The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-04-16

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it's as plain as day."
Us it?"
suppose I'm a romantic idiot, he
went on softly, but / can't think of any
thing that would hurt me more than to find
that the woman l loved had married me for
money. That's what fellows ike Willard
have to contend with, and rich girls, too.
Now, zoe he stopped to kiss her fondIy
The awakening doubt in Christabels
mind, the startled quickening of her heart,
seemed to put only an added fervor upon
her lips. She clung to him for moment
with an intensity that brought an exultant
joy to his eyes.
Money, he breathed tenderly, is moth
to us, is it, honey"
No" she whispered family back.
The talk drifted a-feld, then afterwhile
he said:
Aunt Ellen will be lonely here without
you. Would she come with US, do you sup
pose2"
I'm afraid she couldn't bring herself to
leave the little old place" Christabel be-
ieved. She's lived here so long"
Il wonder how she'd ike us to come and
live with her?" laughed Burke He was
joking-or was he?-but again her heart
sank.
When he left her: Do you love me?" he
asked deeply. 81
You know it." answered his Cinderella
of the shops.
Then I'm richer than Willard by good
many millions, said Burke. And he went
gaily honleward.
The face that Christabel saw in her mir
ror was white, there were shadows in the
eyes that had lately looked back with such
frank happiness. Burke was not what she
had thought him; he was poor. Not poor
as she was perhaps, but poor in comparison
with what she had promised herself.
There are women who are born for luxury
born to be cooks. No matter whether they
ever attain it or not their desire is for purple
and fine linen, the delicacies and rehnements
of wealth and station And this not necesr
sarily from Incidence or snobbishness, by
virtue rather of tastes and ambitions that
are Unborn.
Christabel, girl who had never known
anything but poverty, knew herself equal to
any elevation, and with the confidence Of
true ambition she had expected to attain
the desired heights To find herself de-
ceived was blow indeed. She had not
been deceived by Burke-she had deceived
herself Burke had made no pretensions;
had no reason to guess her exalted ideas con-
corning him. The link between him and
young Willard was ikelier that of college.
friendship than of financial equality.
True, in marrying Burke, she would adj
vance some steps. They would very likely
have pleasant apartment, perhaps ser
want, her own life would be easier, pleas
anter-but this mediocrity had not been her
dream. Sick of poverty and its limitations
upon her love of beauty and freedom, she
had asked of life wealth and the power that
it gives, with her barter ready In her hand,
youth, beauty, capacity, and a greater gift
to be had for the winning. All this for
Burke!
Well, all was not over-what had passed
was not irrevocabIy final. She might re-
turn her catch to the stream of men and
cast her line again. More cautiously next.
time. She could give Burke up-give up
Burke
She flung a glance in the mirror-and
laughed.
Next morning all traces of the blow she
had received were erased. She was even
more serene, gayer, than before. The little
wedding preparations went on with an in
creased ardor. Aunt Ellen was happy
Burke was jubilant. =
Neither guessed that once more Love
Triumphant wore the added jewel of Re-
nunciation.
They were married quietly in a little
neighborhood church. Willard and Judge
Stillwell, Aunt Ellen and Miss Mcclure
were the only witnesses. Mr. MiIlard's au-
tomobile conveyed them to Aunt Ellen's
for the wedding supper, a proceeding that
pleased her more than gifts of rubies
They were to take little trip afterward,
and good-byes having been said at the
house, Millard's car again carried them to
the station
Burke at last lifted her into brilliantly
lighted car that was a fairyland of flowers,
that cleaned with silver and mahogany,
that shone with mirrors, hung with marvel-
Gus lace, and carpeted with velvet He
stood looking at her wonder, her incredu-
lous joy, tenderly. s.
don't understand" she murmured,
lifting those pure eyes questioningly to his.
He took her IN his arms
This is unimportant, he said. "The
great thing is that you married just mel" :.
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