The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-07-04

SdIeO. ene CrleQ, aS ne pduocu-
"Edont care two pins for you in that
way. But / would have married you,
just the same, because you are worth
marrying. I'd very much rather have
you for q 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
bit more trouble to you than she is
to him"
Cad, you don't mind what you
say!"
Failing to nab you, Brandy, l dare
say I'll have to come down to q duke
or. who knows? maybe a mere prince.
It isn't very enterprising. Is It? And
certainly 1t isn't gay prospect. Real
ly, l had hoped you world have me.
l flatter myself, l suppose. but, hon.
estly now, we would have made q
rather nice looking couple. wouldn't
WEI"
You flatter 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 I
was in love with you-which l 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
fiuctuate. 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.
IF 1t will ease you mind" he said
stihly. Il plead guilty with all my
heart"
She favored him with a slight frown
Of annoyance.
And you deny the nuctuating
charger"
Most positively. l can afford to be
honest with you, Wv. You are a
corker. 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 l of the same stripe,
after all? Would you marry Sara
without loving her, as I would have
done by you? 1t doesn't seem like
you, Brandon"
Good heaven, I'm not going to
marry Sara!" he blurted out Its
never entered my head"
Perhaps 1t has entered hers"
Nonsense! She isn't going to
marry anybody. And she knows how
feel toward Hetty. II it came to the
point where decided to marry with
out love, pom my soul, Wv, | believe
I'd pick you out as the victim"
Wonderful combination!" she said
with frank laugh. THE quintes.
sence Of mo 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 grufiy.
"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. Il beg your par.
don. I shouldn't have said that"
You see," she went on, ireverting 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
Challie, when she was q great deal
younger than she Is now, and she got
him. II age and experience count for
anything, how capable she must be
by this time"
He was too wise to venture an opin-
ion. Il 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 l don't dislike
her. She has the virtue of consist.
ency, IL 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 IL she had accepted
him."
"Indeed?"
Il sometimes wonder IL 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.
phant. That is just what l thought
There you are! Doesn't that explain
Sara