New-York tribune., 1912-02-18

L
America; and the life Mrs Cobb offered me,
all petting and diamonds and beautiIul
clothcs-it seemed ideal. To be sure, the
husband added to the bargain-l dld heSl-
tate a moment for that. But only moment
what else, after all, had | looked lorWaru
to, and what would have been my marriage
if Papa had lived? Monsieur has so many
thousand francs Of fortune, MademoiScIIe Is
the daughter Of a Marquis and has 50 many
thousand francs Of dowry. And here was a
husband who was willing to take me without
a sou Of dowryl If Mrs. Cobb was wiling
to take rccompcnse from my name ana my
relatives, instead Of from the fortune dldn
have, could be anything but relieved ana
glad3 And after all, giving me her son Tor
my husband, whether one agrees with her
or not about his qualities, still one must con-
fcss she certainly had no idea OF wronging
me therc For, after all, Victor IS her son.
And, though | haven't any children myself
still | sometimes fancy | can imagine now
children seem TO their own mother
Mrs. Stuart strokcd my hand, and 1t
seemed to me for a moment that saw tears
in her eyes.
Funny little Lii, she said, dear little
Liil A dear little name, for a dear little girl.
Yes, you are right, children do seem like that
to their mother Even Henry, you see, to
me
"But-ah, Henry" cried Hes differ
cnt!"
r FELT her eyes on me, penetrating, in
fnitclv kind Then, as | raised my eyes
70 meet them. knew that my voice, in
these two or three words, had betrayed my
secret: for the glance that | met looked
through and through me, TO the very lnmOSt
part Of nv soul. even past the thought Of my
dear papa. to where nothing lives but the
thought of Henry! Henry! All day long,
when I'm awake and when I'm sleeping,
there in my drcamsl SO, as knew that she
knew already, | just let everything come
into nv eyes, all my longing, all my strug-
giles. al nv hope that knew itself hopeless
"This is an odd complication, she said IN
changed voice, hcstating and tender
"Will you-will you let me tell Henry
He's a LAWYER. as YOU know. He's very
clever at it. I've known him to unravcl the
most extraordinary affairs. May tell
him,"
~No!" | cried. Then | paused to think
Was my refusal dclicacy, was it QuiXotism'
And in any case was not one reason more
foolish than the other, if a way OF escape
could be pointed out:
"Ycs!" | changed my negative. Tell
him. please, But-oh, dear Mrs Stuart,
cried with a sudden thought, no one else,
please Imagine if people heard about bar
gain, or coercion, or anything like that
where would be the social advantage that
Mrs. Cobb hoped to gain from the marriage,
which its only fair she should have, because
she's paid for it? So not a word, please
Mrs. Stuart strokcd my chcek-what a
soft hand, what a tender touch. "ies, she
said. you're Eticnnc's daughter, one can
see that.-thc same delicate ScrupleS, the
same fine sense of honor.
"And vet, | cried in a weeping voice,
"wcrc trying to find a way out for me to
break my word
She seemed pcrplcxcd. no." she said, 81
could never advise anyone to break their
word. But. YOU see, can't help feeling that
have the first right to you; for It was to
find me that YOU came to America, after all.
Think Of it," She looked at me as if over
come bv the thought. "You came to find
me! Eticnncs daughter looking for me, and
wasn't there. No, its too cruel that we
should find each other too latc-no, 1t
mustn't be too late Lii, you belong to me
/ won't give you up! won let YOU
marry that loutish young Cobb-ncrcr,
never But, never fear, Henry will find
v.,v ont He's SO clever Henry"