The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-28

1 see her?' Edward looked confused and distressed at this, and Elinor quickly changed the subject. In fact, all dur ing his stay at Barton cottage Edward 1 Ferras seemed to betroubled by some secret disquietude of mind. At times his conduct toward Elinor would be most frank and cordial and then he would
 seem to be trying to establish their in- tercourse upon purely formal grounds.
 Willoughby did not ride back and Ed
 ward at length rode away. There came to
 visit the people at the park two young ladies, distant cousins of Lady Middle
 ton. The sisters were Anne Steele, an
 unattractive spinster of 30, and Lucy 1 Steele, eight years her sisters junior,
 rather pretty, decidedly self-possessed and entirely heartless. Elinor felt an instinctive dislike to Lucy Steele, but Lucy fairly forced herself into a conf- dential intimacy with Elinor One day as the two young ladies were walking together across the downs Lucy said: q want to ask your advice. I have no one to confide in. Pray, are you &C., quainted with your sister-in-law's moth-
 CT, Mrs. Ferras? You wonder at my
 question, but will understand when I
 tell you that I have never met her
 and am anxious to know what sort of
 woman she is. The time may come when
 we shall be intimately connected. In short, MT. Edward Ferras and myself 1 have been engaged for four years, but have kept the matter from the knowl- edge of his mother. Not a soul of all my relations know of 1t except Anns, and should never have mentioned 1t to you but for the great regard I have for your advice and judgment
 Elinor felt as if she were falling from some great height, but, summoning all her resolution, replied calmly that she did not know Mrs. Ferras, adding: "I cer- tainly did not seek your confidence, but you do me no more than justice in believ- ing that I may be depended upon not to reveal your secret" "We are very de- voted to each other, Edward and I,' went on Lucy, "but sometimes think we had better give up all hopes of marriage. His mother would be sure to object to him making a portionless girl his wife, and Edward has little or no fortune of his own. I feel, sometimes, that 1t would not be right for me to injure his pros poets in life by making so imprudent match as would be his with poor me-, And | yet I cannot bear the thought of mak-
 ing him miserable by even suggesting such a thing as breaking our engage ment What you'd you advise me to do?" Pardon me-" replied Elinor, but can give no advice upon such a subject"
 1 Edward, it appeared, had been a pupil of Lucy's uncle, a MT. Pratt, who took boys to tutor at Longstaple, near Ply mouth. Lucy and her sister lived with their uncle, and there Lucy and Edward had fallen in love-or, rather, Edward thought he had fallen in love and Lucy thought she had caught desirable hus- band But these details were unknown to Elinor, of course She could only see that the man she loved was engaged, and had been for four years engaged to another, and that apparently he loved her much. Elinor's natural shrewdnsss of disposition made her rather suspect the genuineness of Lucy's love for Edward-but it was enough; the dream was over.
 With greater tenderness now did she soothe Marianne, who was beginning to pine at the inexplicable absence and si- lence of Willoughby When. one day, the bustling and garrulous Mrs. Jennings came to the cottage and invited Elinor and Marianne to accompany her to London for a visit Mrs. Dashwood urg ed the girls to 
 accept and as Marianne seemed to re- vive in spirits at the mere thought of be- ing in London, where she might, per chance, see Willoughby, the offer was ac- cepted, and the two young ladies were soon established in a palatial house in Berkley street as guests of Mrs. Jen- nings Marianne at once wrote a note to Willoughby, announcing her arrival In town and asking him to come to her at once.
 | She received no answer to this note but the next day, upon returning from drive, she found that Wiloughby had called and left his card. As matter of fact, the fel- low had watched to see that the girls were Iout of the house before he ventured to ring the bell. Again and again Marianne wrote to her recreant lover without elicit ing any response. Then one day she heard | the news, terrible to her, that he was about to be married to woman of for tune While Marianne was prostrated by the news there came to the Berkley street home Colonel Brandon. He sought <an interview with Elinor and told her of tho life and sins of Wiloughby. In his early youth Colonel Brandon had loved wom- Ian who subsequently, married his broth er There was daughter by this union.