The Prescott daily news., 1914-01-17

in another. There is one question l must ask first and l hope you will trust me enough to answer it. Is there any other-any other man who has the right to care for you, and is unable or unwilling to do it?"
 She looked up at him, her large eyes still shining with tears, and shuddered slightly
 "Oh, mol" she said "Oh, no, thank God there is not! My dear uncle has been dead for four years, and there has never been any one else who cared since Father died"
 He looked at her, great light be- ginning to come into his face; but she did not understand and turned her head to hide the tears.
 Then l am going to tell you some thing" he said, his tone growing lower, yet clear enough for her to hear every word distinctly.
 A tall. oldish girl with discon- tented upper lip stalked through the hall, glanced in at the door, and sniff ed significantly, but they did not see her. A short, baggy-coated man out side lowered anxiously around the building and passed the very window of that room, but the shade opposite them was down, and they did not know. The low, pleasant voice went on:
 T have come to care a great deal for you since I first saw you, and want you to give me the right to care for you always and protect you against the whole world"
 She looked up, wondering.
 What do you mean?"
 T mean that love you, and want to make you my wife. Then l can de. fY the whole world if need be, and put you where you ought to be"
 "Oh" she breathed softly.
 Wait, please" he pleaded, laying his hand gently on her little, trembling one. Don't say anything until l have finished. l know of course that this will be startling to you. You have been brought up to feel that such things must be more carefully and de- liberately done. l do not want you to feel that this is the only way l can help you, either. If you are not will ing to be my wife, 1 will find some other plan. But this is the best way, if it isn't too hard on you, for I love you as 1 never dreamed that I could love a woman. The only question s whether you can put up with me until l can teach you to love me a little"
 She lifted eloquent eyes to his face.
 "Oh, 1t is not that" she stammered, rosy light flooding cheek and brow. Tt is not that at all. But you know nothing about me. If you knew, you would very likely think as others do, and"
 Then do not tell me anything about yourself, if it will trouble you. I do not care what others think If you have poisoned a husband, 1 should know that he needed poisoning, and any way I should love you and stand by you"
 T have not done anything wrong" she said gravely.
 Then if you have done nothing wrong we will prove it to the world l, or, if we cannot prove it, we will fly to some desert island and live there in peace and love. That is the way l feel about you. I know that you are good and true and lovely! Any one might as well try to prove to me that you were crazy as that you had done wrong in any way"
 Her face grew strangely white.
 Well, suppose I was crazy?"
 Then l would take you and cherish you and try to cure you, and if that could not be done, l should help you bear It."
 "Oh, you are wonderful." she breathed, the light of a great love growing in her eyes.
 The bare, prosaic walls stood stolid- ly about them, indifferent to romance or tragedy that was being wrought out within its wall. The whirl and hum of the city without, the grime and soil of the city within. were alike for gotten by these two as their hearts throbbed in the harmony of a great passion.
 Do you think to you could learn to love me?" said the mans voice, with the sweetness of the love song of the ages in its tone
 T love you now," said the girls low voice. T think have loved you from the beginning though I never dared to think of it in that way. But 1t would not be right for me to become your wife when you know practically noth- ing about me"
 Have you forgotten that you know