Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-06-19

81 wonder you can bear to stay away
from it, breathed his listener. Il beg
your pardon, Sir Norman, but my god
mother has spoken TO me of Aspendale
and from her account it seemed 30 ms
that you had only to wish 1t and you
could go back there"
Sir Norman shook his head.
Il see YOU have heard our story. 1t
is quite true that my cousins widow
offered to give me back the castle, but
could not take such gift from d
| stranger; besides, poor little thing, when
she knows more of the world she viii
not want to give away such a home"
But it might not seem home to her"
answered his companion
They We're sitting on the sands long
way east of Bournemouth close to that
charming spot called Fisherman's Walk.
| Mora is long time coming down the
steps" said Miss Groves
| They had left Nora up on the cliff,
| taking snapshots of some little brown
faced children who were down for
| holiday.
81 don't want her to hurry said Sir
Norman. "There is something I want
| to say to you, Miss Groves-Pearl. Can
you guess what it %"
| She did not answer him in words, but
| her cheeks flushed
| Dear" said Norman Hamilton gen.
thy, sit is no sudden thing / am going
to tell you; / have known it for months,
but my future looked so anxious and
| troubled that / thought it would be
wrong to speak to you. 1t is just this
Il love you with all my he 1T, and if
only you could learn to care for me I
should be perfectly happy though new
er see Aspendale again. l think you
know we have had a hard struggle in
| the last twelve months, but now / have
only mother and Nora to think of. I
heard this morning that my salary was
to be raised from Eichaelmas, and so,
If only you did not mind beginning
quietly, dear, we might be married very
soon. Darling, can't you give me any
| hopper"
There was strange tender light in
her sweet eyes.
/ 81 care for you now; / have cared for
months, but 1 never dreamed you would
love me. ] don't care for money" whis-
pered the girl.
"And you will be my wifef Pearl,
you have not given me your promise
yet"
And then remembrance came back,
and the girl knew her happiness would
not last
81 love you," she said simply, "as /
never loved any one before; but Sir Nor.
man, when you hear my story you viii
never want to marry me; you will be
angry and say have deceived you"
81 don't believe you could deceive
any one, Pearl. If it is question of
your relations l am quite content to
marry you, as Mrs. Robinson's godehild
and never ask about your people"
Il would rather tell you. If not /
should always feel there was a drawn
sword over my head, for you would be
sure to hear the truth some day"
Something in the intense sadness of
her tone filled Norman with alarm.
Nothing can change my love, dar-
ling" he said gently. Tell me what is
troubling you"
when I came to my godmother last
September | had run away from home.
Mrs. Robinson knew that my mother
had never loved me, and so she offered
me home with her, but she said that,
lest my mother should find out where I
was and try to force me to return to
her, had better drop my real name.
She chose Pearl Groves for me, because
, my second Christian name is Margaret.
and Groves is half my fathers name"
Sir Norman did not guess even then.
/, eve should have to be married in
your own name, Pearl, to make the cere-
, mony valid, but after that you need
never bear it again"
81 am afraid | must" said the girl
slowly. 81 had better tell you the truth,
Norman. l am Lettice Margaret Ham
ilton-your cousins widow!"
Poor Dick!" he said as soon as he
had recovered the power of speech.
HE was very good to me, but, Nor
man, until the day before the wedding
never guessed he loved me. l thought
we all did-that it was my eldest sis
ter he wanted to marry; and, Norman,
only consented because l could not
bear to cross his last wish. Indeed, in
deed, it was not the money"
81 am sure of that, my darling. What
am / to say? l love you dearly, but
you are the mistress of Aspendaie and
! ten thousand a year, while | have not
five hundred all told"
"You forget" she said quietly, eff I
marry again Aspendale reverts to you.
You gain nothing by marrying me. and
only as your wife can / retain the cas-
tie"
Dearest, last September I declared /
would never take Aspendale from Dicks
widow. / will only take it now il the
giver goes with the gift "-Florencs
Hodgkinson. THE END.