Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-05-07

far, that every time you have spoken
slightly of them you have spoken 30 OF
me. However unwilling you might
feel to marry one of Mr.. Tenants
daughters, you will-you must-feei
thousand times more how Impossible
it would be for you to marry me! Yes,
Clifford, yes-it is so! Oh, my God!
"What is 1t, Jane?" but the tone OF
Mohun's voice was changing, and he
fidgeted nervously with his hands.
"What similarity is there between your
position and that of the Miss Ten
nants?"
"There is this difference between us,
Clifford: The Miss Tenants are rich
and have many friends and parents
living, and am poor and without
relative on the earth"
She stopped short with agitation; Mo-
hun breathed rather freer. Whatever
these fearful people were that he was
going to hear about, it was consola-
tion to think that they were at least
dead and buried. He had had dread
full suspicion that the living vulgarity
of some atrociously near relatives was
going to be thrust upon him.
"Your friendlessness knits you closer
to me, Jane; and"-and here he felt ne
was saying something wonderfully
magnanimous-"i is easier to get over
the failings of those who are gone than
It might be, you know, II one was ac-
tually thrown with them in ones daily
life. When people are dead one can't
think of any Of their errors too
harshly."
James eyes glowed through all their
misery at this extraordinary trait OF
generosity in Mr.. Mohun.
II am glad you have spoken so, Gif-
ford. 1t reminds me of how 1 should
speak and how I should feel. Yes, l
will try never to be ashamed OF them
again. AS you say. their faflings
! should be lightly dealt with now-for
they are dead"
And then, distinctly and without fall
tering once, she told him, almost word
for word, what Mr.. ClitherO had told
her respecting her mothers birth and
| history.
A nameless French nctress-better
nameless perhaps than If she had been
more known. Well, Gifford's pride had
TO make an immense effort, but he did
gulp it down. 1t was merciful that the
woman was n foreigner-still more so
that she was forgotten and dead. The
dreadful disclosure might have turned
out worse; and then Jane really was
very beautiful (when she was looking
her best and he was very much in
love with her, and he would have been
very sorry indeed to have had to dis
appoint himself.
With a great deal Of tenderness, not
| unmixed with condescensiOD, lie began
to let her know that he could not allow
her to break off their engagement, even
for such cause as she had just stated.
But Jane interrupted him-intcrrupt-
ed him with passionate haste-witll
| looks, with words, that froze back all
Giffords conventional speeches, all
small vanity-yes, for the moment,
| even all tuOuSHt VI HiuSCil VI VI "h"s
| he felt and was going to do.
81 can't believe it! My God, this is
too frightful"
! Clifford Mohun was selfish to the
very core-self-loying, self-seeking, self
approving: thirsting for all earthly
good to be centered in himself; and
| singularly apathetic, as n rule, to the
sufferings Of any person whose suffer-
ings happened to be necessary to his
| pleasures But he was only boy; and,
however fine the raw material in other
respects, no boy ever possessed the
prime, the essential quality for thor
| ough man of the world-moral callous-
| ness. A man must have gone through
a good deal of life to be perfect master
| of very difficult situation in an in
stant; and Clifford had gone through
very little Of life, and his brain turned,
| and for a moment-for one moment-he
| felt as though his voice was going to
be choked with sobs, and that he would
+, take Jane to his breast and bid her
stay there forever, because OF the very
magnitude of the horror that had fallen
upon himself and upon her alike.
But the revulsion of feeling came
quickly; and with that first irrepressi-
BILE instinct died the best chance of Gif-
ford Mohun's life. Marry the daughter
| Of such man--ally his old name to one
which, since he was schoolboy. he
had himself heard spoken Of in connec.
ton with dishonor? Hot shame Mt the
bare thought of such marriage
| thrilled through his veins and rose IN
| dignantly TO his check. He felt that
he had been shamefully. monstrOusly
deceived. The guilt lay with those
who, knowing what she was, had ever
allowed him to love Jane Grand. Now
only one course lay before him-to
break with her at once and forever, to
become the talk of all the country
round, and then TO get far away and
try to live down and forget the shame
and bitterness of all this miserable
business that had been forced upon
him.
This-if emotion could ever be truly
| rendered by words-was something like
what now passed through Giford's
heart. He did not think (that first boy
ish impulse over) of Jane, or of her
grief, or of her love. He thought Of
what he loved bcst-hinisclf; and how
quickest to get away from what he
hated most-his own pain. And l
think, if Jane could have read his soul
during these first moments. she might
Il speak with diGidencc, knowing how
rooted such women are in their fond
superstitions-she might have found a
cruel but efficacious check to some Of
the idolatry with which, for many
years afterward. she continued to re-