Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-01-02

which. whether she accepts It or not, |,
hers"
Guy had never felt sharper pang thar
that which now thrilled through every
nerve, but he would not prove false tc
the friend con6ding In him, and he an.
swered calmly; ~.
You have my consent but, doc, better
put 1t off till you see her at Aikenside
There's no chance at the cottage, with
| those three old people. | wonder she
don't go wild I'm sure l should"
And you'll manage 1t for me, Guy?
You know how. l don't. You'll contrive
for rue to see her alone, and maybe say a
word beforehand in my favor
"Yes, yes. I'll manage it. I'll fix
it right. Don't forget, da yafter to-mor-
row night. The Cutters will be there,
and, by the way, Marcia has got to be a
splendid girl. She fancied you once. you
know. Old Cutler is worth half mill
ion" And Guy tore himself away from
the doctor, who, now that the ice was
broken, would like to have talked Of
Maddy forever.
But Guy was not thus inclined, and in
mood not extremely amiable, he went
dashing down toward Honedale. For
some unaccountable reason he was not
now one bit interested in the party, and,
were it not that few Of the invitations
were issued, he would have been tempted
to give it up. Guy did not know what
allied him. He only felt as if somebody
had been meddling with his plans. He
contented himself with driving like sec
ond Jehu until he reached Honedale,
where a pair of soft, brown eyes smiled
up into his face, and little, warm hand
was clasped in his, as Maddy came even
to the gate to meet him.
She was very glad to see him. The
cottage with it's humble adornngs did
seem lonely, almost dreary, after the life
and hustle of New York, and Maddy had
cried more than once to think how hard
and wicked she must be growing when
her home had ceased to be the dear old
home she once loved so well. She had
been there five days now, and notwith-
standing the efforts Of her grandparents
to entertain her. each day had seemed
week in its duration. Neither the doctor
nor Guy had been near her, and capri
cious little Maddy had made herself be-
lieve that the former was sadly remiss in
his duty, inasmuch as he had not seen
her for 50 long.
Maddy was getting to be a woman, with
womanly freaks, as the reader will read
lily see. At Guy she was not particularly
piqued. She did not take his attentions
as matter Of course; still she thought
more of him, If possible, than of the doc
tor, during those five days, saying to
herself each morning: He'll surely come
to- day." and to herself each night: HE
will be here tomorrow" She had some
thing to show him at last-a letter from
Lucy Atherstone, who had gradually come
to be her regular correspondent, and
whom Maddy had learned to love with
all the intensity of her girlhood. To her
ardent imagination Lucy Atherstone was
but little lower than the angels, and
the pure, sweet thoughts contained in ev-
cry letter were doing almost as much |
towards molding her character as Grand
pa Markham's prayers and constant teach |
ings. Maddy did not know it, but it was
these letters from Lucy which kept her
from loving Guy Remington. She could
not for a moment associate him with her
self when she so constantly thought of
him as the husband Of another, and that
other Lucy Atherstone. Not for worlds
would Maddy have wronged the gentle
creature who wrote to her 80 confidingly
of Guy, envying her in that she could SO
often see his face and hear his voice,
while his betrothed was separated from
him by many thousand miles. Little by
little it had come out that Lucy's mother
was averse to the match, that she had
in her mind the case of an English lord,
who would make her daughter my
Lady,; and this was the secret Of her
so long her daughters marriage.
In her last letter to Maddy, however,
Lucy had written with more than her
usual spirit that she would come in pos
session of her property on her twenty-ifth
birthday. She should then feel at liberty
to act for herself, and she launched out
INTO joyful anticipations O the time when
she should come to Aikefsde and meet
ler dear Maddy Clyde.
Guy began to talk with Maddy, askinA
now she had spent her tim, and so forth
This reminded Maddy of the doctor, who,
she said, had not been to zee her at ALL
"He was coming this morning." Guy
.eioined, but | persuaded him to defer
lis call until you were It Aikenside. |
nave come to take you back with me, as
ye are to have a party day after to-mor-
.ow evening, and / wish yau to be pres
mt"
Ito be continued,