edmund is over
40. unmarried. and sufferer from
rheumatism OF the heart. as you know.
Suppose he should die--wouldn't yon
make more creditable heir to the
title II you hadn't tied yourself up to
n wife of obscure origin-a penniless
American girl? And II you don't come
into the title Ou're only n younger
son. and you know yourself your pro,
pensity for getting into debt, and the
foreign Office for boy of your age
is not n paying business. No. Vincent.
you're not cut out for making money,
and it's certain you can't depend on
your father forever. Can't you see
how rash and foolish you are TO con.
slider such n thing"
leaned over and put my hand on
Vincent's shoulder. He turned his
head. and when felt his smooth
cheek against my hand I knew that
the battle was won.
CTo BE CoSTISTEDJ