Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1914-07-09

4 Oll ~ AOl lhOhNhOs AOQ WClO o0PPOoCd
to be mine at first sight, l believe.
/ Please don't look so uneasy I'm not
going to propose to you" She laughed
her little ironic laugh.
80 that is the way things stood,
eh?" he said, still little amazed by
her candor.
yes And what is more to the
point, l am quite sure should have
! said yes If you had asked me- Sounds
odd. doesn't 1t? Rather amusing, too,
being able to discuss it so unreserved-
ly, isn't it,"
Good heavens, svivl" he cried un-
comfortably. II had no idea you
| cared"
Cared" she cried, as he paused.
Il don't 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 a husband than any man /
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
sayi"
Failing 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 1t? And
certainly it isn't gay prospect. Real
~, | had hoped you would have me.
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 /
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-in-law.
Which all goes to prove that / would
have made just the kind of wife you
need, considering your tendency to
f1uctuate.. But how dreadful it would
have been for sentimental, loving
girl like Hettyi"
He sat bolt upright and stared hard
at her.
See here, Wv, what the dickens are
you driving at? Pm not in love with
Sara-not In the least-and-" He
checked himself sharply. What an
ass am! You're guying me-"
In any event. am right about Het-
ty," she said. leaning forward, her man
ner quite serious.
IF it will ease you mind" he said
stifffy, Il plead guilty with all my
heart"
She favored him with slight frown
of annoyance
And you deny the fluctuating
charger"
Most positively. / 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 half-minute she was silent.
Are you and l of the same stripe,
after all? Would you marry Sara
without loving her, as l would have
done by you? 1t doesn't seem like
you, Brandon"
Good heaven, Pm not going to
marry Sara!" he blurted out. Ute
never entered my head"
Perhaps it 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, 1 believe
I'd pick you out as the victim"
Wonderful combination" she said
with frank laugh. 1.-THE quintes-
senee 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 EN- say It," he said gruffiy.
"Oh, well,' she said, dispatching it
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, 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 a 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 time"
He was too wise to venture an opin-
ion. Il assure you she has no designs
on me-"
Perhaps not. But l fancy that even
you could not escape as st. Anthony
did. She is most alluring."
you don't like her"
Obviously. And yet don't dislike
her. She has the virtue of consist