The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1914-07-24


way. But I would have married you,
just the same, because you are worth
marrying. I'd very much rather have
you for husband than any man l
know, but as for loving you! Pooh!
I'd love you in just the way mother
loves father, and wouldn't have been
a bit more trouble to you than she is
to him"
Cad, you don't mind what you
sayi"
Failing to nab you, Brandy, / dare
say I'll have to come down to duke
or, who knows? maybe a mere prince.
1t isn't very enterprising, is it? And
certainly it isn't gay prospect. Real
ly, 1 had hoped you would have me-.
l fiatter myself, l suppose, but, hon
estly now, we would have made a
rather nice looking couple, wouldn't
WEI"
you fiatter me-" he said.
But" she resumed, calmly exhal-
ing, you very foolishly fell in love
with some one else, and it wasn't
necessary for me to pretend that l
was in love with you-which I should
have done. believe me, if you had
given me the chance. You fell in love,
first with Hetty Castleton"
''First?" he cried, frowning.
"And now you are heels over head
in love with my beautiful sister-in-law.
Which all goes to prove that l would
have made just the kind of wife you
need, considering your tendency to
fluctuate. But how dreadful it would
have been for a sentimental, loving
girl like Hetty!"
He sat bolt upright and stared hard
at her.
See here, Wv, what the dickens are
you driving at? I'm not in love with
Sara-not in the least-and-" He
checked himself sharply. What an
ass l am! You're guying me-"
I'm any event, l am right about Het-
ty," she said, leaning forward. her man
ner quite serious.
eff it will ease you mind" he said
stiffiy, II plead guilty with all my
heart"
She favored him with slight frown
of annoyance.
"And you deny the fuctuating
charger"
Most positively. l can afford to be
honest with you, Wv. You are a
corker. 1 love Hetty Castleton with
all my SOUL"
She leaned back in her chair. Then
why don't you dignity your soul by be-
ing honest with herr"
What do you mean?"
For a half-minute she was silent.
Are you and I of the same stripe,
after all? Would you marry Sara
without loving her, as would have
done by you? 1t doesn't seem like
you, Brandon"
Good heaven, I'm not going to
marry Sara!" he blurted out. "It's
never entered my head"
Perhaps 1t has entered hers"
Nonsense! She isn't going to
marry anybody. And she knows how
feel toward Hetty. If it came to the
point where l decided to marry with
out love, pom my soul, Wv, l believe
I'd pick you out as the victim"
Wonderful combination" she said
with a frank laugh. 1.-THE quintes-
sence of no love lost But to resume!
Do you know that people are saying
you are to be married before the win
ter is over?"
Let 'em say it," he said gruffly.
"Oh, WE'LL she said, dispatching 1t
all with gesture, "if that's the way
you feel about it, there's no more to
be said"
He was ashamed. 81 beg your par
don, l shouldn't have said that"
you see," she went on, reverting to
the original topic, people who know
Sara are likely to credit her with mo-
tives you appear to be totally ignorant
of. She set her heart on my brother
Challis, when she was q great deal
younger than she is now, and she got
him. If age and experience count for
anything, how capable she must be
by this time4'
He was too wise to venture an opin-
ion. II assure you she has no designs
on me-"
Perhaps not. But fancy that even
you could not escape as st. Anthony
did. She Is most alluring."
you don't like her."
Obviously. And yet 1 don't dislike
her. She has the virtue of consist
ency, If one may use the expression.
She loved my brother Leslie says
she should have hated him. We have
tried to like her. think have come
nearer to it than any of the others, not
excepting Leslie, who has always been
her champion. suppose you know
that he was your rival at one time"
He mentioned it." said Booth drily.
Il should have been very much dis
appointed in her if she had accepted
him."
'Indeed?"
II sometimes wonder If Sara spiked
Leslie's guns for him."
81 can tell you something you don't
know, VIVIAN" said he. Sara was
rather keen about making a match
there"
Vivian's smile was slow but trium-
plant. THAT is just what l thought.
There you are! Doesn't that explain
Sara?"
In a measure, yes. But, you see,
it developed that Hetty cared for some
one else, and that put stop to every
thing"
Am I to take 1t that you are the
some one else?"
YES" he said soberly.
Then, may / ask why she went
L.