The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-05-30

"But, Harry" began Ernestine
pale and breathless, "do you reall,
love me1"
81 was fascinated with Lisette Nor
man, but I love you, Ernestine. Car
you return the feeling even in th'
slightest degree !"
And then Ernestine Grey burst
into tears, and confessed to Harry
March how long and how entirely hel
heart had been his own.
So they were married very quietly
and the cozy little cottage which
Harry himself had built, received fol
Its mistress a blue-eyed girl, shrink
ing and shy as Lisette was self con-
fident and naughty.
Miss Norman arched her pretty
eyebrows when she heard of this
marriage between her former lover
and her friend.
81 dare say they'll be happy, how
ever,' she said, "Ernestine Grey
hasn't a particle of ambition about
her, but should not think even she
would have stopped to marry COM
mon carpenter"
"Must be deuced low p said Mr..
st. Armand, who was smoking a
cigarette, with his heels on Lisette's S
work table. "It won't do for us to
visit 'em, when we're married, Ii
sette."
"Oh, no, of course not p said Ii.
sette poutingly. "But now, Her.
bert, tell me more about Armand
Chase, and its delicious old towers
and splendid turrets, and the lonely
ghost in the unused wing of the
house. It's exactly like story"
well may it be-" inwardly re-
fected Mr.. Herbert St. Elmo St. Ar
mand, considering how much ofthe
element of fiction it contains"
But he was particularly careful to
keep this sentiment to himself, and
went on with fowery description of
some old chateau he had read of in
some novel, greatly to Lisette's de-
light.
The courtship progressed most
favorably, and one day, about three
months subsequently, Mr.. st. Armand
came in, looking flushed and excited.
"News, Lisette !" he cried, "great
news |"
"What 2"
"My brother Leon has kicked the
buck-I mean. he has departed this
life, and I must start for England at
once"
cat once p
eyes; but don't look so grieved,
my pet! We must be married i'm
mediately, or the gov-I would say,
Sir Grey-will be sure to have some
high flying match or other picked out
for me on the other side of the At
lantic."
Lisette's face frightened. Here
were disinterested love and devoted
affection.
"And can I 60 with your
DO f 5ou csnPbfpso@set cssunPbfpsose aEt'55dfH g0aipa daea
the ancestral halls of the St. Armands
without my wife"
dearest Herbert might have
known the generous impulses of your
heart p cried Lisette, smiling and
blushing, as she thought how soon
she should probably become Lady St.
Armand. What would Ernestine
March, the carpenters wife say !
What would be the curious verdict of
all her little world And Lisette's
heart leaped triumphantly within her
at the mere idea.
eyes" said Mr.. St. Armand, "but
the fact is-you see, Lisette, I've had
no remittances of late, and in his dis
tress and confusion at Icons death,
Sir Grey has forgotten to send me his
usual drafts on the banker. It's very
embarrassing, but"
"Oh, Hubert !" cried Lisette, gen.
erous by nature, like all women,
"don't let that annoy you for a sin
gle moment. I have money OF my
own that Aunt Patience lent me-a
thousand dollars. 1t is all at your
disposal. You can easily pay it at
any time after we are married"
So Mr.. St. Almond pocketed Ii
sette Norman's thousand dollars, and
a brilliant wedding followed, to which,
by special favor, Mr.. and Mrs. Harry
March were honored with cards.
The St. Almonds took passage for
Europe in the nextsteamer and Ernes-
tine said softly to her husband:
"Well, I suppose we shall never
see Lisette again. But, Harry, it
may all be an unfounded prejudice,
but would rather have seen Lisette
dead than known she was married to
that man."
"You see, my love-" said Mr..
March, "you are not ambitious.
Mrs. March was mistaken, however,
in her supposition that she had seen
the last of the future Lady St. Ar
mand.
1t was dull, rainy night in early
April, some two years subsequent to
| these events, when low knock came
to the door. Ernestiue, who was
sitting beside the cradle of her sleep
ing babe, ran to open the door
imagining that it was her husband.
But it was not the young mechanic
who was now on the high road tc
wealth. It was bent, bowed figure
in a shabby jacket and worn silk
dress.
"Ernestine, will you let me in p
"Lisette p
eyes, 1t is I. I am homeless now
Ernestine ~
She spoke with bitter laugh
more sad by far than the widest burs
of tears would have been.
: Ernestine March led her in, ex
changed her wet draperies for dry
. comfortable garments, administered
food and drink, and established he
in the easy chair before the Cheerful
fire, ere she asked any more ques
tions, and then Lisette told her melan