The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-08-13

|
comfortably. Il had no idea you
cared"
Cared" she cried, as he paused.
Il don't care two pins for you In that
way But l would have married you,
just the same, because you are worth
marrying. I'd very much rather have
you for husband than any man
know, but as for loving you! Pooh!
Ia love you in just the way mother
loves father. and l wouldn't have been
DIT more trouble to you than she is
to him.
Cad, you don't mind what you
say!"
railing to nab you, Brandy, dare
say I'll have to come down to a duke
or, who knows? maybe a mere prince (
1t isn't very enterprising, is it? And
certainly 1t isn't a gay prospect Real
ly, had hoped you would have me-
fatter myself, l suppose, but, hon
estly now, we would have made q
rather nice looking couple, wouldn't |
WEI"
You 1atter 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
was in love with you-which 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-inlaw.
| Which all goes to prove that l would
have made just the kind of wife you
need, considering your tendency to
| fuctuate. But how dreadful it would
have been for 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 1 am! You're guying me-"
in any event, 1 am right about Het-
ty," she said, leaning forward, her man
ner quite serious
eff it will ease you mind" he said
stif1y, II plead guilty with all my
heart"
She favored him with slight frown
OF annoyance.
"And you deny the fuctuating
charger"
Most positively. 1 can afford to be
honest with you, Viv. You are a
corker. l 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 1 of the same stripe,
after all? Would you marry Sara
4 without loving her, as 1 would have
5 done by you? It doesn't seem like
. you, Brandon"
Good heaven, I'm not going to
: marry Sara!" he blurted out. Its
D never entered my head"
$ perhaps it has entered hers"
;. Nonsense! She isn't going to
t marry anybody. And she knows how ]
D feel toward Hetty. If it came to the
h point where 1 decided to marry with
e out love, pom my soul, Wv, l believe
I'd pick you out as the victim
!. Wonderful combination!" she said
J. with a frank laugh. THE quintes
sence of no love lost But to resume
J. Do you know that people are saying
r you are to be married before the win
, ter is over?'
]. Let 'em say it," he said gruf1ly.
9 "Oh, WE'LL she said dispatching i
ali with a gesture, "if that's the way
q you feel about it, there's no more tt
!. be said.''
]. He was ashamed. Fl beg your par
" don, l shouldn't have said that"
8 you see," she went on, reverting tt
II the original topic, people who know
f. Sara are likely to credit her with mo
r tives you appear to be totally ignoran
n Of She set her heart on my brothe
Challis, when she was a great dea
4. younger than she is now, and she go
him. If age and experience count TO
I anything, how capable she must b
! by this time
| lie was too wise to venture an opi1
ion. Il assure you she has no design
| on me-
| Perhaps not But fancy that eve
you could not escape as st. Anthem
did. She is most alluring."
You don't like her"
h OBVIOUSLY And yet don't dis1ik
n her. She has the virtue of cOnsiS
/ ency, if one may use the expression
She loved my brother. Leslie say
she should have hated him. We hav
tried to like her. l think l have com
4 nearer to it than any of the others, NJ
I excepting Leslie, who has always bee
4 her champion. l suppose you kno
IL that he was your rival at one time
u HE mentioned it," said Booth drill
Il should have been very much di
appointed in her if she had accepte
him."
'Indeed?"
Il sometimes wonder If Sara spike
In Leslie's guns for him."
81 can tell you something you dor
know, VIVIAN said he Sara W;
N, rather keen about making a mate
GU there"
Vivian's smile was slow but triu1
I'D plant THAT is just what l though
There you are! Doesn't that expla
Sara?"
In measure, yes. But, you sc