Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-04-02

delicate position, certalnly-tnat Is u
say, If he was man of decently honest
feelings, not Robert Nash"
"And how would you have him act?
How would you act yourself, were you
in such position, Mr.. Mohun?'
II should decline pressing my suit
any ful iher," said Clifford, with de-
cision. my children should not be
born to a stained name through any
mere want Of moral courage of mine."
"Ahw
"You look very grave, Miss Grand.
Allow me to ask If am upsetting any
little prearrangement Of your own in
positively declining to fall in love with
either of the Miss TennantsT
Jane smiled, but her smile was
forced one. She by no means wished
Clifford to fall in love with either Of the
Miss Tenants. She had heard, not
without satisfaction, that he did not
think them as handsome as it was the
fashion for other persons in that neigh
borhood to call them. But a strange,
an indefnable pain smote her heart
when he spoke of Mr.. Tenants past
life, What interest had she in such
subject at all? What was Mr.. Ten
nant's good or evil repute to her? Moth
ing-she knew that; but the pain she
could not account for was at her heart
still, to be remembered through long
after years as the first dark whisper
of her own fate-the skeleton whose
grim hand had been upon her, though
with faint, unsteady hold, even in those
! earliest moments Of the one festival OF
her life.
IT am thinking, Mr.. Mohun; am
pondering on what you have just said
"And youarriveat the conclusion"
II arrive at the conclusion"-she
looked very steadily in his eyes as she
/ said this-"that you have never known
anything at all about really deep feef-
| ing. A person who, who knew what
love was, could not speak of pressing
his suit no further just as though he
were deciding about some mere matter
of business, and not very important
business, either. If you were engaged
to Aggie Tennant-no, we will leave
poor Aggie alone, and speak generally
II you were engaged to any one you
really cared for, you would not change
| merely because you found out some
thing in her fathers history to be dis
approved Of"
"You speak as one having authority,
Miss Grand. defer to you. l have
never been in love yet, as you justly
surmise. know nothing about the
laws and canons of the passion. Evil
dently you understand the whole thing
thoroughly. I submit"
"Mr. Mohun, I understand nothing
about it, either; but l know-I mean !
feel-that no one really in love could
change, on principle, as you talk OF
doing"
And then Clifford answered-some-
thing which I dare say would not ap-.
pear strikingly clever If it were to be
recorded here-something, however,
which had the effect of making Miss
Grand's heart futter, and her eyes
sink down from his face. And then she
| remembered that 1t was already past
the time at which she had promised
Miss Lynch to return; and, as it was
getting so late, she thought she must
really 60 back the shortest way to
Chesterford. although that walk
through the lower plantation was
rather lonely one as evening fell.
Clifford would go with her. Oh, dear,
no! she could not let Mr.. Mohun take
so much trouble for worlds-just as far
as the outskirts Of the last plantation,
then-she could get on quite well alone
when she once found herself in the
open fields by the village.
And the moon was shining high and
clear above their heads when Mohun
left Jane Grand at the garden gate OF
her own cottage that night.